Ever notice how some HVAC companies appear first in Google Maps while others don’t show up at all? The difference usually comes down to one thing: categories. Your Google Business Profile categories tell Google what services your business offers and who should see your listings.
Most Minnesota contractors set up their profile once and forget about it. That 10-minute oversight can cost leads every day. Trade businesses working with specialists like Matter Solutions learn how to set up their profile correctly and get better search visibility from day one.
So, if you want to be noticed by your potential customers, follow our blog to explore how Google Business Profile categories work for Minnesota firms and how to use them to climb higher in local search results.
Let’s begin, shall we?
Why Your Primary Category Is Important
Your primary category is the single biggest factor Google uses to decide when your business appears in search results. According to data from surveyed marketers, this one selection outranks every other local ranking factor.
If you want your profile to show up for the right searches, this is where you start.
How Your Primary Category Affects Rankings
Google matches your category to what people type in search boxes. For instance, if you’re listed as “contractor” instead of “HVAC contractor,” you won’t appear when someone searches for furnace repair in St. Cloud.
Google uses three main signals to rank listings: relevance, distance, and prominence. And your category directly controls relevance, which means it determines your eligibility to appear in certain searches.
GBP Categories Minnesota Businesses Need
From our work with dozens of Minnesota HVAC companies, we’ve seen how seasonal searches create unique challenges. For example, furnace repair searches spike hard in October and November when temperatures drop. Whereas, air conditioning services peak in June and July during heat waves.
Remember, your category needs to cover year-round services, not just one season. If you pick “furnace repair service” as your primary category, you’ll most likely disappear during the summer months. That’s why you’ll see that most Minnesota contractors choose broader categories like “HVAC contractor” that stay relevant all year.
Once you understand how primary categories control visibility, the next question is picking the right ones.
Picking Categories That Actually Bring Customers
Google offers over 4,000 categories (and no, you don’t have to shuffle through all of them), but your profile only gets 10 slots total. Here’s how you pick the ones that apply to your business.
Start with your most profitable service as your primary category. As we’ve mentioned before, HVAC contractors must choose between broad categories like “HVAC contractor” or specific ones like “furnace repair service.” Broad categories get more searches but face more competition, whilst specific categories have fewer searches but higher conversion rates because users know exactly what they’re looking for.
But to be honest, you don’t have to pick just one approach. Just think of it like fishing with multiple lines instead of one. Your primary category casts the widest net, while your secondary categories target specific services that bring in quality leads.
The Category Mistakes Costing You Leads
Over the years, we’ve analyzed over 200 Minnesota trade business profiles and found a few common mistakes happening again and again. Most contractors don’t realize these category errors are costing them leads until someone points them out.
But the data shows clear patterns in what causes listings to underperform. The core mistakes Minnesota firms make:
- Picking Broad Categories: Choosing “contractor” instead of “roofing contractor” means you compete with every handyman in town. Google can’t tell if you install roofs or fix leaky faucets, so it shows your listing to everyone and no one at the same time (we see this costing businesses $3,000+ in lost leads monthly).
- Wasting Slots on Rare Services: Adding categories for services you barely offer confuses Google about your main business focus. If you did one commercial HVAC job last year, don’t add “commercial HVAC service” as a category. Stick with what you actually promote and advertise. Businesses that switch categories frequently lose access to consistent search traffic.
- Category Hopping: Changing categories every few weeks tanks your rankings because Google needs time to understand and trust your selection. Each change triggers a review process that can take 3-5 days, and your visibility drops during that window.
- Blindly Copying Competitors: What categories work for their business model might not fit yours at all. Your competitor might focus on new construction while you specialize in repair work. Learn from their approach, but confirm the categories actually match your services before you add them to your profile.
Each of these mistakes costs you visibility in searches where you should be appearing first. Fix these issues, and you’ll start showing up for the customers who actually need your services.
Now that you know what not to do, here’s exactly how to fix your categories today.
Setting Up Your Work Profile (Next Steps)
Google designed the category update process to be as straightforward as possible. You can learn the steps in under 10 minutes to improve your profile visibility, so join us as we go through each step:
- Open Google Business Profile Manager: Open it from the desktop or a web browser. Desktop makes it easier to review all your options and compare categories side by side. You’ll need to log into your Google account to access your business listings and ensure you have the proper permissions set up (1 content).
- Find Your Category Settings: Click “Edit profile,” then select “Category” from the menu. Your current categories will appear in a list you can edit and improve Google Support. The screen displays all available category options (30 seconds).
- Review Your Primary Category First: This one controls most of your visibility, so confirm it matches your most important service before touching secondary categories. If you need to change it, you’ll tap the category field and swap it with a new selection rather than deleting it. The data Google collects from your category selection helps the platform understand what services to show users (2 minutes).
- Add or Remove Secondary Categories: Pick 3-5 that match services you actively promote and advertise on your site. Don’t add categories just because you technically offer that service once a year (5 minutes).
- Save and Wait for Google Review: Category changes take 3-5 days to process and appear in search results, so plan your updates carefully (Google processes over 8 billion searches daily, and categories filter every single one). Don’t panic if your rankings fluctuate during this review period; it’s a normal part of the process.
Important note: Your primary category appears first in your listings and can’t be deleted, only swapped with another selection. Choose wisely.
Getting More Help with Your Profile Setup
The best part about working with GBP specialists is that you skip months of expensive trial and error. Professional support helps you access expert data analysis and make sure your business listings reach the right users from day one.
When You Need More Help
We get it; not everyone needs professional assistance to take over, but some telltale signs show you need an extra hand:
Your categories aren’t bringing leads
If you’ve set your categories but customers still aren’t calling, something’s off with your strategy. Specialists can review your profile content and understand why relevant searches aren’t converting into business. They’ll analyze the data to identify gaps between your category selections and what users actually search for in your area.
You’re not sure which services to prioritize.
Local agencies understand Minnesota market search patterns better than DIY guesswork. They know which categories perform best for trade businesses and can help you create a profile strategy that improves visibility. Their expertise comes from working with hundreds of local business profiles and tracking what actually drives customers to websites.
You want results faster
Professional GBP audits identify categories that are gaps costing you leads right now. Experts can review your entire profile setup, confirm your categories match Google’s guidelines, and add secondary selections that support your primary business focus.
Getting your categories right is just the first step toward building a profile that consistently brings in quality leads.
Get Your Categories Right, Get More Customers!
Your categories are simple but powerful. You can even fix them this week or simply get professional support to ensure your business profile appears in relevant searches.
Don’t let outdated category selections cost you another month of leads. Learn what your profile needs, understand how Google ranks local businesses, and make the changes that improve your visibility!
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