How Google Decides What Your Business Actually Does (and Why Vague Categories Hold You Back)

You know what your business does.

Your customers know what your business does.

But Google?

Google only knows what you prove, and categories are the single strongest signal you give it.

If your Google Business Profile feels stuck — not suspended, not broken, just… invisible — vague or incorrect categorisation is often the reason.

Let’s break down how Google actually decides what your business does, and why “close enough” categories quietly cap your visibility.

Google Doesn’t Rank Businesses — It Ranks Categories

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Google doesn’t think in terms of your business.
It thinks in terms of search intent + category match.

When someone searches:

• “pressure cleaning near me”
• “dog groomer Caloundra”
• “emergency electrician Sunshine Coast”

Google first decides what type of business should appear — then it decides which businesses deserve a spot.

If your profile isn’t clearly aligned with that intent, you won’t be considered — no matter how good everything else is.

Your Primary Category Does Most of the Heavy Lifting

Your primary category is the strongest ranking signal in your profile.

It influences:

• Whether you’re eligible to appear at all
• Which searches you can show up for
• Who you’re competing against

For example:

• “Cleaner” ≠ “Pressure washing service”
• “Web designer” ≠ “Website repair service”
• “Builder” ≠ “Bathroom renovation specialist”

Google treats these as entirely different markets.

Choosing the broader or vaguer option feels safer — but it usually means competing with businesses that don’t actually do what you do best.

Secondary Categories Matter — But Only After the Primary Is Right

Secondary categories:

• Expand range, not authority
• Help with related searches
• Do not compensate for a weak primary category

A common mistake is stacking:

• Every category that sounds vaguely relevant
• Hoping Google “figures it out”

Instead, Google often reads this as uncertainty.

Clear focus beats wide coverage every time.

Why “General” Categories Quietly Hold You Back

This is where many good businesses stall.

General categories:

• Are more competitive
• Attract broader, less relevant searches
• Dilute your profile’s topical authority

A business that specialises in one thing but lists itself as a general provider often gets outranked by a smaller competitor with clearer positioning.

Google rewards specificity, not ambition.

Categories Must Match Reality — Not Strategy

This part trips people up.

Categories must reflect:

• What you actually do
• What customers would reasonably expect
• What can you prove if asked

Choosing a category because it:

• Has a higher search volume
• “Sounds better”
• Matches what you want to offer later

It is a fast way to get suppressed — or suspended.

Google cross-checks categories against:

• Website content
• Reviews
• Business name
• Photos
• Behavioural signals

If things don’t line up, visibility drops quietly rather than dramatically.

How Google Cross-Checks What You Do

Categories don’t operate in isolation.

Google looks for consistency across:

• Your website’s wording and headings
• Services described on-page
• Reviews mentioning specific work
• Photos showing the service in action
• Business description language

If your category says one thing and your website says another, Google trusts neither.

This is why category fixes often require website adjustments to unlock full results.

A Simple Reality Check You Can Do Yourself

Ask yourself:

“If Google had to explain my business in one short phrase, would my primary category be accurate and obvious?”

If the answer is “sort of” or “mostly”, it’s probably costing you reach.

The Takeaway

Google isn’t confused — it’s cautious.

When your categories are vague, Google plays it safe by showing someone else.

When your categories are clear, specific, and consistent with reality, Google finally understands where you belong.

And once that clicks, everything else — reviews, proximity, prominence — starts working properly.

What’s Next?

Categories are only one piece of the puzzle.

In the next post, we’ll cover how Google verifies what you claim, what proof actually works, and why some legitimate businesses still fail verification.

If your profile should be visible but isn’t, something is misaligned — not broken.

A Real Example: Why I Don’t Call Myself a “Web Designer” Anymore

For years, my own site described me as a web designer.

That’s accurate — but it’s vague.

Google groups “web designer” with:

• Agencies
• Branding studios
• Marketing firms
• General brochure-site builders

That’s not where my work actually sits.

So I clarified my primary focus:

• Website repair
• Performance fixes
• Emergency recoveries
• Technical problem-solving

Once my category, site copy, and services aligned around what I actually do, something interesting happened — my visibility improved without adding content, links, or reviews.

Google didn’t change.
Clarity did.

If you’d like help setting your site’s visibility properly so Google knows exactly who you are and what you do, I can help via Local SEO.