Selecting the right categories for your Google Business Profile (GBP) in Australia directly impacts how your business appears in Google Search and Maps results; the system uses these categories to understand your services and match you with relevant customer queries.
As of December 2025, GBP allows businesses to select up to five primary categories and up to ten additional categories. Google’s algorithm prioritises the primary category, so choosing the most accurate representation of your core business is crucial. The system now includes a more granular category structure, with options extending beyond broad industry terms to include specific services – for example, instead of just ‘Cafe’, you can select ‘Specialty Coffee Shop’. Google regularly updates its category list to reflect changes in the Australian market. In 2026, Google is expected to further refine category matching based on user search behaviour and business website content. Currently, category selection doesn’t directly impact local services ads spend, but influences ad eligibility based on relevance. Australian businesses should be aware that miscategorisation can lead to profile suspension, as per Google’s guidelines.
Ultimately, the Google Business Profile category system functions as a classification tool, enabling Google to organise and present businesses to users based on their search intent.
