What 1.8 million Google Business Profiles reveal about local SEO success
A study of 1.8 million Google Business Profiles found that specific primary categories, relevant additional categories, and complete profile information were all associated with stronger local rankings. The analysis covered 4,209 categories, while its completeness measure ranged from zero to five profile elements.
What are the main findings from 1.8 million Google Business Profiles?
The research points to three practical conclusions for local search optimization:
- Choose the most specific primary category that accurately describes the business.
- Add additional categories that reflect the services the business actually offers.
- Complete and maintain the Google Business Profile with core information and media.
Businesses that followed these patterns tended to achieve better average rankings, although the study identifies associations rather than proving that category selection or completeness directly caused higher rankings.
How specific should a Google Business Profile primary category be?
A specific primary category is associated with better rankings across the industries analyzed. Generic categories appeared in the top 10 results 9.2% of the time, compared with 12.5% for specific categories, a difference of about 36% in top-10 presence.
The average rank was 50 for generic categories and 45.8 for specific categories. The dataset included 55,091 businesses using generic primary categories and 1,664,733 businesses using specific ones.
The pattern appeared within individual industries:
- Legal: Criminal justice attorney averaged rank 44.7 with a 13.4% top-10 rate, personal injury attorney averaged 48.4 with 12.2%, and the generic Attorney category averaged 57.1 with 12.9%.
- Contractors: Electrician averaged 48.6 with 11.2% in the top 10, roofing contractor averaged 53.1 with 12.6%, plumber averaged 53.2 with 10.4%, HVAC contractor averaged 53.2 with 12.4%, and the generic Contractor category averaged 57.7 with 8.0%.
- Restaurants: Tapas averaged rank 28.8 with 32.1% in the top 10, Hawaiian averaged 28.4 with 27.1%, New American averaged 30.4 with 28.9%, French averaged 37.0 with 15.8%, Spanish averaged 40.1 with 18.5%, American averaged 41.8 with 17.8%, and the generic Restaurant category averaged 49.7 with 10.1%.
The exact-match category also performed best in searches for several service areas. For “hair salons,” Hair salon profiles appeared 7,952 times, averaged rank 49.9, and had an 11.3% top-10 rate. Hairdresser, Beauty salon, Barber shop, and Nail salon all had lower top-10 rates. The same exact-match pattern repeated for “plumbers” and across nearly every category in the dataset.
Specific categories often face less competition because they describe a narrower business type. They also give Google a clearer match for searches that express a particular need.
Which additional Google Business Profile categories performed best?
Relevant, specific additional categories were associated with rankings that were six to 17 positions better than profiles with only a primary category. The strongest combinations in the study included:
- Veterinarian with Emergency veterinarian service: average rank 33.9, compared with 51.2 when no additional category was present and 75.6 with Service establishment.
- Electrician with EV charging station contractor: average rank 38.2, compared with 47.5 without an additional category and 63.5 with Service establishment.
- Gym with Athletic club: average rank 34.7, compared with 43.3 without an additional category.
- Plumber with Drainage service: average rank 47.3, compared with 54.0 without an additional category and 62.3 with Service establishment.
- Roofing with Gutter service: average rank 47.1, compared with 52.1 without an additional category and 70.3 with Service establishment.
- Personal injury attorney with Business attorney: average rank 40.8, compared with 51.4 without an additional category.
- Dentist with Cosmetic dentist: average rank 47.6, compared with 57.6 without an additional category and 53.7 with Service establishment.
The study cautions that the relationship may also reflect broader local SEO activity. Businesses that add additional categories may be more likely to optimize their profiles, request reviews, and work on their websites and citations.
Service establishment, a broad category that does not directly match common search intent, was associated with weaker results. The findings support adding specific categories that represent genuine offerings rather than selecting a generic category solely to cover more searches.
How did the study measure Google Business Profile completeness?
The researchers created a five-point completeness index, awarding one point for each of the following elements:
- A website.
- A business description.
- Hours of operation.
- Photos.
- A claimed status.
The index did not include every type of information available on a Google Business Profile, such as business attributes, services, and products. It was based on the limited set of data gathered for the study.
Which industries had the most complete profiles?
Completeness varied by industry. Home services had an average score of 4.4, and 55% of profiles were fully complete. Professional services averaged 4.3 with 52% fully complete, Automotive averaged 4.2 with 48%, Beauty and personal care averaged 4.1 with 45%, and Legal / Financial averaged 4.1 with 46%.
Retail averaged 3.9 with 40% fully complete, Real estate averaged 3.8 with 38%, and Travel and tourism averaged 3.6 with 33%. Community and organizations had the lowest averages, at 3.0 and 22%, respectively.
The researchers found that businesses in more competitive industries tended to have more complete profiles, while noncommercial and institutional organizations had lower completeness scores.
Does Google Business Profile completeness predict better local rankings?
Higher completeness scores were associated with better average rankings and a greater likelihood of appearing in the top 10 results:
- Completeness score 0: average rank 62 and 4% in the top 10.
- Completeness score 1: average rank 58 and 5% in the top 10.
- Completeness score 2: average rank 54 and 7% in the top 10.
- Completeness score 3: average rank 50 and 9% in the top 10.
- Completeness score 4: average rank 47 and 11% in the top 10.
- Completeness score 5: average rank 43 and 13% in the top 10.
Moving from a score of zero to five was associated with an improvement of about 19 average rank positions. The top-10 appearance rate increased from 4% to 13%.
These results show correlation, not causation. A complete profile is a foundation for local SEO, but businesses also need to maintain their profiles by requesting reviews, uploading photos and videos, and publishing Google Posts. Website SEO, citations, social media, and online reputation remain part of a broader local search strategy.
What is the practical local rankings checklist?
Based on the study’s findings, businesses can prioritize these steps:
- Select a specific, accurate primary category.
- Add specific additional categories for the services the business offers.
- Complete the core profile elements and keep the information current.
- Request reviews continuously.
- Upload photos and videos regularly.
- Publish Google Posts.
- Maintain website SEO, citations, social media activity, and the business’s online reputation.
For businesses in less crowded industries, completing the profile may be enough to stand out. More competitive markets generally require work beyond the Google Business Profile.
FAQ
What was the most important finding in the Google Business Profiles study?
Specific primary categories, relevant additional categories, and more complete profiles were all associated with better local rankings.
Are specific Google Business Profile categories better than generic categories?
Specific categories had a 12.5% top-10 presence compared with 9.2% for generic categories, and they averaged rank 45.8 compared with 50 for generic categories.
Does completing a Google Business Profile improve rankings?
Profiles with a completeness score of five averaged rank 43 and appeared in the top 10 13% of the time, compared with rank 62 and a 4% top-10 rate for profiles with a score of zero. The study reports correlation rather than causation.
This article summarizes reporting from searchengineland.com.