The Power of the Primary Category

Overview

This case study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the primary category as a ranking factor for a Google Business Profile (GBP). A GBP was optimized using various ranking factors, including star rating, review count, domain authority (DA), referring domains, and GBP name, but it lacked an optimal primary category, resulting in unsatisfactory rankings. Once the primary category was updated from “Plastic Surgery Clinic” to “Plastic Surgeon,” rankings drastically improved immediately. The improved rankings were particularly prominent in keywords similar to or exactly matching the primary category. This outcome revealed that the primary category is a highly effective ranking factor that holds more weight than most others.

Purpose

This case study aims to determine if the primary category on a Google Business Profile is an influential ranking factor and the weight it carries compared to other ranking factors.

Hypothesis

The primary category on a Google Business Profile is one of the most influential ranking factors. It carries more weight than other ranking factors such as star rating, review count, domain authority, etc.

Data

GBP Category Update Geogrids

“Plastic Surgery Clinic” to “Plastic Surgeon”

3/27/24	4/25/24	4/26/24
Plastic Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon	Plastic Surgeon
Plastic Surgeon Fort Worth	Plastic Surgeon Fort Worth	Plastic Surgeon Fort Worth
Plastic Surgery	Plastic Surgery	Plastic Surgery
Plastic Surgery Fort Worth	Plastic Surgery Fort Worth	Plastic Surgery Fort Worth

Analysis

Although other ranking factors such as star rating, review count, domain authority (DA), referring domains, and GBP name were all present, the GBP did not rank well without the proper primary category listed on the profile. Immediately after updating the primary category on the GBP from “Plastic Surgery Clinic” to “Plastic Surgeon,” the rankings increased across the board. The rankings further improved a week following the change, showcasing the importance of the primary category. The keywords that were identical or similar to the new primary category showed the most improvement, indicating that top keywords are essential in selecting the most effective primary category.

Conclusion

The primary category on a Google Business Profile is a highly effective ranking factor, especially for keywords that are an exact match or very similar to the listed primary category. Compared to other ranking factors, the primary category is significantly essential.