Most electricians set "Electrician" as their category and leave it there. It covers the obvious searches and it feels complete.
It isn't.
What categories do for your listing
Your primary category tells Google what your business is. Your secondary categories tell it what else you do.
Each category makes your listing eligible to appear in searches it wouldn't otherwise reach. A busy spark in Gwynedd who does domestic installations, EV charger fitting, and PAT testing isn't winning searches for those services if none of them are reflected in their categories.
Electrician is the 2nd most searched trade category in the UK
Adding 'Emergency Electrician' as a secondary category can capture 35% more urgent searches
Primary category
"Electrician" is the right starting point for most. But some electricians would be better served by something more specific.
If the core of your work is commercial or industrial electrical installation, "Electrical Installation Service" faces less competition from domestic-only sparks and may match your searches better. For most domestic and mixed-trade electricians, "Electrician" remains the correct primary. The work is done in the secondaries.
Every electrician we audit has 'Electrician' as their primary category — but hardly any have the secondary categories that capture specialist searches.
Secondary categories electricians commonly miss
| Category | Searches it unlocks |
|---|---|
| Electrical Installation Service | Rewires, new build wiring, commercial fit-out |
| Lighting Contractor | Lighting design, LED upgrades, outdoor and garden lighting |
| Fire Alarm Supplier | Fire alarm install, fire alarm service, compliance checks |
| Security System Installer | CCTV installation, intruder alarm, access control |
| EV Charging Station | EV charger installation, home charger, workplace charger |
| Home Automation Company | Smart home, automated lighting, home control systems |
| Pat Testing Service | PAT test, portable appliance testing, landlord compliance |
EV charging is a growing and relatively low-competition search category across North Wales. Electricians who offer it but haven't added the category are missing straightforward, high-value searches.
Primary: 'Electrician'. Add: 'Electrical Installation Service', 'Lighting Contractor', 'Emergency Electrician', and 'Electric Vehicle Charging Station Contractor' if applicable.
The searches you're missing
An electrician covering Anglesey and Gwynedd with only "Electrician" set will likely miss:
- "EV charger installation Anglesey". a growing, high-value search with good margins
- "fire alarm service Caernarfon". commercial or landlord compliance work
- "CCTV installer Bangor". a different customer intent entirely
Those searches have real customers behind them. Without the category, you're not in the running.
What to do
Open your Google Business Profile dashboard. Go to Edit profile > Business category. Review what's currently set.
Only add categories for services you actually offer. Google monitors the consistency between your categories, services section, and the reviews you receive. clear mismatches can result in your listing being flagged.
After adding categories, check your GBP Insights data over the next month. New search queries appearing in the data is a reliable sign the changes are working.
We also cover GBP categories for plumbers and GBP categories for builders if those apply to your work.