Moz Local doesn't have Categories for my clients business

[clelandmarketing]

Moz Local doesn't have Categories for my clients business, for that matter neither does Google Business:

Using the Moz category tool- and Superpages, where we have been listed for a long time,

the following categories have no MOZ local or Google Equivalent.

Millwright

CRATES & CRATING INDUSTRIAL

PACKING & CRATING

CRANES, HOISTING, & RIGGING SERVICES

MACHINERY MOVERS & ERECTORS

EXPORT CONSULTANTS

RIGGERS EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

this makes fitting into Local search very difficult at best.  Since the Moving category is so crowded, and brings in 99 household moves to one legitimate industrial move or rigging jobs.

So is it best just not to pay for Moz local?  How do we get Moz Local and google to add these important industrial local categories?

[RyanPurkey]

Hi Kathrine. You can find a searchable list of relevant categories for Google Local at: http://blumenthals.com/google-lbc-categories/search.php?q=&val=hl-gl%3Den-US(PfB)%26ottype%3D1 and here are a few possibilities:

• Crane Rental Agency - https://moz.com/local/categories/category/Crane Rental Agency
• Packaging Supply Store - https://moz.com/local/categories/category/Packaging Supply Store
• Shipping Company - https://moz.com/local/categories/category/Shipping Company

Within those Moz Local links you'll see how they relate to the categories on various other sites. Agreed that there's not a perfect fit at this time for what you're describing, but at least these should get you close. Also, there are people here that work directly with Google Local so this might get addressed in an upcoming update.  Cheers!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Katherine,

Thanks so much for writing in about this. Moz Local draws our categories directly from Google, so you are right to notice a correlation. Unfortunately, you are right that Google's categories are not all-inclusive, but whether you sign up for Moz Local or not, participation in Google's local product is a must for pretty much every local business. Because of this, rule of thumb here is to find the closest match you can for your broadest category and then use the business description to explain the nuances of the business.

So, per Ryan's example, you could choose Shipping Company or Shipping Services for the main category for one of your businesses, and in the business description, describe the packing and crating services you provide.

Not perfect - I know - but there is know known way to influence Google's categories. It's totally up to them.

You're not alone in your frustration with this. Mike Blumenthal, himself, can be quoted as stating,"Google’s category system is woefully inadequate at its job of indicating what a business actually does." And, the Google forum is full of tickets like this one:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!searchin/business/no$20category/business/ymdjxTXmDxI/g5OTvVGwqcoJ

For many common business models, the category system works just fine, but when there are facets of the business that the category system doesn't cover, going with the closest possible match is the only option. And, of course, be sure that your citations descriptions and website are highly descriptive of your services.