Successful funeral homes strategically choose their categories and services based on what families are searching for and how competitors position themselves. GMB Everywhere automates the competitive analysis, helping you optimize your profile for better local search visibility.
Imagine someone searching for "funeral services near me" or "cremation services" on Google. They see a list of funeral homes—some at the top, some buried below.
Ever wonder why some funeral homes show up first while others don't? That's what we're going to explain. And don't worry—we'll keep it simple.
Your Google Business Profile (or GBP for short) is basically your funeral home's online business card on Google. It shows your name, location, phone number, hours, photos, and families' reviews. When someone searches for funeral services or memorial arrangements, Google decides which funeral home profiles to show based on a few key things.
Google wants to show people the best, most relevant results. So it checks three main things about your business. Think of these as the "three pillars" that hold up your local ranking.
This sounds obvious, but many funeral homes have inconsistent information online. Google checks if your name, address, and phone number match everywhere—your website, business directories, and Google. If they don't match, Google gets confused and won't show your profile properly.
Quick check: Is your funeral home name spelled exactly the same on your website, directories, and Google profile?
When someone searches "cremation services near me" or "memorial services," Google looks at your funeral home profile to see if you provide those services. If you haven't listed them, you won't show up—even if you offer those services.
This is where categories and services come in. We'll explain these in detail in the next section. For now, just know that telling Google exactly what you do is really important.
Google reads family reviews. Lots of positive reviews tell Google that families trust your funeral home. Replying to reviews shows you're responsive and compassionate. Both boost your search ranking.
Think about it: would you choose a funeral home with 2 reviews or one with 50+ positive testimonials? Google thinks the same way.
Here's the good news: You don't need to be a tech expert to improve these things. Most of it just takes a few minutes to set up.
Now, let's dive deeper into the part that matters most for funeral homes: categories and services. Once you understand these, you'll be ahead of most funeral homes in your area.
Remember when we said Google needs to know what you do? This is where you tell it. Let's break this down into two simple parts.
Why this matters: Of all the things you can control on your Google Business Profile, categories have one of the biggest impacts on your local rankings. Pick the wrong ones, and you won't show up when families search. Pick the right ones, and you'll appear for the exact services you offer. Our case study proves that adding relevant categories doesn't hurt your rankings—it actually increases your visibility.
Think of categories like labels on a filing cabinet. Google uses them to sort businesses into groups. When someone searches "funeral home near me", Google opens the "Funeral home" folder and shows what's inside.
If your funeral home isn't in that folder, you won't show up. It's that simple.
You get to pick one primary category (your main label) and a few secondary categories (extra labels for other funeral and memorial services you offer).
Here's what a typical funeral home might choose:
Pro tip: Not sure which categories to pick? The checklist below will walk you through exactly how to find the best categories for your funeral home.
If categories are the folders, services are the specific items inside. They tell Google (and potential customers) exactly what you offer.
Let's say someone searches "cremation services near me" or "memorial planning." Google will check if you have those services listed. If you do, great—you'll show up. If you don't, Google assumes you don't provide them.
Think of it like a service menu. If a service isn't listed, customers searching for it won't know to call you.
Services a funeral home might list:
The more services you list, the more customer searches you can show up for. Just make sure you actually provide what you list!
Here's a simple action plan:
Not sure where to start? The checklist below will guide you through the categories and services in just 20 to 25 minutes.
Work through each item below. By the end, your funeral home profile will be optimized for better local rankings and more families served.
Explore optimization guides for similar funeral and memorial services
Complete suite of professional tools for Google Business Profile management
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - primary and secondary categories display automatically beside the profile
Features:
How to use:
Search for any term on Google Maps - click the Local Scan button to compare all GBPs
Features:
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'AI' button beside the GBP to use AI features
Features:
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Find more' button beside categories
Features:
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Basic Audit' button beside the GBP
Features:
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Review Audit' button beside the GBP
Features:
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Teleport' button beside the GBP
Features:
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Post Audit' button beside the GBP
Features:
Join thousands of agencies and businesses using GMB Everywhere daily
Join 250,000+ users who use GMB Everywhere to analyze competitors and optimize their Google Business Profiles
Install GMB Everywhere - It's Free