Local Business Schema Markup Example

Schema markup is a powerful SEO tool that helps search engines understand and display your website’s information more effectively. For local businesses, implementing schema markup can significantly boost online visibility by enhancing how your business appears in search results. Features like rich snippets, knowledge panels, and local packs can provide potential customers with critical information—such as your location, hours, and services—directly on the search results page.

This article lists some practical examples of schema markup tailored specifically for local businesses. Whether you run a restaurant, a retail shop, or a service-based business, understanding and using schema markup can help you attract more local traffic and improve your search rankings.

Key Takeaways

• Schema markup is a structured data format that improves search engine understanding, enabling rich snippets, knowledge panels, and local pack visibility.
• Local business schema highlights key details like address, hours, and reviews, boosting visibility in search results for potential customers.
• It enhances local SEO by improving search relevance, click-through rates, and user engagement while reducing ambiguity for search engines.
• Key schema types include LocalBusiness, PostalAddress, and GeoCoordinates, tailored to physical businesses for accurate search representation.
• Best practices include maintaining up-to-date information, using the most specific schema type, and ensuring consistency with other local citations.
• Pairing schema markup with optimized content, using tools like AirOps, ensures maximum visibility, engagement, and SEO impact for your business. Start building with AirOps today.

What is a Schema Markup?

Schema markup is a form of structured data that helps search engines better understand the content on your website. By adding schema code to your web pages, you provide search engines with additional context, enabling them to display more informative and visually appealing results, such as rich snippets.

For example, schema markup can highlight details like product prices, customer ratings, business hours, or event dates directly in search results. This enhanced visibility improves user experience by making it easier for potential customers to find the information they need quickly.

Schema markup is based on a shared vocabulary called Schema.org, which provides a standardized format recognized by major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. It can be implemented in various formats, including JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa.

In essence, schema markup bridges the gap between your website’s content and search engines, boosting your online presence and driving more targeted traffic.

After implementing a schema markup, it's important to test your code using tools like Google's Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator. These tools will help you ensure that your schema markup is properly formatted and free of errors.

How Does Local Business Schema Markup Work?

Local Business Schema Markup is a specific type of structured data designed to highlight key details about your business for search engines. It enables search engines to understand and display critical information, such as your business name, address, phone number (NAP), hours of operation, and services, in a clear and organized way.

When implemented, this markup allows your business to appear in rich search features like local packs, knowledge panels, and enhanced snippets. For instance, a local coffee shop using schema markup might see its opening hours, customer reviews, and location highlighted directly in search results, providing immediate value to users and encouraging engagement.

This schema type is typically added to a webpage using JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data). Search engines parse the schema code to enrich search results with structured data, improving your business’s visibility and making it easier for local customers to find you.

How Can Local Business Schema Markup Improve Local SEO?

Local business schema markup improves local SEO in several ways. When you implement schema markup on your website, search engines can better understand and deliver more relevant results to users searching for businesses like yours. This increased relevance leads to higher visibility in local search results, driving more targeted traffic to your website.

• Increased Visibility in Search Results: Schema markup makes your business details more accessible to search engines, leading to richer and more prominent search result displays. Features like knowledge panels and local packs increase click-through rates.
• User Experience: In addition to improving your visibility in the local pack and organic search results, local business schema markup enhances the user experience. When your business information is clearly displayed in search results, potential customers can quickly find the details they need, such as your address, phone number, or hours of operation. This convenience can increase engagement, phone calls, or visits to your physical location.
• Improved Local Search Rankings: Local business schema markup also helps you stay competitive in your local market. As more businesses adopt schema markup, those with it may find themselves at a disadvantage in search results. Ensuring your website is properly optimized with schema can help you maintain or gain an edge over competitors who still need to implement this valuable local SEO tactic.
• Showcase Reviews and Ratings: Local Business Schema can highlight customer reviews and ratings, building trust and encouraging potential customers to choose your services.

Types of Local Business Schema Markup

Several types of schema markup are particularly relevant for local businesses. Understanding these different types can help you structure your website's data effectively and provide search engines with the most accurate and useful information about your business.

• Organization Schema: Organization schema is a broad type of markup that applies to any kind of organization, including businesses, clubs, schools, and more. It allows you to specify general information about your organization, such as its name, logo, contact information, and social media profiles.
• LocalBusiness Schema: LocalBusiness schema is a more specific type of markup designed for businesses with a physical location that customers can visit. It inherits properties from the Organization schema but also includes additional properties tailored to local businesses, such as the business address, geo-coordinates, hours of operation, and customer reviews. When using LocalBusiness schema, you can further specify your business type by choosing a more specific schema type, such as Restaurant, Hotel, or MedicalClinic. 
• PostalAddress Schema: PostalAddress schema allows you to provide detailed information about your business's physical address, including the street address, city, state, postal code, and country. This information helps search engines accurately display your business location in search results and on maps.
• GeoCoordinates Schema: GeoCoordinates schema lets you specify the exact latitude and longitude of your business location. Including this information can help search engines pinpoint your business on maps and provide more accurate directions to potential customers.
• OpeningHoursSpecification Schema: OpeningHoursSpecification schema enables you to define your business's hours of operation clearly. You can specify your regular opening hours for each day of the week and include special hours for holidays or other exceptions.

What Properties Should Be Included in Local Business Schema Markup?

When implementing local business schema markup, it's important to include specific properties that provide search engines with the most relevant and useful information about your business. While some properties are required, others are recommended to enhance your business's visibility and user experience in search results.

Required Properties

The two required properties for local business schema markup are:

1. Name: The official name of your business as it appears on your website and other online listings.
2. Address: Your business's physical address, including the street address, city, state, postal code, and country. This information helps search engines accurately display your location in search results and on maps.

Including these required properties ensures that search engines have the basic information needed to understand and display your business in local search results.

Recommended Properties

In addition to the required properties, several recommended properties can further enhance your local business schema markup:

• Phone number: Providing your business phone number makes it easy for potential customers to contact you directly from search results.
• Business hours: Specifying your business hours using the OpeningHoursSpecification schema helps users quickly see when you're open and plan their visits accordingly.
• Geo coordinates: Using the GeoCoordinates schema, you can include the latitude and longitude of your business location, which helps search engines pinpoint your exact location on maps.
• URL: Adding your business website's URL allows search engines to link your schema markup to your official website, improving your site's visibility and authority.
• Logo: Specifying your business logo using the logo property can help your business stand out in search results and improve brand recognition.
• Images: Including high-quality images of your business, products, or services using the image property can make your search results more visually appealing and informative.

While not all of these recommended properties are mandatory, including as many as possible can significantly improve the effectiveness of your local business schema markup and help you stand out in local search results.

Local Business Schema Markup Example

Implementing Local Business Schema Markup on your website can enhance your visibility in search engine results. Below is a concise example of how to structure this markup using JSON-LD format, which is the preferred method for search engines like Google:

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "LocalBusiness",

  "name": "Jeff’s Auto Repairs",

  "image": "https://example.com/logo.jpg",

  "address": {

    "@type": "PostalAddress",

    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",

    "addressLocality": "Anytown",

    "addressRegion": "CA",

    "postalCode": "90210",

    "addressCountry": "US"

  },

  "telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",

  "url": "https://example.com",

  "openingHours": [

    "Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00",

    "Sa 09:00-14:00"

  ],

  "geo": {

    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",

    "latitude": "34.052235",  // Replace with actual latitude

    "longitude": "-118.243683" // Replace with actual longitude

  },

  "aggregateRating": {

    "@type": "AggregateRating",

    "ratingValue": "4.5",

    "ratingCount": "100"

  },

  "sameAs": [

    "https://www.facebook.com/jeffsautorepairs",

    "https://twitter.com/jeffsautorepairs"

  ]

}

Here’s a brief description of the key elements in this example:

• @context: Specifies the schema context.
• @type: Defines the type of business; in this case, LocalBusiness.
• name: The official name of the business.
• image: URL to the business logo or relevant image.
• address: Structured address details using PostalAddress.
• telephone: Contact number for the business.
• url: Website URL for more information.
• openingHours: Specifies when the business is open, formatted as days and times.
• geo: This section includes the geographic coordinates of the business, specified as:some text
  • latitude: The latitude of the business location (e.g., 34.052235).
  • longitude: The longitude of the business location (e.g., -118.243683).
• aggregateRating: Shows the average rating and total number of ratings, enhancing credibility.
• sameAs: Links to social media profiles to provide additional context.

By embedding this structured data into your blog's HTML, you help search engines better understand your content, which can improve its chances of appearing as rich snippets in search results.

How to Implement Local Business Schema Markup

Implementing local business schema markup on your website involves several steps to ensure search engines accurately understand and display your business information.

Identify the Appropriate Schema Type

First, identify the most appropriate schema type for your business. The LocalBusiness schema is the main type for local businesses, but you can also use more specific subtypes like Restaurant, Hotel, or MedicalClinic, depending on your business category. Choose the schema type that best represents your business to provide the most accurate information to search engines.

Gather Required Business Information

Next, gather all the necessary information about your business, including your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and other relevant details. Ensure that this information is consistent across all your online profiles and listings to avoid confusion and improve your local search rankings.

Generate the Schema Code

You can generate the schema markup code once you have your business information ready. You can use tools like the AirOps Schema generator for FAQs to create the code in the JSON-LD format, which Google recommends. Simply enter your business details into the tool, and it will generate the appropriate schema markup code for you.

Add Schema to Website

After generating the schema markup code, add it to your website's HTML. The best place to insert the code is typically in the <head> section of your page. If you're using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, you can use plugins that help you easily add schema markup to your site. 

Test and Validate Schema

Finally, test your schema markup to ensure it's properly implemented and free of errors. Use schema validator tools like Google's Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator to check your code. These tools will help you identify any issues and provide suggestions for improvement. Once your schema markup is validated, you can monitor your local search performance and make adjustments as needed to optimize your results.

Tips for Optimizing Local Business Schema Markup

Adding in simple schemas may seem like an easy way to boost visibility, but there are ways to extract more usability from these schemas.

Keep Information Accurate and Up-to-Date

Regularly review and update your local business schema markup to ensure all information is accurate and current. This includes your business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and any other relevant details. Inconsistent or outdated information can confuse search engines and potential customers, negatively impacting your local search rankings.

Use the Most Specific Schema Type Possible

When implementing local business schema markup, choose the most specific schema type that accurately represents your business. For example, if you run a restaurant, use the Restaurant schema type instead of the more general LocalBusiness type. Using the most specific schema type helps search engines better understand your business and display more relevant information in Google search results.

Include as Many Recommended Properties As You Can

While some properties, such as your business name and address, are required for local business schema markup, including as many recommended properties as possible can further enhance your search visibility and user experience. Add properties like your phone number, business hours, geo coordinates, website URL, logo, and images to provide a comprehensive and engaging representation of your business in search results.

Ensure Consistency with Other Local Citations

Maintaining consistency between your local business schema markup and other local citations is important for improving your local search rankings. Ensure that your business name, address, phone number, and other details are identical across your website, Google My Business listing, and other online directories. Consistent information helps search engines verify the accuracy of your business details and increases trust in your online presence.

Pair Schema Markup with Optimized Content

While schema markup enhances how search engines interpret and display your website's information, it’s only one piece of the SEO puzzle. To truly maximize the impact of schema markup, it must be paired with high-quality, optimized content. Schema markup provides context to your content, but it’s the content itself that engages users, satisfies search intent, and drives conversions.

For example, a local business schema might help your business show up in a rich snippet, but if the landing page lacks compelling, well-written, and keyword-optimized content, users may leave quickly, increasing bounce rates. Search engines prioritize helpful and relevant content, so combining schema markup with authoritative, engaging, and properly structured text is essential for long-term SEO success.

This is where AirOps can transform your SEO strategy. With features like content creation and optimization workflows, growth templates, and seamless integrations with platforms like WordPress and Webflow, AirOps helps businesses produce not just optimized content but content aligned with schema goals. Its AI-powered tools ensure every piece of content supports search engine rankings and user engagement.

By pairing schema markup with well-crafted content using AirOps, you can achieve both visibility and engagement, making your website a powerful tool for driving local traffic and conversions.

Closing Thoughts - Are Schema Markups Really Worth It?

Schema markups are undeniably worth the effort for businesses aiming to enhance their online visibility and improve search engine rankings. By providing structured data that search engines can easily interpret, schema markups make your website stand out with rich snippets, knowledge panels, and improved local pack results. These enhancements not only boost click-through rates but also help potential customers access important information about your business quickly.

However, schema markup alone isn’t enough. It works best when paired with high-quality, optimized content that meets user intent. Search engines value helpfulness and relevance, so the combination of structured data and engaging content is key to long-term success.

For businesses looking to simplify this process, AirOps provides an all-in-one solution. From generating optimized content to supporting SEO strategies, AirOps ensures your content aligns seamlessly with schema goals, delivering measurable results. With tools tailored to meet both SEO and content needs, AirOps makes implementing schema markups and crafting engaging content a streamlined and impactful process.