Local business schema: how to add it

Local search runs on consistent facts: your name, address and phone number (often called NAP), your hours, and where you are on a map. LocalBusiness schema states those facts in a format Google reads directly, which supports your Google Business Profile and helps Google connect your website to it.

A local business schema example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Dentist",
  "name": "Riverside Dental",
  "url": "https://riversidedental.example/",
  "telephone": "+1-555-0142",
  "image": "https://riversidedental.example/clinic.jpg",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "120 River St",
    "addressLocality": "Springfield",
    "addressRegion": "IL",
    "postalCode": "62701",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 39.7990, "longitude": -89.6440 },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [{
    "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
    "dayOfWeek": ["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],
    "opens": "08:00", "closes": "17:30"
  }],
  "priceRange": "$$"
}

Use the most specific type

LocalBusiness works, but schema.org has dozens of more specific types: Restaurant, Dentist, Plumber, AutoRepair, HairSalon, LegalService, Store and many more. Use the closest match. It gives Google a clearer picture of what you do.

Which fields to include

Multiple locations

Each location should have its own page on your site with its own LocalBusiness markup and its own address and phone number. Don't list every branch in one block on the homepage.

Service-area businesses

If you visit customers rather than having them visit you (plumbers, cleaners, mobile repair), you can include areaServed with the cities or regions you cover. If you don't want your address shown publicly, match what you've chosen in your Google Business Profile.

Common mistakes

1. Details that don't match the Google Business Profile or the page. Consistency is the whole point.
2. Reviews of yourself. Google doesn't show star ratings for LocalBusiness reviews you mark up on your own site.
3. Old hours left in the markup after they change.
4. Markup on every page. Put it on the homepage (single location) or each location page, not site-wide on every blog post.

Does local business schema help local SEO?

It's a supporting signal, not a ranking switch. Your Google Business Profile, reviews and proximity matter most for the map pack. Schema helps by confirming the same facts on your own site, in a format Google doesn't have to interpret. Build it with the generator on this page, then check it with the schema checker.