If you’re trying to improve your visibility in local search results, you’ve probably heard about tactics like optimizing your Google Business Profile, collecting reviews, and targeting local keywords. But there’s one powerful tool many local businesses overlook: schema markup.
Schema markup is a form of structured data that helps search engines better understand your website content. When implemented correctly, it can significantly enhance your appearance in search results, build trust with Google, and boost your local SEO rankings.
In this article, we’ll break down what schema markup is, why it matters for local businesses, and how you can use it to climb the local search rankings.
What Is Schema Markup?
Schema markup is a type of code (usually in JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa formats) that you add to your website to give search engines more detailed information about your business.
It’s based on a shared vocabulary called Schema.org, created by major search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex. Schema allows you to label things like:
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Business name
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Address and phone number (NAP)
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Business hours
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Customer reviews
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Services offered
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Products and prices
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Events
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FAQs
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And much more
While this information might already be visible to human visitors, schema ensures search engines understand it as structured data, helping them display it more effectively in search results.
Why Schema Markup Matters for Local SEO
Local SEO is all about relevance, proximity, and prominence. Schema markup helps with all three by reinforcing your location, business type, and key offerings.
Here’s how schema markup directly boosts local SEO:
1. Improved Local Relevance
By using LocalBusiness schema, you clearly define your business’s name, address, phone number, and location coordinates. This increases your relevance to local search queries and strengthens your presence on platforms like Google Maps.
2. Rich Snippets in Search Results
Schema can enable rich results (like star ratings, FAQs, or product prices) in Google search, which:
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Makes your listing more eye-catching
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Increases click-through rates (CTR)
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Signals trust and credibility
A more engaging result often gets more clicks, which may positively influence rankings over time.
3. Enhanced Google Business Profile Integration
Schema markup can complement your Google Business Profile by reinforcing consistent business data (NAP), business hours, and services. Consistency across platforms helps Google trust your information, which can impact how high you rank in local packs.
4. Voice Search Optimization
With more users using voice search on mobile devices and smart assistants, schema helps your website provide structured answers that can be picked up for queries like:
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“Where’s the best Thai restaurant near me?”
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“What time does Joe’s Auto Repair open?”
Structured data makes your site more eligible for these types of featured voice answers.
Types of Schema Markup for Local Businesses
Here are the most important types of schema local businesses should implement:
✅ LocalBusiness Schema
This is essential. Use it to define:
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Business name
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Address (with
PostalAddressmarkup) -
Phone number
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Hours of operation
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Geo-coordinates
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URL and social profiles
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Business logo
✅ Review and Rating Schema
Showcase positive customer experiences. This schema allows search engines to display star ratings under your site in search results.
✅ FAQPage and QAPage Schema
If you have a FAQ section, marking it up can help those questions appear directly in Google results, boosting visibility and CTR.
✅ Service Schema
Use this to describe specific services your business offers. It’s especially useful for professionals like dentists, plumbers, or attorneys.
✅ Event Schema
Promoting local events? This schema makes them eligible to appear in Google’s Events carousel and helps reach local audiences.
How to Implement Schema Markup
There are a few ways to add schema to your website:
1. Manual Coding (Using JSON-LD)
Google prefers JSON-LD because it’s easy to implement and doesn’t interfere with HTML content.
Example of LocalBusiness JSON-LD:
2. Use Schema Plugins (For WordPress Sites)
If you’re using WordPress, plugins like:
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Rank Math
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Yoast SEO
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Schema & Structured Data for WP
make it easy to add schema without touching code.
3. Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper
This free tool lets you highlight content on your site and generate schema code, which you can then paste into your HTML.
Test and Validate Your Schema
Once added, it’s important to test your schema to ensure it’s working correctly.
Tools to use:
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Google Search Console (check for warnings or errors)
Fix any issues to make sure your site is fully optimized for rich search results.
Schema Markup Best Practices
To get the most out of schema for local SEO:
✅ Stay consistent: Make sure your business name, address, and phone number match across your website, GBP, and citation listings.
✅ Keep it updated: If your hours or services change, update your schema.
✅ Avoid spam tactics: Don’t fake reviews or add misleading data—Google can penalize abuse.
✅ Use multiple schema types: Combine LocalBusiness with other relevant schemas like Review, Service, and FAQ.
✅ Monitor performance: Use Google Search Console to track impressions and clicks on pages with rich results.
Final Thoughts
Schema markup is one of the most underutilized local SEO tools, yet it’s relatively easy to implement and incredibly powerful. It helps Google better understand your business, increases your chances of showing up in rich results, and ultimately helps you stand out in local search.
If you’re serious about improving your local visibility, adding schema markup should be a priority. Combined with a well-optimized Google Business Profile and consistent NAP citations, schema can give you the edge to climb higher in local rankings—and stay there.
Also, you can learn more about SEO vs. PPC here.