Which structured data fields a local business site needs

What LocalBusiness schema is

Schema is a shared vocabulary for describing things on a page. LocalBusiness is the type for a business with a physical presence or a service area. Each fact about you goes in a labeled field.

It sits in a block of JSON-LD in the page code, and visitors never see it. Search engines read it to check facts they would otherwise have to guess. Our overview of schema markup covers the basics.

Schema sits apart from the visible page, so it is easy to let it go stale. Whoever changes the hours on the page should change them in the markup in the same sitting.

Fields worth filling

These fields do the useful work. Each one should match what a visitor sees on the same page, since markup that disagrees with the visible text can be ignored.

Use the most specific business type that fits, such as a plumber or a dentist, rather than the general one. Specific types are listed in the shared vocabulary.

• Name, spelled exactly as on your site and profile.
• Address, with street, city, state and postal code, if customers visit.
• Telephone, in the same format you show.
• Opening hours that match the hours on the page.
• The web address of the page or the business.
• A logo or photo of the business, using real image addresses.
• Profile links that belong to you, such as your business profile and social pages.

Fields for a service-area business

If you travel to customers, describe the places you serve instead of leaning on an address. The area-served field lists cities, regions or other named places.

Leave out the street address if you do not welcome visitors, in line with what you show on your profile. The two should agree. Our guide to service-area SEO explains the matching choices.

List only the areas you truly cover. A long list of places you rarely visit makes the markup less useful, not more.

Fields to skip

Some fields tempt owners and cause trouble. The main one is review and rating markup. Google does not allow self-serving review markup for a local business's own pages, so adding an aggregate rating to your own site is a mistake.

Skip anything you cannot keep accurate. Wrong hours or an old phone number in markup is worse than no markup, because it contradicts the page.

• Aggregate rating or review markup for your own business.
• A price range you cannot keep current.
• Hours you do not honor.
• An address you do not want customers to visit.
• Awards or certifications you cannot show on the page.

How to add and test it

Website Builder Studio puts structured data on every site that says who you are and what you offer, so you do not need to hand-write it. If you edit markup yourself, change one field at a time.

After any change, run the page through Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator. They flag missing required fields and syntax errors. Fix what they report before moving on.

Then re-check when your hours, phone or address change. Markup is only as good as its last update.

What to expect from it

Structured data does not move a page up. It removes guessing about facts, and it can make you eligible for some richer displays. Nothing about it is a promise.

Think of it as keeping your records straight with the search engine. Your business profile and your markup should tell the same story.

Resist the urge to add every field the vocabulary offers. A short block that is all true is more useful than a long one that is half guesswork.

A block read aloud in plain words

In words, a good block says: this is a plumber with this business name, reachable at this phone number, serving these cities, open these hours, with this logo and these profile links. Every statement can be checked on the page.

If you can read that sentence aloud about your own site and each part is true, the markup is in good shape. If a part makes you hesitate, fix the page or drop the field.