Josh Higgins
When you search for a local business on Google, some results stand out with star ratings, pricing, business hours, and other rich details while others show just a basic title and description. The difference is structured data, also called schema markup, and it is one of the most impactful yet underused SEO techniques for local businesses.
Structured data is code that you add to your website that tells Google exactly what your business is, what you offer, and how you operate. It does not change what visitors see on your page. It changes how Google understands and displays your page in search results.
When Google understands your structured data, it can display enhanced search results with additional information. A restaurant with proper schema might show star ratings, price range, and hours directly in the search result. A service business might show reviews and service areas. These rich results attract more clicks than plain results because they provide useful information at a glance.
Structured data helps Google understand the context of your content. Instead of guessing whether your page is about a plumbing business or a plumbing tutorial, schema explicitly tells Google: "This is a local plumbing business located at this address, serving these areas, offering these services, with these hours."
This improved understanding leads to more relevant search result placements and better performance in local search queries.
As voice search grows, structured data becomes even more important. When someone asks their phone "What plumber near me is open right now?", Google pulls the answer from structured data. Without it, your business is invisible to voice queries.
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Book Your Free CallThis is the foundation. Every local business website should have LocalBusiness schema (or a more specific type like Plumber, Electrician, Restaurant, or HealthAndBeautyBusiness) on their homepage.
It includes:
For each service you offer, Service schema tells Google what you provide, who it is for, and how much it costs. A plumber might have separate Service schema for "Emergency Plumbing," "Blocked Drain Repair," "Hot Water Installation," and "Bathroom Renovation."
If your pages include frequently asked questions, wrapping them in FAQ schema can cause Google to display them as expandable questions directly in the search results. This takes up more real estate on the results page and provides immediate value to searchers.
Displaying your aggregate rating (e.g., 4.8 stars from 230 reviews) in search results dramatically increases click-through rates. People are drawn to results with visible star ratings.
For blog posts and content pages, Article schema tells Google this is editorial content with a specific author, publication date, and topic. This helps your content appear in Google News, Discover, and other content features.
JSON-LD is a block of code placed in the head section of your HTML page. It is the format Google recommends because it is separate from your visible content and easy to maintain.
For a local business, the JSON-LD might specify your business type, name, address, geo-coordinates, phone number, opening hours, service area, aggregate rating, and more. Your web developer can add this to your site templates so it appears on every relevant page.
If you are on WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or Schema Pro can generate structured data without writing code. They provide form fields where you enter your business information, and the plugin generates the appropriate JSON-LD automatically.
Google provides a free tool where you can visually tag elements on your page and generate the corresponding schema code. Visit the Structured Data Markup Helper, paste your page URL, tag the relevant elements, and download the generated code.
After implementation, validate your markup using Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results). Paste your page URL and the tool will identify any errors or warnings in your structured data.
Common errors include:
Fix any errors before expecting rich results to appear. Google will not display rich results from invalid schema.
Your structured data must accurately represent your page content. Do not add a 5-star rating to your schema if your actual Google rating is 4.2. Do not list hours of 24/7 if you close on weekends. Google cross-references schema data with other sources and will penalise inaccurate markup.
When your hours change, update your schema. When you add a new service, add the corresponding schema. When your phone number changes, update every instance. Outdated structured data is worse than no structured data because it provides incorrect information in search results.
Only add schema for information that genuinely appears on the page. Google's guidelines explicitly state that structured data should represent content visible to users. Adding schema for content that does not exist on the page is a violation that can result in manual penalties.
Google supports dozens of specific business types under LocalBusiness. Use the most specific type available. Instead of "LocalBusiness," use "Plumber," "Electrician," "Restaurant," "DentalClinic," or "BeautySalon." Specific types enable more relevant search features and better matching to user queries.
Structured data alone will not catapult you to page one. It is not a direct ranking factor in the way that backlinks or content quality are. But it provides several indirect benefits that compound over time:
When combined with strong on-page SEO, quality content, and an optimised Google Business Profile, structured data is the technical foundation that maximises the impact of all your other SEO efforts.
Check your current structured data using Google's Rich Results Test. If you have none, start with LocalBusiness schema on your homepage and Service schema on your service pages. If you have some, validate it and fix any errors.
If you are using a modern framework like Next.js, structured data can be generated programmatically based on your page data, ensuring it stays accurate and up-to-date automatically. All of our client websites include full structured data as part of our SEO services.
Using the wrong business type. A dental clinic using generic "LocalBusiness" instead of "Dentist" misses out on dental-specific search features. Always choose the most specific schema type available for your industry.
Inconsistent NAP data. Your Name, Address, and Phone number in structured data must match exactly with your Google Business Profile, your website header, your footer, and every directory listing. Even small differences like "St" versus "Street" can cause confusion for search engines.
Forgetting to update after changes. Businesses change phone numbers, move addresses, or adjust their hours seasonally. If your structured data still shows old information, it actively harms your search performance. Set a quarterly reminder to audit your schema and ensure everything matches current reality.
Adding schema without corresponding page content. If you add FAQ schema but the questions and answers are not visible on the page, Google may penalise you. Schema must always reflect content that users can actually see.
For a full SEO audit including structured data analysis, book a free strategy call. We will review your current implementation and show you the opportunities you are missing.
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