What is Local Schema?

Use the most specific type that accurately describes your business. A dental practice uses Dentist, not just LocalBusiness. A restaurant uses Restaurant or a more specific subtype like ItalianRestaurant. Check schema.org for the full hierarchy and find your closest match.

At minimum: business name, address, phone number, and business type. Add hours of operation, accepted payment methods, price range, service area (for service businesses), and geo-coordinates for best results. Keep it consistent with your GBP and NAP across the web.

Not directly as a ranking factor, but it helps Google understand your business better and can generate rich snippets that improve click-through rates. Think of it as making your data unambiguous for search engines rather than a magic ranking boost.

Use JSON-LD format in your site's head section, it's Google's preferred method. Many CMS plugins generate local schema automatically. You can also use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper to create the code manually. Test with Google's Rich Results Test before deploying.