Local Business Schema Markup: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses
How to add LocalBusiness structured data with your address, hours and contact details, what to avoid with review markup, and how to test it.
SEO, AEO and GEO consultant · Technical SEO, local SEO and content strategy
Last reviewed November 10, 2026
SEO, AEO & GEO consultant based in Rangpur, Bangladesh. Technical SEO, local search and content strategy. Full bio →
LocalBusiness schema is structured data that tells Google your business name, address, phone, opening hours and location in a machine-readable format. It helps Google understand your business and can support rich results, but it never replaces a complete Google Business Profile or visible contact details on the page.
What to include
- name, address (PostalAddress) and telephone — exactly as shown on the page and your Business Profile.
- openingHoursSpecification — your real hours, including closed days.
- url, image and geo (latitude/longitude) if you have a physical location.
- sameAs — links to your official profiles, which also supports entity signals.
- A more specific type where one fits, such as Dentist, Restaurant or Store.
Rules that keep markup safe
- Mark up only information visitors can see on the page.
- Do not add self-written star ratings for your own business; Google does not show review stars for self-serving LocalBusiness reviews.
- Keep one consistent business name — no keyword stuffing like "Best Dentist Rangpur Cheap".
- Update the markup when hours, phone or address change.
How to add and test it
- Write JSON-LD in a script tag, or use your CMS or SEO plugin's local settings (see WordPress SEO setup).
- Paste the page URL into Google's Rich Results Test.
- Fix errors first; warnings are optional fields.
- Watch the Enhancements reports in Search Console.
Where it fits in local SEO
Schema is one small part. Your Business Profile, reviews, consistent citations and useful service pages matter more — see the Business Profile checklist and local citations in Bangladesh.
Sources and limits
This is a practical guide based on public documentation and day-to-day SEO work. It reports no original dataset, guarantees no ranking, and gives no fixed timeline.
Google: LocalBusiness structured data
Google: Structured data general guidelines
Frequently asked
Google says structured data helps it understand pages and can make them eligible for rich results; it is not a direct ranking boost.
Google does not show review stars for self-serving reviews of a LocalBusiness or Organization on its own site.
The Business Profile matters more for maps results. Schema is a useful extra that keeps your website details clear and consistent.
Google recommends JSON-LD because it is easiest to add and maintain.