Schema.org is a collection of schemas (or, in other words, HTML tags) that web admins and content producers can use to label different types of content on their websites. With the help of this markup, search engines have an easier time determining what your website or web page is about—which gives them the information they need to rank it properly in their search engine results pages (SERPs). In addition, properly implementing schema markup for local SEO on your site can help search engines better understand and display important information about your business.
Benefits of Schema Markup for Local Businesses
At its core, schema markup is a structured way of presenting information on your website to make it easy for search engines to understand and interpret. By implementing schema markup correctly, you can help improve your local SEO by increasing the visibility and prominence of information about your business on search engine results pages.
Several schema properties are specifically relevant for local businesses, including location details, contact information, hours of operation, and product or service listings. To effectively use these properties to boost your local SEO rankings, it is crucial first to identify the most relevant schema category for your business.
Some key strategies for implementing schema markup on your site include using schema markup to highlight critical information on your homepage, including your business name, address, and phone number. You can also use schema markup to optimize your product or service listings, making them more visible and compelling for potential customers visiting search engine results pages. Many schema markup types only provide information to Google and do not result in a rich result in the search results, but other schema types do result in rich results.
Ultimately, using schema markup effectively as part of your local SEO strategy can help ensure that your business stands out from any crowd and attracts more customers online. Here are two schema markup types used for local SEO that have visible results.
LocalBusiness Schema Markup
LocalBusiness schema markup helps you define your business more specifically by tagging your website with machine-readable data in JSON-LD. Adding this markup to your homepage allows search engines like Google and Bing to understand your business better, leading to improved visibility in search results and increased traffic to your site. Importantly, local business schema markup makes your website likely to appear in a rich knowledge panel. A knowledge panel is a block in Google’s search results that displays information about a specific subject or entity. This panel can be for a local business, person, place, event, product, and more. For example, suppose you have a local company with an address listed on the web and are verified by Google or have claimed your listing through Google My Business. In that case, you may be able to influence what Google shows in the panel for your business. Knowledge panels are just one type of rich result – or a search result with extra information like images, ratings, and more – that can appear in Google’s results.
You can use local business schema markup for a variety of different types of businesses, including those in the following categories:
>{AnimalShelter}
>{ArchiveOrganization}
>{AutomotiveBusiness}
>{ChildCare}
>{Dentist}
>{DryCleaningOrLaundry}
>{EmergencyService}
>{EmploymentAgency}
>{EntertainmentBusiness}
>{FinancialService}
>{FoodEstablishment}
>{GovernmentOffice}
>{HealthAndBeautyBusiness}
>{HomeAndConstructionBusiness}
>{InternetCafe}
>{LegalService}
>{Library}
>{LodgingBusiness}
>{ProfessionalService}
>{RadioStation}
>{RealEstateAgent}
>{RecyclingCenter}
>{SelfStorage}
>{ShoppingCenter}
>{SportsActivityLocation}
>{Store}
>{TelevisionStation}
>{TouristInformationCenter}
>{TravelAgency}
> With local business schema markup, businesses can help search engines better understand what they offer and how to categorize them, which can lead to improved visibility and increased traffic. And with all the different types of local business schema markup available, there are plenty of options for identifying your specific type of business.
Some of the specific benefits that local business schema markup can offer include improved SERP rankings, greater brand visibility in search results, and better chances of getting searchers to take specific actions like ordering or reserving a product or service. Additionally, adding local business schema markup to your website can help prepare you for voice search and give you more real estate on the SERP. With all these benefits, it is clear that local business schema markup can be a powerful tool for physical businesses looking to grow and succeed online.
LocalBusiness Schema Markup Example
Although this is a basic example, here is what LocalBusiness schema markup might look like
<script type=’application/ld+json’>
{
“@context”: “http://schema.org”,
“@type”: “LocalBusiness”,
“name”: “Example”,
“url”: “www.example1.com”,
“image”: “https://schemapros.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Schema-Pros-logos_transparent.png”,
“description”: “Description”,
“address”: {
“@type”: “PostalAddress”,
“streetAddress”: “123 Address”,
“addressLocality”: “Any”,
“addressRegion”: “Texas”,
“postalCode”: “12345”,
“addressCountry”: “US”
},
“geo”: {
“@type”: “GeoCoordinates”,
“latitude”: “”,
“longitude”: “”
},
“hasMap”: “www.example4.com”,
“telephone”: “1234567890”,
“openingHoursSpecification”: [
{
“@type”: “OpeningHoursSpecification”,
“dayOfWeek”: “Monday”,
“opens”: “19:00”,
“closes”: “20:00”
}
]
}
</script>
Organization Schema Markup
Organization schema markup is a type of markup that allows you to use structured data on your website to help search engines like Google understand the context and content of your site. This type of markup is often used for sites that belong to non-profit organizations or government agencies.
One key benefit of organization schema markup is improving your website’s snippet in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Adding schema markup to your site can also help boost your Knowledge Graph entry in Google and increase the chances of someone clicking on your site when they see it in search results.
It’s crucial to ensure that you have the correct information on your website and use it consistently. These steps will allow search engines like Google to easily index your site and rank it higher in their SERPs for related queries.
Some organization schema markup classes include:
>{aggregateRating}
>{employee}
>{foundingLocation}
>{globalLocationNumber}
>{location}
>{parentOrganization}
>{slogan}
>{memberOf}
>{review}
>{makesOffer}
>{sameAs}
>{mainEntityOfPage}
>{description}
>{alternateName}
>{keywords}
>{event}
>{diversityPolicy}
>{contactPoint}
>{brand}
>{areaServed}
Organization Schema Markup Example
Although this example is basic, here is what organization schema markup might look like
<script type=”application/ld+json”>
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “Organization”,
“name”: “Example1”,
“alternateName”: “Example2”,
“url”: “www.example.com”,
“logo”: “www.example1.com”,
“contactPoint”: {
“@type”: “ContactPoint”,
“telephone”: “1234567890”,
“contactType”: “technical support”,
“contactOption”: [“TollFree”,”HearingImpairedSupported”],
“areaServed”: “US”,
“availableLanguage”: “en”
},
“sameAs”: “www.example3.com”
}
</script>
Organization vs. LocalBusiness Schema Markup
Both local business schema markup and organization schema markup are valuable tools for businesses looking to improve their visibility in search results. Local business schema markup indicates information about a physical location, such as an address or phone number. Therefore, it provides more specific details than the Organization markup, typically used for online-only businesses that do not have a physical location.
Choosing the Best Schema Type for Local SEO
While local business schema markup and organization schema markup are both helpful, which one is right for your business will depend on the nature of your business and whether you have a physical location that you want to highlight. If you’re unsure which schema markup is right for your business, then it’s a good idea to do some research and consult an experienced SEO professional to help you make the right decision. You can improve your visibility and reach more potential customers online with the proper markup. And don’t forget, there are many other helpful schema markup types for local SEO that do not include a rich result.