SEO

LocalBusiness Schema: What to Include and What to Expect

By Kathy P. Carr · 2026-10-06 · 3 min read

What is LocalBusiness structured data and what does it do?

LocalBusiness structured data is a block of machine-readable code, usually JSON-LD, that tells search engines the basic facts about a physical business: its name, address, phone number, hours and type. Google's documentation says this markup can help business details appear in knowledge panels and carousels, but Google does not guarantee that valid markup produces any rich result.

Schema.org defines LocalBusiness as "a particular physical business or branch of an organization." It sits under both Organization and Place, which is why it can carry business details (such as payment methods) and location details (such as coordinates) in the same record.

Google's general guidelines name three supported formats: JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa. JSON-LD is the one Google recommends, and it is the easiest to maintain because it sits in a separate script block rather than being woven through the page's HTML. For a small business with a single website, that usually means one block on the home or location page, updated whenever hours, phone numbers or addresses change.

Which properties does Google require or recommend?

According to Google Search Central, two properties are required: name and address, with the address written as a PostalAddress (street, locality, region, postal code, country). Recommended properties include telephone, url, geo coordinates, opening hours, and priceRange. Google notes that geo coordinates should have at least five decimal places and that priceRange must stay under 100 characters.

Should you use LocalBusiness or a more specific type?

Google advises using the most specific LocalBusiness subtype available. Schema.org lists many subtypes across food and lodging, retail, health and beauty, legal and financial services, automotive businesses and more, so a dentist, a law office or a restaurant can usually pick a closer match than the generic type. Google's documentation also says multiple types can be given as an array when a business fits more than one category.

What rules keep the markup safe?

Google's general structured data guidelines say marked-up content must be visible to users and accurate, and that pages carrying markup should not be blocked from Googlebot by robots.txt or noindex. Markup should describe the page it sits on, so a single-location page should describe that location rather than every branch. Google also warns against marking up misleading information or fake reviews. Violations can lead to a manual action, which removes eligibility for rich results; Google states this does not affect ordinary web ranking.

One nuance on reviews: Google's LocalBusiness page lists aggregateRating and review as recommended for sites that collect reviews about other businesses. How that applies to a business marking up reviews of itself is a question to check against Google's current review snippet guidance rather than assume.

How do you test it, and what should you expect?

Google points to the Rich Results Test for validating markup and previewing eligible features, and to the URL Inspection tool for seeing how Google crawls a page. A practical checklist: confirm the name, address and phone in the markup match the visible page and your other listings; choose the most specific type; add hours and coordinates; and retest after any change.

Be realistic about outcomes. Neither Google nor schema.org says this markup alone will make an AI assistant recommend a business. It is one clear, consistent signal of facts, not a substitute for accurate listings, reviews or useful page content. Whether AI answer engines use it directly is not documented in these sources, so treat any such claim with caution.

Frequently asked questions

Is LocalBusiness schema required to appear in Google local results?

Google's documentation describes it as markup that can help business details show in knowledge panels and carousels, not as a requirement. Google also says valid markup does not guarantee a rich result.

Which two properties does Google require for LocalBusiness?

Google lists name and address (as a PostalAddress) as the required properties. Telephone, url, geo, opening hours and priceRange are recommended.

Should I use the generic LocalBusiness type?

Google recommends the most specific subtype possible, such as Restaurant or Dentist, and allows multiple types as an array.

Can wrong structured data hurt my site?

Google says misleading markup or fake reviews can trigger a manual action that removes rich result eligibility. It states this does not affect regular web search ranking.

Sources

1. Local Business (LocalBusiness) Structured Data — Google Search Central
2. LocalBusiness — Schema.org
3. General Structured Data Guidelines — Google Search Central

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