Local Business Schema Markup: A Beginner's Guide

By Neha·Published October 1, 2026

Google reads your website the way a new customer might skim a pamphlet: it picks up clues and guesses the rest. Local business schema removes the guessing. It is a short block of code that tells search engines, in their own format, that you are a dentist in Pune, open 10 to 7, at this address, with this phone number.

You do not need to be a programmer to add it. This guide explains what schema markup is, what to put in it, how to add it to WordPress or any other site, and how to check it works.

Short answer: Local business schema is a piece of JSON-LD code on your website that states your business type, name, address, phone, map location and opening hours. Make it with a free generator, paste it into your site once (in WordPress, a header code plugin or your SEO plugin can do it), then test it with Google's Rich Results Test. It helps Google understand you; it does not guarantee higher rankings.

What is schema markup, in plain words?

Schema markup is a set of labels, agreed by the big search engines at schema.org, that you add to a web page so machines can read its facts without guessing. A human sees "Mon–Sat 10am–7pm" and understands. A search engine sees text and has to work out that it means opening hours.

With schema you write it out: this is the business, this is its type, these are its hours, this is its phone number. The labels are the same across every website in the world, so Google, Bing and AI tools all understand them.

You will also hear it called structured data. The two terms mean nearly the same thing: structured data is the idea of labelled facts, and schema.org is the vocabulary most people use to write it.

Why does a local business need LocalBusiness schema?

For a shop, clinic or salon, the facts that matter most are simple: what you are, where you are, when you are open and how to reach you. LocalBusiness schema is the type built exactly for that.

Here is what it does, and what it does not:

Think of it as removing doubt. If your website, your Google listing and your Justdial entry all state the same details, and your website states them in a format Google reads directly, you look like a settled, real business. That is part of why structured data for SEO is worth the half hour it takes.

What does a LocalBusiness schema example look like?

Here is a complete localbusiness schema example for a made-up dental clinic in Pune. It uses JSON-LD, which is the format Google recommends: a block of code that sits on the page but is invisible to visitors.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Dentist",
  "name": "Smile Care Dental Clinic",
  "url": "https://www.smilecarepune.in/",
  "telephone": "+91-20-5555-0101",
  "image": "https://www.smilecarepune.in/images/clinic-front.jpg",
  "priceRange": "₹₹",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "Shop 3, Lane 5, Koregaon Park",
    "addressLocality": "Pune",
    "addressRegion": "Maharashtra",
    "postalCode": "411001",
    "addressCountry": "IN"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": 18.5362,
    "longitude": 73.8940
  },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday", "Saturday"],
      "opens": "10:00",
      "closes": "19:00"
    }
  ],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.instagram.com/smilecarepune",
    "https://www.facebook.com/smilecarepune"
  ]
}

On the page, this block is wrapped in a script tag with the type application/ld+json. Most generators, including ours, give you the full thing ready to paste.

What each part means

• @type: the kind of business. Use the most specific type that fits. Schema.org has types such as Dentist, Bakery, BeautySalon, Restaurant and AccountingService. If nothing fits, use LocalBusiness.
• name, telephone, url: exactly as on your Google listing and signboard. No extra keywords.
• address: the full postal address with PIN code, and IN as the country.
• geo: your latitude and longitude. You can copy these from Google Maps by right-clicking your pin.
• openingHoursSpecification: your hours, day by day. Add a separate entry for days with different hours, such as a short Sunday.
• sameAs: links to your official social pages, which helps connect them to your website.

Google's documentation on LocalBusiness structured data lists name and address as required, and fields like phone, hours, geo and URL as recommended. Fill in what is true and leave out what you do not have.

How to create your local business schema without coding

Writing JSON by hand is where mistakes creep in: a missing comma or a wrong bracket makes the whole block unreadable. A generator avoids that.

1. Open the Local Business Schema Generator.
2. Pick your business type, such as salon, clinic, restaurant or shop.
3. Type your name, address, phone and website exactly as they appear on your Google Business Profile.
4. Add your map location and your opening hours for each day.
5. Add your social profile links.
6. Copy the finished code.

If your details are not yet consistent across sites, fix that first. Your schema should match your Google listing word for word. Our guide to local SEO for small business explains why matching details matter.

How to add schema to WordPress

WordPress is the most common platform for small business websites in India, so here are the usual options. Pick one, not all of them, or you may end up with two conflicting blocks.

Option 1: your SEO plugin

Popular SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO and Rank Math can output some business schema from their settings. Check what yours offers. Some local business features sit in paid versions, so read the settings page before you assume.

Option 2: a header and footer code plugin

Install a free plugin that lets you paste code into your site's header, such as WPCode. Paste the full script block from the generator into the header section and save. This is the simplest route if you want full control of what goes out.

Option 3: your theme's custom code box

Some themes have a field for header scripts in their settings. Paste the code there. Be aware that switching themes later will remove it.

Put LocalBusiness schema on your home page or contact page, not on every blog post. If you have several branches, each branch page gets its own block with its own address and phone.

What about Wix, Shopify or a hand-coded site?

Wix and Shopify both let you add custom code to the page head through their settings. On a hand-coded site, your developer pastes the block into the page's head section. The code is the same everywhere; only the place you paste it changes.

How do you test that your schema markup works?

Always test after adding it. A small error can make Google ignore the whole block.

• Before you publish: paste your code into our schema checker to catch missing fields and broken formatting.
• After you publish: run your live page through the schema detector to confirm the code is actually on the page and valid. Caching plugins and theme updates sometimes strip it out.
• Google's own tools: Google's Rich Results Test shows which rich results a page is eligible for, and the Schema Markup Validator at schema.org checks everything against the vocabulary.
• Over time: if your site is in Google Search Console, it reports structured data issues it finds. Our Google Search Console guide shows where to look.

What schema markup mistakes should you avoid?

• Adding review stars about yourself. Google does not show star ratings in results for reviews a business collects and marks up about itself on its own site. Adding them does not help and fake ratings break Google's guidelines.
• Details that do not match your listing. If your schema says one phone number and your Google Business Profile says another, you are adding confusion, not clarity.
• Marking up things visitors cannot see. Schema should describe what is really on the page. Do not list services, prices or areas that appear nowhere on your site.
• Keyword stuffing the name field. "Smile Care Best Dentist Pune Cheap" is not your name.
• Forgetting to update it. When your hours or number change, change the schema too.

What other schema types can a small business use?

LocalBusiness is the one to start with. For a broader introduction to every common type and which rich results to expect, read what schema markup is and whether your business needs it. After that, a few others are worth knowing:

• FAQPage: marks up questions and answers on a page. Google now shows FAQ rich results only for a limited set of well-known sites, so do not expect them in results, but the markup still gives search engines and AI tools clear question and answer pairs. The FAQ schema generator builds it.
• Organization: for companies without a walk-in location, such as a software firm or online brand.
• BreadcrumbList: shows the path to a page, like Home, then Services, then Root Canal.
• Product and Service: for pages about a specific thing you sell.

If you want your business to show up well in AI answers too, clean structured data is one of the building blocks. See how to show up in ChatGPT and AI search.

What to do this week

Local business schema is a one-time job that pays off quietly. This week:

• Check that your name, address and phone match exactly on your website and Google Business Profile.
• Build your code with the Local Business Schema Generator, choosing the most specific business type.
• Test it in the schema checker before adding it.
• Add it to your home or contact page using one method only.
• Run the live page through the schema detector and Google's Rich Results Test.
• Put a reminder in your calendar to update it when hours or numbers change.

Frequently asked questions

What is schema markup in SEO?

Schema markup is code you add to a web page that labels its facts in a standard format from schema.org, so search engines can read them directly. For a local business, that means your type, name, address, phone and hours. It is a form of structured data. It helps search engines understand and sometimes display your page better, but it is not a direct ranking boost on its own.

Does local business schema improve rankings?

Google has not said that structured data is a direct ranking factor. What it does is help Google understand your business accurately and match your website to your Google Business Profile. That clarity supports your local SEO, and it can make pages eligible for richer displays. Treat it as good housekeeping that removes doubt, not as a trick for jumping up the results.

Is JSON-LD better than microdata?

Google supports JSON-LD, microdata and RDFa, and its documentation recommends JSON-LD. The reason is practical: JSON-LD sits in one separate block, so you can add or edit it without touching your page design. Microdata is mixed into the HTML itself, which is harder to maintain and easier to break when a theme changes. For a small business site, JSON-LD is the sensible choice.

How do I add schema to WordPress without a plugin?

If your theme has a header scripts box in its settings, paste the code there. Otherwise, a developer can add it to your child theme's header file. Editing theme files directly is risky, because an update can overwrite your changes, which is why most people use a small header code plugin instead. Whichever way you choose, test the live page afterwards.

Can I add review stars to my LocalBusiness schema?

Google will not show star ratings in search results for reviews of a business shown on that business's own site, even if they come through a third-party widget. Google calls these self-serving reviews. Adding made-up ratings breaks Google's guidelines and can lead to a manual action against your site. Your Google Business Profile is the right place for reviews to show.

Which schema type should a home-based service business use?

Use the most specific LocalBusiness subtype that fits, such as Plumber, Electrician or HousePainter, which all exist on schema.org. If you do not want your home address public, match what your Google Business Profile shows: you can use areaServed to list the city or areas you cover. Never put a fake shop address in your schema.