| Nov 1, 2023 | | 6 min read

How to Boost Your Local SEO with Local Business Schema and Structured Data

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Key takeaways

  • Local business schema is a type of structured data markup that provides search engines with information about a business.
  • Implementing local business schema can help improve clients’ visibility in search results and make it easier for potential customers to find your clients.
  • Developing a schema strategy for local business involves working with a web developer or SEO specialist to ensure that the markup is properly implemented and optimized for search engines.

If you work with local businesses looking to improve their online presence, you may have heard of local business schema. But what is it, and how can it help your clients?

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Local business schema is a type of structured data markup that provides search engines with information about a business, such as its name, address, phone number, and hours of operation. By learning how to implement local business schema with our guide, you can improve their visibility in search results and make it easier for potential customers to find them.

Understanding local business schema

What is local business schema?

Local business schema is a type of structured data markup that helps search engines understand the content of a web page. It provides additional information about a local business, such as its name, address, phone number (also known as NAP in SEO), business hours, and other relevant details. By including local business schema on your website, you can help search engines display your client’s information in a more prominent and informative way — making it easier for potential customers to find them.

The importance of local business schema

Local business schema is essential for local SEO because it helps search engines understand the context of your client’s website content. It also helps search engines identify their business location and display it on relevant search results pages. By using local business schema, you can improve your client’s online visibility and help them attract more local customers to their website or

Here are some of the benefits of using local business schema:

  • Improved search engine visibility: By using local business schema, search engines will serve up your client’s business information in a manner that customers expect, giving them all they need to take the next step.
  • Increased click-through rates: Local business schema can help your clients stand out on search results pages, which can increase click-through rates and drive more traffic to their website.
  • Better local SEO: Local business schema is an important factor in local SEO, which can help your clients rank higher in local search results and attract more local customers.

Developing a schema strategy for local business

If you work with local businesses like restaurants, you may be wondering how to go about developing a schema strategy to improve their local SEO. Schema markup for SEO is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand the content on your clients’ websites.

Steps to develop a schema strategy

  1. Identify the types of schema markup that are relevant to your clients’ business. Some common types of schema markup for local businesses include LocalBusiness, Service, and Product. You can find a full list of schema types on the Schema.org website.
  2. Determine which pages on the website should have schema markup. You may want to add schema markup to the homepage, contact page, and product or service pages.
  3. Use a schema markup generator to create the code for your schema markup. There are many free schema markup generators available online. Simply enter the information about the business, product, or service, and the generator will create the code for you.
  4. Add the schema markup code to the website. You can add the code directly to the HTML, or you can use a plugin if you're using a content management system like WordPress.
  5. Test your schema markup using Google's Structured Data Testing Tool. This will ensure that your schema markup is valid and that search engines can understand it.

Implementing schema markup for local SEO

If you want search engines to understand your client’s business's location, hours, and other important information, implementing schema markup as part of your local SEO reselling efforts is a must. Schema markup is a type of structured data that provides additional context to search engines about the content on a website. Here's how to implement schema markup to reap the benefits of local SEO:

How to implement schema markup

  1. Choose the right schema markup: There are several types of schema markup that are relevant to local SEO, including LocalBusiness, Restaurant, and MedicalBusiness, among others. Choose the one that best fits your client’s business.
  2. Add schema markup to the website: You can add schema markup to a website in several ways, including using JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa. JSON-LD is the most popular and recommended method for adding schema markup.
  3. Include the necessary information: When adding schema markup, make sure to include all the necessary information, such as the business's name, address, phone number, updated hours of operation, and website URL. You can also include additional information, such as reviews, ratings, and menus.
  4. Test your schema markup: After adding schema markup to the website, use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to test your markup and make sure it's working correctly. This tool will also show you any errors or warnings that need to be fixed.

 
By implementing schema markup for local SEO, you can improve your client’s visibility in search results and make it easier for potential customers to find them — hopefully leading to increased revenue and more positive word-of-mouth.

Advanced local business schema techniques

If you're already using local business schema on your client’s website, you're off to a great start. But did you know that there are advanced techniques you can use to take your local SEO efforts to the next level? In this section, we'll explore some of these techniques in detail.

Leveraging structured data for local SEO

Structured data is a powerful tool for improving your local SEO. By using schema markup to provide search engines with more information about a business, you can increase its visibility in search results and attract more customers.

Here are some advanced techniques for using structured data to improve your local SEO:

  • Use schema markup to provide detailed information about clients’ products and services, including pricing, availability, and reviews.
  • Use local business schema to provide information about the business, including your address, phone number, and hours of operation.
  • Use schema markup to provide information about the business's social media profiles, including links to their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
  • Use schema markup to provide information about your client’s events, including dates, times, and locations.

 
Remember, the key to success with local business schema is to provide as much relevant information as possible. By doing so, you can help search engines understand exactly what your client’s business is all about, which can help them rank higher in search results and attract more customers.

About the Author

Lawrence Dy is the SEO Strategy Manager at Vendasta. His career spans from starting as a Jr. Copywriter in the automotive industry to becoming a Senior Editorial Content Manager in various digital marketing niches. Outside of work, Lawrence moonlights as a music producer/beatmaker and spends time with friends and family.

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