LocalBusiness Schema Quick Start Guide

Reading time: ~5 minutes

Schema markup is code that tells AI systems and search engines what your business does.

It’s machine-readable. It removes ambiguity. It’s the native language AI prefers.

This guide gives you copy-paste templates you can use this week.

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What is Schema Markup?

Schema markup is structured data in JSON-LD format.

You add it to your website’s HTML. It explicitly defines:

• What your business is (type)
• Where you’re located (address)
• When you’re open (hours)
• How to contact you (phone, website)
• What you offer (services, products)

Why AI systems prefer schema:

Without schema, the AI has to guess by reading paragraphs of marketing copy.

With schema, you’re handing the AI a structured fact sheet.

Studies show that pages with robust schema correlate with higher inclusion in AI Overviews.

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The Three Essential Schemas for Local Businesses

1. LocalBusiness Schema (Foundation)

2. FAQPage Schema (Q&A Content)

3. Service Schema (Specific Offerings)

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Template 1: LocalBusiness Schema

This is your foundation. Every local business needs this.

Code Template

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "ABC Heating & Air",
  "description": "24/7 emergency HVAC repair and installation in Dallas, TX",
  "image": "https://www.example.com/images/storefront.jpg",
  "url": "https://www.example.com",
  "telephone": "+1-214-555-1234",
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "456 Elm Street",
    "addressLocality": "Dallas",
    "addressRegion": "TX",
    "postalCode": "75202",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": "32.7767",
    "longitude": "-96.7970"
  },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": [
        "Monday",
        "Tuesday",
        "Wednesday",
        "Thursday",
        "Friday"
      ],
      "opens": "08:00",
      "closes": "18:00"
    },
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": "Saturday",
      "opens": "09:00",
      "closes": "14:00"
    }
  ],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.facebook.com/abchvac",
    "https://www.yelp.com/biz/abc-heating-dallas",
    "https://www.linkedin.com/company/abc-heating"
  ]
}
</script>

What to Customize

Field	What to Put Here	Required?
@type	”LocalBusiness” or specific type like “Restaurant”, “Plumber”, “Dentist”	Yes
name	Your business name (exact match to Google Business Profile)	Yes
description	One sentence: what you do and where	Yes
image	URL to your logo or storefront photo	Recommended
url	Your website homepage	Yes
telephone	Phone with country code (+1 for US)	Yes
priceRange	$, $$, $$$, or $$$$	Recommended
address	Full address matching your Google Business Profile	Yes
geo	Latitude and longitude (get from Google Maps)	Recommended
openingHours	Your regular hours in 24-hour format	Yes
sameAs	Links to your social profiles and directory listings	Recommended

Common Business Types

Use the most specific type that matches your business:

Business	@type Value
Restaurant	”Restaurant”
HVAC	”HVACBusiness”
Plumber	”Plumber”
Electrician	”Electrician”
Dentist	”Dentist”
Law Firm	”Attorney” or “LegalService”
Real Estate	”RealEstateAgent”
Auto Repair	”AutoRepair”
General	”LocalBusiness”

Full list: schema.org/LocalBusiness

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Template 2: FAQPage Schema

Use this for your Q&A or FAQ section.

Code Template

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Do you offer same-day HVAC repair in Dallas?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes. We offer 24/7 emergency HVAC repair with same-day service in Dallas, including weekends and holidays. Our average response time is under 2 hours. Call 214-555-1234."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How much does HVAC repair cost in Dallas?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Our service call fee is $89, which includes full diagnosis. Repairs typically range from $150 to $800 depending on the issue. We provide upfront quotes before starting work."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Do you service residential and commercial HVAC systems?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes. We service both residential and commercial HVAC systems in the Dallas metro area. We handle units from 1 ton to 20 tons."
      }
    }
  ]
}
</script>

What to Customize

• Add 5-10 questions your customers actually ask
• Write direct, specific answers (40-60 words ideal)
• Include key differentiators in answers (same-day, emergency, pricing, coverage area)

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Template 3: Service Schema

Use this to define specific services you offer.

Code Template

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Service",
  "serviceType": "Emergency HVAC Repair",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "LocalBusiness",
    "name": "ABC Heating & Air"
  },
  "areaServed": {
    "@type": "City",
    "name": "Dallas"
  },
  "description": "24/7 emergency HVAC repair with same-day service. We handle all residential and commercial heating and cooling emergencies.",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "89.00",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "description": "Service call fee includes full diagnosis. Repairs quoted upfront before work begins."
  }
}
</script>

When to Use Service Schema

• If you offer multiple distinct services (repair, installation, maintenance)
• If you want to specify service areas
• If you have different pricing for different services

You can have multiple Service schema blocks, one for each major offering.

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Where to Put Schema Code

Schema goes in the <head> section of your HTML.

Single Page

If all your schema applies to one page (homepage):

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>ABC Heating & Air - Dallas HVAC Repair</title>

  <!-- LocalBusiness Schema -->
  <script type="application/ld+json">
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "LocalBusiness",
    ...
  }
  </script>

  <!-- FAQPage Schema -->
  <script type="application/ld+json">
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    ...
  }
  </script>

</head>
<body>
  ...
</body>
</html>

Multiple Pages

• Homepage: LocalBusiness schema
• FAQ page: FAQPage schema
• Services page: Service schema for each offering

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Validation: Test Before Publishing

Use Google’s Rich Results Test:

1. Go to: search.google.com/test/rich-results
2. Paste your schema code
3. Click “Test Code”
4. Fix any errors before publishing

Common errors:

• Missing required fields (name, address, phone)
• Invalid phone format (needs country code: +1-555-555-5555)
• Mismatched quotes (must use double quotes in JSON)
• Trailing commas (not allowed in JSON)

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Quick Checklist

Before publishing schema:

• LocalBusiness schema on homepage
• NAP data matches Google Business Profile exactly
• Phone number includes country code (+1 for US)
• Hours are in 24-hour format (08:00, not 8am)
• sameAs links point to your actual profiles
• FAQPage schema on FAQ/Q&A page
• Tested with Google Rich Results Test
• No validation errors

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After Publishing

Wait 2-4 weeks for AI systems to recrawl your site.

Then test AI visibility:

1. Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude questions about your business
2. See if they cite you more accurately
3. Check if they pull correct hours, phone, services

Or use Surmado Signal ($25) to test across 7 platforms automatically.

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Common Questions

Do I need a developer to add schema?

Not necessarily.

If you use WordPress:

• Install a schema plugin (like Schema Pro or RankMath)
• Fill out the forms
• The plugin generates the code

If you use Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify:

• Most platforms have built-in schema tools
• Check their documentation

If you have a custom site:

• Copy the templates above
• Customize the values
• Paste into your HTML <head> section

Can I have multiple schema blocks?

Yes.

You can have LocalBusiness + FAQPage + Service all on the same page.

Each goes in its own <script type="application/ld+json"> tag.

What if my business has multiple locations?

Create separate LocalBusiness schema for each location.

Put location-specific schema on each location’s page.

Does schema improve rankings?

Schema doesn’t directly improve rankings.

But it helps AI systems understand your business, which increases the likelihood of being cited in AI answers.

Being cited in AI answers drives traffic and brand awareness.

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Next steps:

• Schema Markup for Local Business (Full Guide)
• Technical GEO Implementation Checklist
• Test your AI visibility with Signal