Structured data sounds technical, and the code involved is, but the idea is simple. It is a way of labelling the information on your website so search engines understand exactly what it is: this is our business name, this is our address, these are our opening hours.
For a local business, local business schema is one of the clearer ways to make sure search engines read your key details correctly.
What structured data does
Search engines are good at reading web pages, but they still have to guess what some information means. Structured data removes that guesswork by describing the information in a standard format.
It does not guarantee better rankings on its own. What it does is reduce ambiguity, which helps your business details appear accurately wherever search engines use them.
The details to include
For a local business, the core information is the business name, address, phone number, website, opening hours, and the type of business. Adding your service area, price range, logo and links to your social profiles gives a fuller picture.
All of this should match what appears on your website and your Business Profile exactly. Consistency across these sources is part of what makes the information trustworthy.
Structured data is not a trick. It is simply telling search engines clearly what your page already says, and that clarity helps.
Sofia Mendes, SEO Lead, Presseo
Choose the right business type
There are specific types for many kinds of business, such as dentists, plumbers, restaurants and legal services. Using the most specific type that fits describes your business more precisely than a general label.
If no specific type matches, a general local business type is fine. Picking an inaccurate specific type does more harm than good.
Mark up what is visible
Structured data should describe information that visitors can actually see on the page. Adding details that appear only in the code, such as reviews that are not shown, can be treated as misleading.
A simple rule works well: if it is not on the page, it should not be in the markup.
Multiple locations need separate details
A business with several branches should describe each location on its own page, with that branch’s address, phone number and hours. Putting every location in one block on the home page confuses things.
Each location page then becomes a clear, self-contained description of that branch.
Other useful types
Beyond the business itself, structured data can describe services, products, events, articles and frequently asked questions. Which of these are worth adding depends on what your site actually contains.
How much visible benefit each type brings changes over time, so treat them as accurate descriptions of your content rather than guaranteed features in results.
Check it works
Free testing tools from search engines show whether your structured data is valid and what they can read from it. Run your key pages through them after adding or changing markup.
Search Console also reports problems it finds across your site, which is useful for catching errors introduced by later changes.
Common mistakes
The usual problems are outdated details that no longer match the page, conflicting markup added by several plugins, and information marked up that is not visible. Each can cause the data to be ignored.
If your site uses a search plugin that adds structured data automatically, check before adding more by hand, so you do not end up with two versions saying different things.
Keep it updated
When your hours, phone number or address change, update the structured data at the same time as the visible information. It is easy to forget, because nobody sees the code.
Building it into your routine for changing business details avoids mismatches.
Where it fits
Structured data is one part of local search, alongside your profile, reviews, citations and the content of your pages. On its own it will not transform your visibility, but it removes a source of confusion.
The local SEO hub explains how the pieces fit together for small businesses.
Ask your web developer the right question
If someone else manages your site, ask them which structured data is present, which tool generates it, and whether it matches your current business details. Those three answers tell you quickly whether anything needs fixing.
Not sure your site describes itself properly?
We will check your structured data and fix anything that is missing or wrong.
