What Is Local Business Schema? Boosting CTR and Rankings

Have you ever wondered how some local businesses stand out in search results, showcasing detailed information like operating hours, reviews, and even a map pinpointing their location? The secret behind this enhanced visibility is local business schema.

Understanding this tool is crucial in an era where online visibility can make or break a business.

To get you up to speed, here, we’ll

1. define what local business schema is,
2. explore why it’s important to local businesses,
3. and break down how it can boost your site’s rankings.

What Is Local Business Schema?

Local business schema is a specific type of structured data that helps search engines better understand and display information about local businesses. Originating from Schema.org—a collaborative project supported by major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo—this schema markup language aims to create a universal standard for presenting data on the web, in this case, specifically for local businesses.

Real-world example 👉 Imagine owning a café. With local business schema, search engines can effortlessly identify and display intricate details about your café—from its name and location to its operating hours and the latest customer reviews.

For the Urth Caffe, featured in the above graphic, the local business schema within their website’s source code would look something similar to this:

<div itemscope itemtype=“https://schema.org/CafeOrCoffeeShop”>

    <span itemprop=“name”>Urth Caffe</span>

    <div itemprop=“aggregateRating” itemscope itemtype=“https://schema.org/AggregateRating”>

        <span itemprop=“ratingValue”>4.5</span> stars – based on <span itemprop=“reviewCount”>1500</span> reviews

    </div>

    <div itemprop=“address” itemscope itemtype=“https://schema.org/PostalAddress”>

        <span itemprop=“streetAddress”>459 S Hewitt St</span>

        <span itemprop=“addressLocality”>Los Angeles</span>,

        <span itemprop=“addressRegion”>CA</span>

        <span itemprop=“postalCode”>90013</span>

    </div>

    <span itemprop=“telephone”>+1 213–797–4534</span>

    <a itemprop=“url” href=“https://www.urthcaffe.com”>www.urthcaffe.com</a>

    Hours:

    <meta itemprop=“openingHours” content=“Mo-We 07:00-22:00”>Mon-Wed 7am – 10pm

    <meta itemprop=“openingHours” content=“Th 07:00-22:00”>Thu 7am – 10pm

    <meta itemprop=“openingHours” content=“Fr-Sa 07:00-23:00”>Fri-Sat 7am – 11pm

    <meta itemprop=“openingHours” content=“Su 07:00-22:00”>Sun 7am – 10pm

    Categories:

    <span itemprop=“servesCuisine”>Organic Coffee & Tea</span>,

    <span itemprop=“servesCuisine”>American</span>

</div>

Learn more: Interested in broadening your SEO knowledge even further? Check out our SEO glossary, where we’ve explained over 250+ terms.

Different Types of Local Business Schema

Local business schema is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Depending on the nature of your business, specific schema types and properties can be leveraged to provide search engines with the most accurate and detailed information about your operations. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Core Properties: While numerous properties can be included in a local business schema, some of the most crucial ones include:

• address: Your business’s postal address.
• telephone: Contact number.
• openingHoursSpecification: Operational hours.
• review: Customer reviews.
• logo: Business logo.
• priceRange: Cost range for products or services. … and many more. These properties help search engines present detailed and accurate information about your business in search results.

Specific Types: Depending on your business type, you can choose from a variety of specific schema types. For instance:

• FoodEstablishment: Ideal for restaurants, cafes, and bakeries.
• LodgingBusiness: For hotels, motels, and other accommodation services.
• Store: Retail businesses selling products.
• ProfessionalService: For professionals offering specialized services. … among others. Each specific type comes with its own set of recommended properties that can further enhance the information provided to search engines.

If you’d like to see an extensive list of all the different types of schema markup relevant to local businesses, head over to Schema.org’s local business schema page.

Learn more: How to add local schema markup to a website.

Why Is Local Business Schema Important?

Local business schema is pivotal in enhancing online visibility and credibility. Here’s why it’s indispensable:

1. Enhances Local Rankings in Search Results

Local business schema provides structured data to search engines, streamlining their ability to index and rank your website. A clearer understanding of your business offerings can improve rankings in local search results.

2. Boosts Click-Through Rates With Rich Results

Backlinko’s research highlights the power of local business schema in boosting a site’s click-through rate. By enhancing listings with features such as star ratings, websites that aren’t at the top can still capture significant attention. Remarkably, as Backlinko points out, a website ranking at #4 or #5 with enriched listings might even outperform the #1 spot in terms of attracting clicks.

3. Improves Relevance and Proximity Signals

Relevance and proximity are vital for local search rankings, as Moz’s Local Search Ranking Factors report highlighted. Local business schema offers detailed business information, ensuring search engines recognize its relevance to local queries.

4. Builds Strong Local Google Business Profile Rankings

Local SEO Guide’s research found a correlation between well-implemented local business schema and high-ranking local Google Business Profile, well, profiles. Implementing local business schema aligns businesses with these traits, guiding their SEO strategies based on competitive gaps.

5. Provides a Competitive Edge

Businesses need every advantage in the increasingly competitive search results. Local business schema offers this edge, especially when competitors haven’t optimized their sites with structured data. Moz’s local SEO industry report suggests that businesses prioritizing local SEO, including schema markup, often outperform in local search results.

FAQ

Q1: Should Local Business Schema Be on All Pages?

Answer: No, local business schema should not be on all pages. It’s best applied to specific pages that provide details about your local business, such as the “Contact Us” or “About Us” pages. Implementing it on every page can be redundant and may not provide additional SEO benefits.

Q2: Is Schema Necessary for SEO?

Answer: While not mandatory, schema plays a pivotal role in SEO. It helps search engines understand the content of a webpage, leading to more accurate indexing. Websites with schema often experience enhanced visibility in search results, potentially boosting click-through rates and organic traffic.

Q3: What Is the Difference Between Local and Global Schema?

Answer: Local business schema is tailored for businesses that serve specific localities, providing details like address, operating hours, and reviews. On the other hand, global schema is more general and can be applied to a broader range of websites, not necessarily tied to a specific location. Each serves unique purposes and caters to different target audiences.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Don’t just stop at the schema—imagine a holistic strategy that seamlessly blends on-page optimization, powerful backlink strategies, and captivating content marketing.

Enter Loganix. Whether perfecting local business schema, elevating your local search presence, or crafting end-to-end SEO masterplans, our seasoned experts are your ace in the hole.

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