Introduction:

Your website is missing one of the most forgotten parts of SEO/Local SEO, schema markup. Schema Markup is a type of structured data used by search engines to read landing pages. Simply said, it’s a snippet of code that lists your web page content in a specific format.  It’s important to have schema markup for local SEO, because having it makes your website eligible for Google’s “rich results”. Rich results are special snippets of information extracted from your website that are not the meta title, meta description, etc.

Importance of Rich Results for Small Businesses 

Smaller websites especially benefit from rich results, as they have a chance to have their content on the first page through featured snippets. Featured snippets appear at the top (or middle) of a google search result page, as a specific answer to a person’s search.  In 2023, featured snippets are important for voice search. Voice search responses are usually pulled from a featured snippet relating to your query. With Rich Results, searchers (potential customers/clients) gain insight into your website and what you are offering without going to your site. Considering that many of our attention spans are short, glimpses like this are important to build a reputation. Let’s go over the 7 most important schema markup for local SEO in 2023.

The Difference Between Structured Data, Schema Markup, and Rich Results

As mentioned in the intro, there are three elements to understanding schema markup. Structured data, schema markup, and rich results. Here’s the difference between the three. 

Structured Data

Structured data is data that is usually formatted in rows and columns. However, there are structured data types that are organized differently, which we touch on. In the case of Google, structured data can be a location, address, person, and many other types of values.

Schema Markup

Schema Markup is a type of structured data created by schema.org. It is implemented in the backend of a website and contains structured data usually formatted in a JSON-LD format. There are other formats for schema markup, but JSON-LD is most common. Google reads schema markup to understand your website content, and from your content it creates rich results 

Rich Results 

Rich results are snippets of information from your website that gives Google searchers insight into what you offer, without clicking on your site. Also known as rich snippets, rich results are displayed on the Google search engine in the knowledge panel, meta description, or elsewhere on a SERP. 

1. Local Business Schema Markup

The Local Business Schema is the most important schema you need as a small business. This schema will allow your business details to show in a knowledge panel or a carousel with other related businesses. Having this schema will allow Google to categorize your business, and show your website to searchers looking for your content, product, or service. Local Business schema captures this information…

• Business hours
• Departments within your business
• Contact Info 
• Address
• Reviews
• Website 

If you have a restaurant business, your schema markup for Local Business will look different. It may also include…

• Price Range
• Menu 
• Type of Cuisine

Like the Local Business Schema, restaurants also appear in a carousel with restaurants that serve similar food. 

Local Business Schema Markup

Here’s what the Local Business schema looks like in JSON-LD format…

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Incync Marketing",
  "image": "https://incyncdigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-My-project-1-7.png",
  "@id": "",
  "url": "https://www.incyncdigital.com",
  "telephone": "9739688097",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Streety Street",
    "addressLocality": "Newark",
    "postalCode": "07017",
    "addressCountry": "1"
  },
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "openingHoursSpecification": {
    "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
    "dayOfWeek": [
      "Monday",
      "Tuesday",
      "Wednesday",
      "Thursday",
      "Friday",
      "Saturday",
      "Sunday"
    ],
    "opens": "00:00",
    "closes": "23:59"
  }
}
</script>

2. Organization (Logo) Schema Markup

Your logo is perhaps the main form of identity for your business. The Organization (Logo) schema markup allows Google to recognize your logo as your brand’s identity. This markup produces a rich result where your logo will appear as a rich result with your meta-title and meta-description. Organization (Logo) schema markup captures…

• Type (Organization)
• Logo URL
• Website URL

Organization schema markup is not only for displaying your business logo. The markup can be used for larger businesses with more members, multiple locations, and more business details. The Organization markup captures…

• Member
• Area Served
• Founder
• Slogan
• Phone
• Tax ID
• And much more

Nonprofits, religious groups, and medium enterprises can all benefit from using the Organization/Organization (Logo) markup. 

Organization Schema Markup

Here’s what the Organization schema markup looks like in JSON-LD format…

<html>
  <head>
    <title>About Us</title>
    <script type="application/ld+json">
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "Organization",
      "url": "https://www.example.com",
      "logo": "https://www.example.com/images/logo.png"
    }
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

3. Reviews and Ratings Markup

The review snippet (Review, Aggregate Rating schema markup) extracts an excerpt from a review on your website, and shows it as a rich result on Google. Review snippets can appear as star ratings under the meta description or as text on the Google search engine result page. You can use this schema markup to show reviews for the following…

• Book
• Course
• Event 
• How-to
• Local Business
• Movie 
• Product
• Recipe
• Software App
• Game
  Episode
• Media Object

Reviews are a representation of your success, setbacks, and work as a business. Using the review schema markup let’s searchers see the impact your business has on the local community. The more reviews you have the easier it is to understand the quality of work your business does. You can learn more about the importance of reviews for local SEO in our basic local SEO guide. Please note that if you are setting up review markup for a local business, there are additional rules you must follow. For one, your ratings must come directly from users. Local businesses and organizations are both ineligible for star reviews which appear in your meta description. 

Review Snippet Schema Markup

Here’s what a Review snippet schema for a product looks like in JSON-LD format…

<html>
  <head>
    <title>The Catcher in the Rye</title>
    <script type="application/ld+json">
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org/",
      "@type": "Product",
      "brand": {
        "@type": "Brand",
        "name": "Penguin Books"
      },
      "description": "The Catcher in the Rye is a classic coming-of-age story: an story of teenage alienation, capturing the human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind.",
      "sku": "9780241984758",
      "mpn": "925872",
      "image": "https://www.example.com/catcher-in-the-rye-book-cover.jpg",
      "name": "The Catcher in the Rye",
      "review": [{
        "@type": "Review",
        "reviewRating": {
          "@type": "Rating",
          "ratingValue": "5"
        },
        "author": {
          "@type": "Person",
          "name": "John Doe"
        }
       },
      {
        "@type": "Review",
        "reviewRating": {
          "@type": "Rating",
          "ratingValue": "1"
        },
        "author": {
          "@type": "Person",
          "name": "Jane Doe"
        }
      }],
      "aggregateRating": {
        "@type": "AggregateRating",
        "ratingValue": "88",
        "bestRating": "100",
        "ratingCount": "20"
      },
      "offers": {
        "@type": "Offer",
        "url": "https://example.com/offers/catcher-in-the-rye",
        "priceCurrency": "USD",
        "price": "5.99",
        "priceValidUntil": "2020-11-05",
        "itemCondition": "https://schema.org/UsedCondition",
        "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
        "seller": {
          "@type": "Organization",
          "name": "eBay"
        }
      }
    }
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

4. Address and Location Markup

The Address schema markup is not used as often. You can use this schema markup to include your business’s full postal address. This information will be shown with your contact information, wherever the address details are shown on Google. Address schema markup highlights…

• Postal Address
• Basic Contact Info 

This schema markup goes hand in hand with the Geocoordinates schema type. The geocoordinates property type allows you to input the latitude and longitude of your business location. Having this information, allows Google to accurately locate your business on Google Maps. 

Address and Location Schema Markup

Here’s what the Address and Location schema looks like in JSON-LD format…

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "addressLocality": "Seattle",
    "addressRegion": "WA",
    "postalCode": "98052",
    "streetAddress": "20341 Whitworth Institute 405 N. Whitworth"
  },
  "colleague": [
    "http://www.xyz.edu/students/alicejones.html",
    "http://www.xyz.edu/students/bobsmith.html"
  ],
  "email": "mailto:jane-doe@xyz.edu",
  "image": "janedoe.jpg",
  "jobTitle": "Professor",
  "name": "Jane Doe",
  "telephone": "(425) 123-4567",
  "url": "http://www.janedoe.com"
}
</script>

5. FAQ Page Schema Markup

The FAQ schema markup displays answers to common questions that customers/clients may have about your business. These answers will be shown in dropdown Rich Results. Only use the FAQ schema markup if your FAQ page has a single answer to a question. Both the answer and questions should appear on your FAQ page. Keep in mind that this schema markup is not meant for forum discussion. Meaning that people should not be able to submit single answers to one question. FAQ schema markup highlights…

• mainEntity (Question)
• acceptedAnswer (Answer)
• Text (Contains complete answer or question)

FAQ Page Schema Markup

Here’s what the FAQ page schema looks like in JSON-LD format…

<html>
  <head>
    <title>Finding an apprenticeship - Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)</title>
    <script type="application/ld+json">
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "FAQPage",
      "mainEntity": [{
        "@type": "Question",
        "name": "How to find an apprenticeship?",
        "acceptedAnswer": {
          "@type": "Answer",
          "text": "<p>We provide an official service to search through available apprenticeships. To get started, create an account here, specify the desired region, and your preferences. You will be able to search through all officially registered open apprenticeships.</p>"
        }
      }, {
        "@type": "Question",
        "name": "Whom to contact?",
        "acceptedAnswer": {
          "@type": "Answer",
          "text": "You can contact the apprenticeship office through our official phone hotline above, or with the web-form below. We generally respond to written requests within 7-10 days."
        }
      }]
    }
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

6. Local Event Schema Markup

The Event schema markup displays your events with a description of the event, your logo, and options to purchase tickets for the event (if necessary). Event schema markup, allows people to discover events through Google maps. There are several types of events that can be shown as Rich Results using this schema markup. Online events, standard events, mixed online events, and offline events. Here are some of the properties of the Local Event schema markup…

• Location (includes full address)
• Images (pictures of the event)
• Description
• Price
• Organizer
• Performer
• Start Date
• End Date
• Event Name

The Local Event schema is great for promoting local events and encouraging community engagement. If you are a local business that organizes events, this is a must have for your website. 

Event Schema Markup

Here’s an example of Event (Local Event) schema in JSON-LD format…

<html>
  <head>
    <title>The Adventures of Kira and Morrison</title>
    <script type="application/ld+json">
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "Event",
      "name": "The Adventures of Kira and Morrison",
      "startDate": "2025-07-21T19:00:00-05:00",
      "endDate": "2025-07-21T23:00-05:00",
      "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled",
      "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OnlineEventAttendanceMode",
      "location": {
        "@type": "VirtualLocation",
        "url": "https://operaonline.stream5.com/"
        },
      "image": [
        "https://example.com/photos/1x1/photo.jpg",
        "https://example.com/photos/4x3/photo.jpg",
        "https://example.com/photos/16x9/photo.jpg"
       ],
      "description": "The Adventures of Kira and Morrison is coming to Snickertown in a can't miss performance.",
      "offers": {
        "@type": "Offer",
        "url": "https://www.example.com/event_offer/12345_201803180430",
        "price": "30",
        "priceCurrency": "USD",
        "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
        "validFrom": "2024-05-21T12:00"
      },
      "performer": {
        "@type": "PerformingGroup",
        "name": "Kira and Morrison"
      },
      "organizer": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "Kira and Morrison Music",
        "url": "https://kiraandmorrisonmusic.com"
      }
    }
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

7. Breadcrumbs Markup for Navigation

Breadcrumbs schema markup is used for navigation. A breadcrumb trail on Google shows a page’s position on your website. The page position is shown in a hierarchy showing one level at a time. You can have either a single breadcrumb trail or multiple breadcrumb trail. The Breadcrumbs schema markup highlights the following…

• itemListElement
• Item (URL)
• Name 
• Position

Breadcrumbs schema is an important part of UX design. Having breadcrumbs schema markup allows users to see how pages link to one another on your website, without having to visit your site.

Breadcrumbs Schema Markup

Here’s an example of a single breadcrumb trail in JSON-LD format…

<html>
  <head>
    <title>Award Winners</title>
    <script type="application/ld+json">
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [{
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 1,
        "name": "Books",
        "item": "https://example.com/books"
      },{
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 2,
        "name": "Science Fiction",
        "item": "https://example.com/books/sciencefiction"
      },{
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 3,
        "name": "Award Winners"
      }]
    }
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
  </body>
</html>

Implementing Schema Markup for Local SEO

In order to add schema markup to your website, you can use a plugin within your CMS platform or you can add the schema manually. First, let’s go over some structured data plugins you can use for each CMS platform

WordPress Schema Plugin: Schema and Structured Data for WordPress

• Has 35 schema types to use
• Migration: You can import data from other schema plugins
• JSON-LD format
• Unlimited Custom Post types 

Shopify Schema Plugin: Schema Plus for SEO

• JSON-LD format
• 24/7 support
• Has the LocalBusiness, Organization, FAQ, Review snippet, Breadcrumbs, Logo schemas and more!

Wix Schema Plugin:

Wix has a built-in tool for adding schema markup. For some pages like your product pages, schema markup is already preset. JSON-LD formatted structured data is the only form that Wix accepts. Additionally, schema markup must be under 7000 characters. You can update your schema markup on Wix by following these instructions…

• First go to your page’s SEO Settings:
• Then, click the Advanced SEO tab. 
• Next, click Structured Data Markup. 
•  After that, click +Add New Markup.
• Then, add your new markup under (Write your markup in JSON-LD format.)
• Finally, click Apply.

Adding Schema Markup for Local SEO with Google Tag Manager

Google Tag manager allows you to add schema markup to the backend of your website with custom HTML. Once you have Google Tag Manager set up with your site, you can follow these steps to add schema markup. 

1. Add a new Custom HTML tag to the container.
2. Then, paste the desired structured data block into the tag content.
3. Next, install the container as shown in the Install Google Tag Manager section of your container’s admin menu.
4. Then, to add the tag to your website, publish your container in the Google Tag Manager interface.
5. Finally you can test your implementation.

Google Search Central

Testing Your Schema Markup

Google makes it very convenient for you to test and correct your schema markup. You can use the Rich Results Test to make sure that your structured data is parsable. If you have errors in your schema markup code, you can edit your code within the Rich Results Tester, and then retest to see the updated changes. To make your job easier, you can use Rank Ranger’s Schema Markup Tool to create your schema markup by simply filling in your info.

Tracking Your Rich Results

Finally, you can measure the performance of your rich results through Google Search Console. In the “Enhancements” section you can see rich results that your website is showing for. In this section, you can see what pages have valid schema markup, and what pages have invalid schema markup.

Conclusion: The 7 Most Important Schema Markup for Local SEO

Now that you know the most important schema markups for local SEO, you can use them for your website. First, you should implement local business schema. As a local business this is the most important schema you can have. Once you have done so, it is up to you to decide how relevant the other schemas are for your business. Be sure to test your schema markup using the Rich Results tester, so you can avoid mistakes in your code. If you need help adding schema markup to your website, contact us today so we can guide you in what schemas to add.