LocalBusiness structured data: what it is and how to add it

Structured data states facts in a fixed format

Structured data is code on a page, usually a short block of JSON-LD, that describes the page in the vocabulary published at schema.org. LocalBusiness is the type for a business with a physical location or a service area. It has more specific subtypes, such as Dentist, Plumber, RealEstateAgent and Restaurant.

The visible page tells a person that you are a plumber in Parramatta who opens at 7am. The structured data tells a machine the same thing without it having to interpret your design, your menus or your wording.

What Google says it does

Google says LocalBusiness structured data can tell it about business hours, departments and other details, which can appear in a knowledge panel or in a carousel for category searches (Google Search Central). The required properties are the business name and its address. Recommended ones include the phone number, URL, coordinates, opening hours and price range.

Google is also clear about the limits. It does not guarantee that structured data will produce a feature in results, and it says no special structured data is needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. The case for adding it is accuracy: every system that reads your page gets your details right without guessing.

Most local business sites don't have it

In October 2026 we checked 1112 local business websites across 34 Australian locations. 73% had structured data of some kind, often added by a theme or plugin. Only 29% had a LocalBusiness type, the one that says what the business is and where.

Method and sample sizes are on our local data page, and the results by industry are in our AI search readiness report.

How to add it

Add one JSON-LD block to the page that best represents the business, usually the home page or the contact page. Use your real details, exactly as they appear on the page and on your Google Business Profile. This example is for a fictional plumber:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Plumber",
  "name": "Example Plumbing",
  "url": "https://www.exampleplumbing.com.au/",
  "telephone": "+61 2 0000 0000",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "1 Example Street",
    "addressLocality": "Parramatta",
    "addressRegion": "NSW",
    "postalCode": "2150",
    "addressCountry": "AU"
  },
  "areaServed": ["Parramatta", "Westmead", "Harris Park"],
  "openingHoursSpecification": [{
    "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
    "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
    "opens": "07:00",
    "closes": "17:00"
  }]
}
</script>

On WordPress, most SEO plugins have a local business setting that writes this block for you; check that it uses the right subtype and includes the address. On Wix, Squarespace and Shopify, either use the platform's business information settings or add the block through custom code in the page header.

Keep it in line with your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is a separate listing that you manage in Google's own tools, and it drives your appearance in Maps and the local results. Structured data on your site does not update it, and it does not update your site. They should simply agree: the same business name, the same address written the same way, the same phone number and the same hours. When you change your hours or move, change both on the same day. Search engines connect a business across sources by matching these details, and a mismatch gives them two candidates where there should be one.

Common mistakes

• Marking up details the page does not show. Google expects structured data to match the visible content.
• Using the general LocalBusiness type when a specific one exists for your trade.
• Two plugins each writing a business block with different details.
• An address or phone number that differs from your Google Business Profile.
• Copying the block onto every page with the same details. Once, on the main page, is enough for a single-location business.

How to check it

Paste your page address into Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator. The first shows what Google can read; the second checks the block against schema.org. Fix any errors, then recheck after each site update.