Key takeaways
- LocalBusiness structured data is code on your website that tells Google your business details in a format it can read reliably: name, address, phone, hours and more.
- Google lists name and address as required, and recommends details such as geo coordinates, opening hours, phone, URL and price range. It recommends the JSON-LD format.
- Mark up only what the page shows, keep it accurate, and test it with the Rich Results Test. Google says structured data never guarantees a rich result.
- FAQ rich results no longer appear in Google Search as of May 2026, so FAQ markup will not earn you that feature.
What is local business schema?
Schema markup, or structured data, is a small block of code on your website that describes your business in a standard vocabulary from schema.org. For a local business, it states your name, address, phone, hours and other facts in a form search engines can read without guessing.
According to Google’s local business documentation, this data can tell Google about your hours, departments and more, and can help when Google shows your business in search features such as a knowledge panel.
What to include
Google lists two required properties for LocalBusiness: name and address. It recommends adding more where they apply:
- geo: latitude and longitude.
- openingHoursSpecification: your days and hours, including special hours.
- telephone: with country and area code.
- url: a working link to the location’s page.
- priceRange: a short indication of price.
- department: for businesses with distinct departments.
Use the most specific type that fits, such as Dentist, LegalService or HomeAndConstructionBusiness, rather than the generic LocalBusiness, and give each location its own page and markup.
Use JSON-LD
Google supports three formats, and its structured data guidelines label JSON-LD as recommended. JSON-LD sits in its own script block, separate from your page design, so it is easier to add and maintain.
Google’s rules
- Mark up only what people can see. Do not add details to the code that the page does not show.
- Keep it true. Structured data must be a true representation of the page content. No misleading markup and no fake reviews.
- Fill in the required properties. Items missing them are not eligible for rich results.
- Do not block the page. Pages with structured data must be crawlable and indexable.
Breaking these rules can lead to a manual action that removes rich results from your pages, which you would see in Search Console’s Manual Actions report.
How to test it
- Run the page through Google’s Rich Results Test and fix any critical errors.
- Publish, then check the live page with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console.
- Watch Search Console’s structured data reports for new errors.
Even when everything validates, Google says it does not guarantee that your structured data will show up in search results.
What changed with FAQ markup
Google’s documentation updates say the FAQ rich result stopped appearing in Google Search in May 2026, and the FAQ documentation was removed. Many sites added FAQ markup to win expandable questions in results. That feature is gone. Clear questions and answers on the page are still useful for readers.
Schema and AI search
For its own AI features, Google says you do not need special schema.org markup, and that any structured data should match the visible text (AI features and your website). Accurate markup still helps every system that reads your page agree on the basic facts about your business, and those facts should match your Google Business Profile and listings. Our guides to answer engine optimization and Google Business Profile cover the rest.
Where to get help
We add and test structured data as part of our SEO and local SEO in Toronto work, matched to your real business details.