--- title: "Local business schema: which JSON-LD actually matters" description: "Which structured data a local service business should add, which types are no longer worth the effort, and how to keep JSON-LD accurate on WordPress." url: "https://djwp.xyz/blog/local-business-schema-json-ld/" date_modified: "2026-11-05" Category: "SEO & AI search" --- # Local business schema: which JSON-LD actually matters > Describe each real business location as one consistent LocalBusiness entity (or a more specific subtype) with a stable @id: name, address, phone, hours, URL and the area you serve. Add WebSite, BreadcrumbList site-wide and Service where it describes a real offer. Do not expect special results from FAQPage or HowTo markup, which Google no longer shows, and remember that reviews of your own business on your own site are not eligible for review stars. ## What structured data does, and what it does not [Structured data](/glossary/#structured-data) is a machine-readable description of what a page is about: this is a business, this is its address, these are its opening hours. On the web it is usually written as [JSON-LD](/glossary/#json-ld), a block of JSON in the page’s HTML using the [schema.org vocabulary](/glossary/#schema-org). It is not a ranking switch. Google says structured data helps it understand a page and can make it eligible for [rich results](/glossary/#rich-results), but it does not guarantee them. What it does is give supported systems an explicit description of the business. It does not guarantee inclusion in AI answers, and Google lists no special markup for its AI features, but clear, consistent facts across your site and profiles are easier to describe correctly. ## The core block: LocalBusiness, accurately For a business that serves customers in a specific area, the most useful markup is a LocalBusiness entity for each real location, or a more specific subtype. schema.org has many: Plumber, HVACBusiness, Electrician, Dentist, LegalService, AutoRepair and others. Choose the most specific one that is true. The properties worth getting right: - **name, url, telephone**: exactly as shown on the site and in your business profiles. - **address** and **areaServed**. Google requires a physical address for local business rich-result eligibility; areaServed describes where you work but does not replace it. Never invent an address, and do not expose a private one just to satisfy the requirement. - **openingHoursSpecification**, kept in sync with reality, including holidays if you list them. - **image** and **logo**, pointing at real, crawlable files. - **sameAs** links to your official profiles, which help tie the business to the right entity. LocalBusiness already inherits the properties of Organization. Give the entity a stable @id and add a separate WebSite block. Referencing that @id from other pages keeps everything pointing at one business instead of creating duplicates. ## Supporting types that still earn their place - **BreadcrumbList** on every page below the home page. It is simple, it reflects your site structure and Google still uses it in results. - **Service** on service pages, describing what is offered, by whom and where. It does not trigger a special result, but it connects pages to the business entity. - **Article** or BlogPosting on articles, with a real author, publication and update dates. ## What is no longer worth it, and what to avoid Two common plugin defaults deserve a second look. Google stopped showing HowTo rich results in September 2023, and FAQ rich results, already limited to a few authoritative sites since August 2023, were discontinued in May 2026. FAQ markup will not change how a local business appears in Google. Write FAQs because customers ask those questions, not for the markup. Review markup needs more care. Reviews of your own business on your own site, including those displayed through third-party widgets, are not eligible for review stars in LocalBusiness or Organization markup. Fabricated or copied reviews create real risk. Above all, markup must describe what the visitor can see. Hours in JSON-LD that differ from the hours on the page, or a service area larger than the one you actually cover, are the kind of mismatch that gets markup ignored. ## Keeping it accurate on WordPress SEO plugins generate much of this automatically, and the defaults are often fine for WebSite, Organization and breadcrumbs. The weak spot is business details typed once into a settings screen and forgotten. We prefer to output local business markup from the same fields the site displays: if the phone number or hours change on the page, the JSON-LD changes with them. After any change, test a few templates with Google’s Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator, and check the enhancement reports in Search Console. A short, correct block is better than a long one full of guesses. If you want a review of your current markup alongside the rest of your [technical SEO](/glossary/#technical-seo), see [SEO and GEO](/services/seo-geo/), or read our note on [llms.txt](/blog/what-is-llms-txt-wordpress/) for the AI-search side. ## Key takeaways - One accurate LocalBusiness entity per location matters more than many types copied from a plugin preset.- Use the most specific subtype that fits, such as Plumber, Dentist or LegalService.- Google no longer shows FAQ or HowTo rich results; self-serving review markup is not eligible for stars.- Structured data must match what is visible on the page, or it can be ignored. ## Questions ### Do I need a plugin for schema markup on WordPress? Not necessarily. Popular SEO plugins output basic Organization, WebSite and breadcrumb markup, which is often enough. Local business details are best generated from the same fields the site displays, either through the plugin’s settings or the theme, so they never drift apart. ### Will schema markup get my business into AI answers? There is no guarantee. Clear structured data, consistent business details across the web and helpful page content make it easier for search engines and AI systems to understand and describe your business correctly. ### Should a service-area business publish its address? Publish it only if you are comfortable with customers seeing it. Describe where you work with areaServed, but note that it does not replace the physical address Google requires for local business rich results. Never invent an address to meet that requirement. ## Sources - [Local business structured data (Google Search Central)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/local-business)- [Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results (Google Search Central Blog, 2023)](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/08/howto-faq-changes)- [Search documentation updates, incl. FAQ rich result deprecation (Google Search Central)](https://developers.google.com/search/updates)- [Review snippet guidelines (Google Search Central)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/review-snippet)- [LocalBusiness (schema.org)](https://schema.org/LocalBusiness) --- **[Read full article: Local business schema: which JSON-LD actually matters](https://djwp.xyz/blog/local-business-schema-json-ld/)**