Story Based Question
Let’s say you run a local bakery called Sugar & Spice Bakery in a small but vibrant neighborhood. You’ve got loyal customers who swear by your cakes, cookies, and pastries, but you’re looking for a way to make your bakery easier to find on Google and other search engines. You’ve heard about schema markup and how it can help search engines understand your business better. But you’re not sure how it works or how to add schema markup to your website to improve your bakery’s visibility in search results. So, how exactly do you add schema markup for a local business, and why should it matter to you?
Exact Answer
To add schema markup for local businesses, you should:
- Use JSON-LD format to add structured data to your website’s code.
- Add your business information (name, address, phone number) to the schema.
- Include additional details like your business hours, logo, and social media profiles.
- Test your schema markup using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
Explanation
Schema markup is a type of code that you can add to your website to provide search engines with more detailed information about your business. Think of it as telling Google exactly who you are, where you are, and what you do in a way that’s easy for the search engine to read and understand.
For local businesses like Sugar & Spice Bakery, schema markup can be a game-changer because it helps your business appear in rich results like local knowledge panels or maps. By adding the right schema to your website, you give Google more context about your location, services, and products— and that can boost your visibility in local search results.
1. Use JSON-LD Format
JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is the most common and recommended format for adding schema markup. It’s easier to implement and less prone to errors compared to other formats like Microdata or RDFa.
JSON-LD is added directly to the website’s HTML code. You typically place it in the <head> or the <body> section of your web pages, but the best practice is to put it in the <head>.
2. Add Business Information
For local businesses, the most important information to include in your schema is:
- Business Name: Your business name, like “Sugar & Spice Bakery.”
- Address: Your full physical address, including street, city, and zip code.
- Phone Number: The main contact number for your business.
- Business Type: What type of business you are (e.g., bakery, coffee shop, yoga studio).
Here’s an example of how to structure this information in JSON-LD:
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “Bakery”,
“name”: “Sugar & Spice Bakery”,
“address”: {
“@type”: “PostalAddress”,
“streetAddress”: “123 Bakery St.”,
“addressLocality”: “YourTown”,
“addressRegion”: “YourState”,
“postalCode”: “12345”
},
“telephone”: “+11234567890”,
“url”: “https://www.sugarandspicebakery.com”,
“sameAs”: [
“https://www.facebook.com/sugarandspicebakery”,
“https://twitter.com/sugarandspicebakery”
]
}
3. Include Additional Details
In addition to the basic business info, you can add other elements like:
- Opening Hours: Add your bakery’s working hours so customers can see when you’re open.
- Logo: A URL to your business logo.
- Social Media Profiles: Links to your social media pages, which help show your business’s online presence.
Example for adding hours and logo:
“openingHours”: “Mo-Sa 08:00-18:00”, “logo”: “https://www.sugarandspicebakery.com/logo.png”
4. Test Your Schema Markup
Once you’ve added schema markup to your website, it’s important to test it to make sure it’s working properly. Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool helps you check whether the markup is correctly implemented. Simply paste your website’s URL or the specific page’s HTML code into the tool, and it will show any errors or warnings.
Example
Let’s go back to Sugar & Spice Bakery. Here’s how schema markup might help them:
- Adding Schema Code
The bakery’s developer adds the following JSON-LD code to the website’s HTML code for the homepage:
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “Bakery”,
“name”: “Sugar & Spice Bakery”,
“address”: {
“@type”: “PostalAddress”,
“streetAddress”: “123 Bakery St.”,
“addressLocality”: “YourTown”,
“addressRegion”: “YourState”,
“postalCode”: “12345”
},
“telephone”: “+11234567890”,
“url”: “https://www.sugarandspicebakery.com”,
“sameAs”: [
“https://www.facebook.com/sugarandspicebakery”,
“https://twitter.com/sugarandspicebakery”
],
“openingHours”: “Mo-Sa 08:00-18:00”,
“logo”: “https://www.sugarandspicebakery.com/logo.png”
} - Testing the Code
After adding the schema code, they use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool. They enter the page URL and confirm that everything is working correctly— no errors, and the bakery’s contact information, hours, and social links are properly displayed. - Seeing the Results
Now, when someone searches for “bakery in [City],” Sugar & Spice Bakery might appear in a rich snippet or local knowledge panel on Google. Customers will see the bakery’s name, location, hours, and phone number directly in the search results.
Adding schema markup for local businesses is essential for improving your website’s visibility in search results. It helps search engines understand key details about your business, like your name, location, and services. Schema markup can increase your chances of appearing in rich snippets and local knowledge panels, ultimately driving more traffic and customers to your site.