Schema Markup for Local Businesses: Events, Hours, and More

For local businesses, standing out in a crowded search result page is a major challenge. Schema markup (or structured data) is a powerful tool that can give you a significant competitive advantage. It's a form of code that you add to your website to help search engines understand your content more deeply and, in return, reward you with enhanced, eye-catching search results called "rich snippets."

While schema can seem technical, its application for local businesses is straightforward and incredibly impactful. By "labeling" key information on your site, you can help Google display details like your opening hours, reviews, and events directly in the search results.

The Most Important Schema for Local Businesses

You don't need to mark up everything on your site. For a local business, you should focus on the types of schema that provide the most value for local search.

1. LocalBusiness Schema

This is the absolute foundation. The LocalBusiness schema type allows you to explicitly tell Google all of your core business information.

• What you can mark up:
  • Business Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP)
  • Opening Hours (including special hours for holidays)
  • Business Category (e.g., "Restaurant," "Plumber")
  • A link to your logo
  • Your price range
• Why it's important: This is the most direct way to communicate your key business details to Google, which can improve the accuracy of your Knowledge Panel and your ranking in the local map pack.

2. Review or AggregateRating Schema

This is one of the most visually impactful types of schema. It allows you to mark up the customer reviews or average star rating for your business or products.

• What it does: It enables the gold star ratings to appear next to your listing in the search results.
• Why it's important: These stars are a massive trust signal and can dramatically increase your click-through rate. A result with stars is much more eye-catching than a plain blue link.

3. Event Schema

If your business hosts events—like workshops, live music, sales, or community gatherings—the Event schema is essential.

• What you can mark up:
  • Event Name
  • Start and End Dates/Times
  • Location
  • A description of the event
• Why it's important: Google can use this information to display your event in a special "event box" in the search results, making it much more visible to people searching for local events.

4. FAQPage Schema

If you have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on your website, you can use this schema to mark up your questions and answers.

• What it does: It can make your questions appear as a collapsible dropdown accordion directly below your main result in the SERPs.
• Why it's important: This makes your search result take up significantly more real estate, pushing competitors down the page. It also answers user questions directly in the search results, establishing you as an authority.

How to Implement Local Schema

You don't need to be a developer to add schema to your site.

1. Use an SEO Plugin (Easiest Method): For WordPress users, plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math automatically add LocalBusiness and Article schema to your site based on the information you provide in their settings. They also often have simple blocks or tools for adding FAQ schema.
2. Use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper: This is a free tool from Google that allows you to visually tag elements on your webpage (like your address or opening hours) and it will generate the necessary schema code for you to add to your site's HTML.
3. Use a Schema Generator Tool: There are many free online tools (like Merkle's Schema Markup Generator) that will create the code for you after you fill out a simple form with your business information.

Testing Your Implementation

After you've added the schema code to your site, you must test it. Use Google's Rich Results Test tool. Paste in your URL, and the tool will tell you if your schema is valid and if your page is eligible for rich results.

Conclusion

Schema markup is a powerful way to make your local business stand out in a crowded digital landscape. By taking the time to label your key business information, you are not just helping search engines understand your content—you are unlocking the potential for eye-catching rich snippets that can significantly improve your visibility, click-through rate, and, ultimately, the number of customers walking through your door.