Setting Up Local Business Schema for UK Businesses
Setting up local business schema correctly is crucial for UK businesses wanting to improve their local search visibility. This guide will walk you through implementing schema markup step-by-step, with UK-specific examples and code you can adapt for your business.
Table of Contents
- What is Local Business Schema?
- Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
- Complete Code Examples
- Testing Your Schema
- Common Questions & Troubleshooting
What is Local Business Schema?
Schema markup is code you add to your website that helps search engines understand your business information better. For local businesses, it’s particularly important because it helps Google understand:
- Your business type
- Location and service areas
- Opening hours
- Contact details
- Reviews and ratings
Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
Step 1: Choose Your Schema Type
First, decide whether to use the general LocalBusiness type or a more specific one:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness"
}OR for specific business types:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Restaurant"
}Common UK business types:
- Restaurant
- Dentist
- Estate Agent
- Solicitor
- Plumber
Step 2: Add Basic Business Information
Here’s how to add your basic business details in UK format:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Smith & Sons Plumbing",
"description": "Professional plumbing services in Greater Manchester",
"url": "https://www.smithplumbing.co.uk",
"telephone": "+44 161 123 4567",
"email": "info@smithplumbing.co.uk"
}Step 3: Add Address Information (UK Format)
Use proper UK address formatting:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "42 King Street",
"addressLocality": "Manchester",
"addressRegion": "Greater Manchester",
"postalCode": "M2 4LB",
"addressCountry": "GB"
}
}Step 4: Add Opening Hours (Using UK Time Format)
{
"openingHoursSpecification": [
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
"opens": "09:00",
"closes": "17:30"
},
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": "Saturday",
"opens": "10:00",
"closes": "16:00"
}
]
}Step 5: Complete Schema Example
Here’s a full example for a UK local business:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Smith & Sons Plumbing",
"description": "Professional plumbing services in Greater Manchester",
"url": "https://www.smithplumbing.co.uk",
"telephone": "+44 161 123 4567",
"email": "info@smithplumbing.co.uk",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "42 King Street",
"addressLocality": "Manchester",
"addressRegion": "Greater Manchester",
"postalCode": "M2 4LB",
"addressCountry": "GB"
},
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "53.4808",
"longitude": "-2.2426"
},
"openingHoursSpecification": [
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
"opens": "09:00",
"closes": "17:30"
},
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": "Saturday",
"opens": "10:00",
"closes": "16:00"
}
],
"priceRange": "££",
"paymentAccepted": ["Cash", "Credit Card", "Debit Card"],
"currenciesAccepted": "GBP",
"areaServed": {
"@type": "GeoCircle",
"geoMidpoint": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "53.4808",
"longitude": "-2.2426"
},
"geoRadius": "20"
}
}How to Implement the Schema
Method 1: JSON-LD in Header
Add this to your <head> section of your page:
// Your schema code here
Method 2: Google Tag Manager 1. Create new tag 2. Choose Custom HTML 3. Paste schema within script tags 4. Set trigger to All Pages (or specific pages)
Testing Your Schema
1. Use Google’s Rich Results Test:
- Visit https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
- Enter your URL or paste your code
- Check for errors
2. Use Schema.org Validator:
- Visit https://validator.schema.org/
- Paste your schema markup
- Review any warnings or errors
Common Questions & Troubleshooting
Q: Do I need different schema for each location?
A: Yes, if you have multiple locations, create unique schema markup for each one. You can use the same template but update the specific details.
Q: How do I handle service areas?
A: Use the areaServed property as shown in the example below. You can list multiple areas:
"areaServed": [
"Greater Manchester",
"Salford",
"Stockport"
]Q: Should I include prices in schema?
A: For UK businesses, it’s better to use the priceRange property (£ to ££££) rather than specific prices, unless you have a fixed-price service menu.
Q: How do I mark seasonal hours?
A: Use specialOpeningHoursSpecification for bank holidays and seasonal changes:
"specialOpeningHoursSpecification": [
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": "Monday",
"opens": "10:00",
"closes": "16:00",
"validFrom": "2024-12-24",
"validThrough": "2024-12-24"
}
]Best Practices for UK Businesses
Address Format:
- Use proper UK postal code format
- Include “GB” as country code
- Use consistent formatting across all platforms
Phone Numbers:
- Use international format (+44)
- Remove spaces in the schema code
- Include area code
Opening Hours:
- Use 24-hour format
- Specify bank holiday hours
- Include seasonal variations
Regular Maintenance:
- Update schema when business details change
- Review during Google algorithm updates
- Test regularly using Google’s tools
Next Steps
After implementing your schema:
- Test using Google’s Rich Results Test
- Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console
- Monitor local search rankings
- Check Google Business Profile for consistency
That is all for today, I hope this post will help you to set the Local Business Schema correctly. Please contact us if you need help with setting this up or have a question.
