mindflowMARKETING
Book a free AI Visibility Review
Glossary

What is LocalBusiness schema?

By Youssef Hodaigui, Mindflow Marketing · Last reviewed November 1, 2026

LocalBusiness schema is structured data that uses the schema.org LocalBusiness type, or a trade subtype such as Plumber or RoofingContractor, to state a business's name, address, hours, phone number and website in code search engines can read. Schema.org defines LocalBusiness as "A particular physical business or branch of an organization."

Google uses it for business results. Its documentation says that when people search for a business, "Search results may display a prominent Google knowledge panel," and LocalBusiness markup can tell Google about hours, departments and more. For the general idea of structured data, see schema markup; this entry covers the LocalBusiness type itself.

01

Which LocalBusiness type fits a contractor?

The most specific one that's true. Google says to "Use the most specific LocalBusiness sub-type possible." Under schema.org's HomeAndConstructionBusiness, the trade types are Electrician, GeneralContractor, HVACBusiness, HousePainter, Locksmith, MovingCompany, Plumber and RoofingContractor. A trade without its own type, such as pest control or landscaping, uses the closest broader type.

If you do more than one trade, Google accepts several types as a list rather than forcing one. Pick the types that match what your website and Google Business Profile say you do. Markup that claims a trade your pages never mention describes a business that isn't there.

02

What goes in LocalBusiness markup, and where must it match?

Google requires two properties, `name` and `address`, and recommends others such as `telephone`, `url`, `openingHoursSpecification` and `geo`. Every value should match what the page shows and what your other listings say. Here's what a contractor typically fills in, and what each value has to agree with:

PropertyWhat to putMust match
`@type`Your trade type, or a list of themThe services on your site and profile
`name`Your business name as customers know itYour sign, Business Profile and license record
`address`Your business addressYour Business Profile and NAP listings
`telephone`Your main number with country and area codeThe number on the page and your profile
`url`The page for this locationA working page on your site
`openingHoursSpecification`Days and hours you take calls or jobsThe hours on your profile
`areaServed` (schema.org)The cities or areas you work inThe areas your pages describe
`sameAs` (schema.org)Links to your profiles elsewhereProfiles you actually own

`areaServed` and `sameAs` come from schema.org; Google's local business documentation doesn't list them, so treat them as helpful description, not as something Google promises to use. Leave out `aggregateRating`: Google recommends it only for sites that collect reviews about other businesses (see aggregate rating).

03

How do you mark up a service-area business that hides its address?

Google's documentation doesn't say. It lists `address`, "The physical location of the business," as required, and it doesn't mention service-area businesses or `areaServed` at all. So there's no Google-approved answer for a plumber who hides a home address on the Business Profile.

In our view there are two honest options. If your address appears anywhere on your site, such as the footer or contact page, the markup can use it, because it's already public. If you've kept it off your site, include only the city, state and ZIP that you're comfortable showing, and use schema.org's `areaServed` for the places you work. Don't invent an office or use a mailbox to look local; Google's Business Profile rules treat those addresses as ineligible, and markup shouldn't say something the profile can't.

04

Is LocalBusiness schema the same as your Google Business Profile?

No. Your Business Profile is the listing you manage in Google's own tools; it drives what shows on Maps and in the local pack. LocalBusiness schema is code on your website that describes the same business. It doesn't create or verify a profile, and our schema markup entry explains why correct markup still guarantees no special result.

Think of the markup as your website confirming what your profile already says. When the two agree, along with your license record and directory listings, a search engine has one consistent set of facts. When they don't, you've given it two businesses to choose from.

Related terms: Schema markup · NAP · Entity home · Aggregate rating · All glossary terms

Where to go next: The Google Business Profile handbook covers the profile side. Our Google Business Profile page explains how we keep the two in step.