Schema is the code that tells a search engine what your business is. Most local sites have none, and it is one of the cheapest things to fix.
What it actually is
A person can look at your website and work out that you are a sign company, that you cover their town, and that you open at eight. They read the logo, the photos and the footer, and they put it together.
A machine has to guess at all of that. Schema stops the guessing. It is a block of code in your page that says the same facts in a fixed format: this is the name, this is the trade, this is the area, these are the hours, this is the phone number.
It is invisible to visitors. It exists only so that something reading the page automatically gets your details right.
Why it matters more now
Search used to send people to your page, where a human sorted out the details. An assistant does not do that. It reads, decides, and gives one answer.
When it is choosing between you and three others, the business whose details are unambiguous is the safer thing to recommend. Vague is not neutral. Vague loses.
A block you can copy
Replace every capitalised part with your own details. Delete any line you cannot fill in honestly. An empty field is better than an invented one.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "YOUR BUSINESS NAME",
"description": "ONE SENTENCE ON WHAT YOU DO AND WHO FOR",
"url": "https://YOURSITE.com",
"telephone": "+1 555 000 0000",
"email": "hello@YOURSITE.com",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "STREET",
"addressLocality": "CITY",
"addressRegion": "STATE OR REGION",
"postalCode": "POSTCODE",
"addressCountry": "COUNTRY CODE"
},
"areaServed": "CITY AND THE TOWNS AROUND IT",
"openingHours": "Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/YOURPAGE",
"https://www.google.com/maps/place/YOURLISTING"
]
}
</script>sameAs is the one people skip, and it is worth more than it looks. It links your website to your other profiles. That is how a machine confirms the business on your site and the business in the map listing are the same business.
The mistakes that make it useless
- Details that disagree. The phone number here must match the one on your Google listing and your Facebook page. A machine that finds three numbers trusts none of them.
- Placeholder text left in.Plugins ship with sample values. We have seen live sites publishing a plugin author’s address.
- Claiming premises you do not have. If customers cannot visit you, do not publish a street address to look bigger. Use Organization instead.
- Putting it only on a contact page. Your homepage is the page most often read. Start there.
How to check it worked
Paste your homepage address into Google’s Rich Results Test. It reads the page and shows what it found. If your business details appear there, a machine can read them.
One warning. A test that says “valid” only means the code is well formed. It does not mean the facts are right. Read them yourself.
Common questions
What is schema, in one sentence?
A small block of code on your page that states plainly what your business is, where it is, and how to reach it, in a format machines read the same way every time.
Do I need schema to show up in AI answers?
It is not a switch that turns you on. It removes guesswork. Without it a machine has to work out your trade, your area and your hours from your page design, and it often gets that wrong.
Can I just use a plugin?
Yes, and most people should. The thing to check afterwards is that the plugin filled it in with your real details rather than leaving its own placeholder text.
Should I use LocalBusiness or Organization?
Use LocalBusiness if customers can visit you or you serve a defined area. Use Organization if you have no premises and no public address. Claiming a location you do not have is worse than claiming none.