Local Business Scheme

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What is a Local Business Scheme

What is a Local Business Scheme?

Local business schemas are a type of structured data markup code. You can add this to your company's website to make it easier for search engines to recognize what kind of company you are and what you do.

This is a helpful way to make your website suitable for local Search engine optimization to optimize, as it is an important ranking factor. There are all kinds of properties you can fill out for your local business model, but let's focus on the most important ones to simplify things a bit.

Key content areas:

  1. Business type (Local Business works if your industry is not represented, but ideally you are as specific as possible).
  2. Images (banner type of the image)
  3. Phone number
  4. Name (of the company)
  5. Logo (company logo)
  6. Description (of your company and your offers)
  7. Opening hours (your opening hours)
  8. url the website
  9. Geo Tag (your longitude and latitude coordinates)
  10. Address (you enter your physical address of your location)

How do I use Local Business Schema?

Local Business Schema is kind of like the spice in the SEO soup for local businesses. It helps search engines understand the most important information about your business: Where you are, what you do, and how people can find you.

What is Schema Markup?

Schema markup is code that you add to your website to give search engines additional information about your page. It is based on the Schema.org vocabulary. In practice, it looks like you add a piece of JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) or Microdata into the HTML code of your web page.

Examples

Let's say you own an Italian restaurant called "Bella Roma" in Munich. Your basic schema information might look like this:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "restaurant",
  }, "name": { "bella roma",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "samplestreet1",
    "addressLocality": "Munich",
    "addressRegion": "BY",
    "postalCode": "80331",
    "addressCountry": "DE"
  },
  }, "telephone": "+49 89 123 4567",
  }, "url": "https://www.bella-roma-muenchen.de",
  "openingHours": "Mon,Tu,We,Th,Fri,Sat 17:00-22:00",
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "servesCuisine": "Italian"
}

How do I insert it?

You add this code to the header or footer of your website so that Google and other search engines know how to display the relevant information about your business.

What's the point?

Imagine someone googling "Italian restaurant Munich." In addition to the search results, there are also these nifty little information cards that "Rich snippets" can be named. If you implemented the schema markup correctly, the info card for "Bella Roma" could show that it's an Italian restaurant, what price range it's in, when it's open, and what the customer reviews are. This is worth its weight in gold because it leads people right to you!

Local Business Schema is like your digital profile, telling Google exactly what's what. But as with everything in life, there are lights and shadows. Here's an overview:

Advantages

  1. Increased visibilityWhen someone searches for "dentist Berlin" and your dental practice scheme is set correctly, you appear with more information directly in the search results. It's like you're standing in the front row of a concert while everyone else is still waiting in line.
  2. Rich snippets: Those little info boxes that appear next to the search results are pure gold. They contain the most important data: Opening hours, address, reviews, etc. It's like a "best of" your business at a glance.
  3. Local searchesWhen someone types "cafe nearby" on their smartphone, there's a good chance you'll be at the top of the search results with a well-adjusted scheme markup. It's like an illuminated arrow in the real world pointing directly to your cafe.
  4. Confidence building: When people see all this useful info at a glance, it builds confidence. They think, "Wow, the company has its act together."

Disadvantages

  1. Implementation effortNot everyone is an HTML guru. You either have to pay someone to do it for you, or invest time learning it yourself. Think of it like building an IKEA cabinet - doable, but sometimes annoying.
  2. Update requiredYour opening hours change? Relocation? Everything needs to be updated in the schema markup. It's like having to change the address on all your business cards, only digitally.
  3. Penalties for misinformation: If you are sloppy and provide wrong information, Google can find you in the Ranking downgrade. That's like cheating on an exam and getting caught - not good!

Examples

Imagine you have a gym and add schema markup.

  • Positive scenarioSomeone searches for "gym with sauna in Hamburg". Your studio has a sauna and thanks to the schema markup this will be displayed in the Rich snippets highlighted. Bingo! New members!
  • Negative scenario: But you took the sauna out of the offer and didn't update that in the markup. Someone comes by and is disappointed. The negative rating also ends up in the rich snippet. Ouch.

In short, Local Business Schema is like a Swiss Army knife for local SEO: extremely useful, but only if you actually know how to use it.

Do's and Don'ts

  • Thu: Keep the information up to date. If the opening hours change, the schema markup must be adjusted as well.
  • Don't: Do not provide false information. Google penalizes that.

Make the effort and implement the Local Business Scheme. It's like a shining sign in the digital world that says, "Here I am, this is what I offer, and this is how you can reach me!"

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FAQ

What is Local Business Schema data markup code? arrow icon in accordion
Local business schema data markup code is a special type of HTML code that organizes web page content into a special structure and helps search engines categorize that content. It is often used to help local businesses, retailers, and service providers get better coverage by search engines like Google.
What can I achieve with Local Business Schema data markup code? arrow icon in accordion
Local business schema data markup code can help you make your local business content more visible and available. Use it to describe and structure your local business content so that search engines can better capture and rank it.
Where can I get Local Business Schema data markup code? arrow icon in accordion
You can either obtain local Business Schema data markup code from a third-party vendor or create it yourself. If you choose to create code yourself, you can use the Structured Data Markup Helper documentation to help you get started.
How do I add Local Business Schema data markup code to my website? arrow icon in accordion
Once you have received or created the code, you can simply copy and paste it onto your website. The code should be pasted into the header of your website so that it will be called on every page of your website.
What information should I include in my Local Business Schema data markup code? arrow icon in accordion
Local Business Schema data markup code should contain information about your business, such as the name, address, phone number, link to your website and other important data. This information is important for search engines to categorize and index your business.
My company has multiple locations, how can I include this information on my website? arrow icon in accordion
If your organization has multiple locations, you can create multiple instances of the same Local Business Schema data markup code to list each location individually.
Does my website need Local Business Schema data markup code? arrow icon in accordion
Local business schema data markup code is very helpful for local businesses to increase their visibility in search engines. If you are a local business, it is a good idea to use the code on your website.
Can I customize my Local Business Schema data markup code? arrow icon in accordion
Yes, you can customize the code to better fit your business. The code contains some specific fields that describe what your company does and where it is located. Make sure you fill in these fields with the correct information.
Can I use my Local Business Schema data markup code in multiple languages? arrow icon in accordion
Yes, you can use the code in multiple languages. However, before you customize your code for your international target markets, make sure you have the appropriate language skills to write the code in multiple languages.
What are the benefits of using Local Business Schema data markup code? arrow icon in accordion
Using Local Business Schema data markup code can help you optimize your local business in search engines and give you better visibility. Thanks to this code, search engines can detect and rank your business faster and easier.

With top positions to the new sales channel.

Let Google work for you, because visitors become customers.

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