LocalBusiness is a Schema.org subtype of Organization (and Place) for businesses with a physical location, such as a restaurant, clinic or store. It has many specific subtypes. Google uses LocalBusiness markup to understand business details such as hours and departments. For local visibility, the Google Business Profile carries far more weight than on-site markup.
Core properties
Google requires name and address. Recommended properties include telephone, url, geo coordinates, openingHoursSpecification, priceRange and department for businesses with distinct sections. Use the most specific subtype available, such as Dentist or AutoRepair.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ProfessionalService",
"name": "Ivorygate Consulting",
"address": { "@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "100 Main St", "addressLocality": "Austin",
"addressRegion": "TX", "postalCode": "78701", "addressCountry": "US" },
"telephone": "+1-555-0100"
}Does a SaaS company need it?
Usually not. A remote-first software company whose customers never visit an office is better described as an Organization. LocalBusiness makes sense for SaaS companies with offices that host clients, or for service arms such as implementation consultancies with a real storefront. Adding it to look local without a physical presence misdescribes the business.
Reviews and the self-serving rule
Ratings in LocalBusiness markup about the business itself, hosted on its own site, do not produce review stars because of Google's self-serving reviews rule.
Example
Plugin defaults on a SaaS site
A SaaS company, Pewterbrook, finds that its SEO plugin outputs LocalBusiness with the founder's home address because a settings wizard asked for one. It switches the plugin to Organization, removes the address, and keeps contact details in a contactPoint instead.
Common mistakes
Using it for a remote company
It implies customers visit a location. Organization fits most software businesses better.
Inconsistent details
Name, address and phone should match the Google Business Profile and other listings exactly.
Questions
Local pack results depend mainly on Google Business Profile, relevance, distance and prominence. Markup on your site is a minor input at most.
