Local Business Schema Explained: Boost Your Shopify Store's Local SEO
Learn how JSON-LD Local Business structured data helps your physical store appear in Google's local search results and Maps.
If you run a Shopify store with a physical location, you’re missing out on valuable local search traffic if you haven’t implemented Local Business schema. Whether you have a retail storefront, a showroom, or even just a pickup location, Local Business structured data helps Google understand exactly where you are and when you’re open.
The result? Better visibility in local search results, potential appearances in Google Maps, and more foot traffic from customers searching “near me.”
What is Local Business Schema?
Local Business schema is a type of structured data that provides search engines with detailed information about your physical business location. Written in JSON-LD format (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), this code sits invisibly in your website’s HTML and communicates directly with search engine crawlers.
Think of it as filling out a detailed business card that only Google can read. While your human visitors see your beautiful storefront photos and carefully crafted copy, search engines see the structured data telling them:
- Your exact business name and type
- Complete physical address with coordinates
- Phone number for customer inquiries
- Price range of your products or services
- Operating hours for every day of the week
- Photo representing your business
This information helps Google confidently display your business in relevant local searches, knowledge panels, and map results.
Why Local Business Schema Matters for Shopify Stores
Many Shopify merchants focus exclusively on product schema (which handles individual product rich results) while overlooking Local Business schema entirely. This is a missed opportunity, especially for stores with physical locations.
The Local Search Opportunity
According to Google, “near me” searches have grown exponentially over the past few years. Customers searching for products often want to know if they can see items in person, pick them up locally, or support a neighborhood business.
Without Local Business schema, Google has to guess at your business details from scattered information across your website. With proper structured data, you’re providing verified, consistent information that search engines can trust and display.
Benefits of Local Business Schema
- Enhanced local search visibility - Appear in location-based searches for your products and services
- Google Maps integration support - Provide consistent data that complements your Google Business Profile
- Rich search results - Display opening hours, price range, and contact info directly in search
- Increased trust signals - Structured data shows Google you’re a legitimate, established business
- Better mobile experience - Local searches often happen on mobile, where quick access to hours and directions matters most
Understanding Local Business Schema Fields
Local Business schema includes several key properties that define your physical presence. Let’s break down each field and why it matters.
Business Name
Your official business name as it should appear in search results. For Shopify stores, this can automatically pull from your shop name or be customized for specific locations.
Business Photo
A representative image of your business location. This could be your storefront, interior, or a professional photo that represents your brand. Quality images build trust and help customers recognize your location.
Contact Information
Your business phone number allows customers to call directly from search results. On mobile devices, this creates a tap-to-call link that removes friction between search and contact.
Price Range
Indicates the general price level of your products or services. This helps customers understand whether your store fits their budget before they visit. Price ranges typically span from budget-friendly ($) to luxury ($$$$).
Physical Address
The complete address of your business location, broken down into structured components:
- Street Address
- City
- State/Province
- Postal Code
- Country
Geographic Coordinates
Latitude and longitude coordinates pinpoint your exact location. While the address tells Google your general location, coordinates provide precision that helps with map placement and “near me” searches.
Opening Hours
Detailed operating hours for each day of the week. This information appears prominently in search results and helps customers know exactly when they can visit. You can set different hours for each day or mark specific days as closed.
How SEO King Implements Local Business Schema
Setting up Local Business schema manually requires editing theme code and understanding JSON-LD syntax. SEO King simplifies this process with an intuitive interface that handles all the technical details.
Google Places Integration
The easiest way to add your business is through SEO King’s Google Places search. Simply enter your business name, and the app searches Google’s database for your listing. When found, it automatically imports:
- Your verified business name
- Complete address information
- Geographic coordinates
- Any other available data from your Google Business Profile
This ensures your structured data matches what Google already knows about your business, creating consistency that strengthens your local SEO signals.
Manual Configuration
If your business isn’t listed in Google Places, or you need to add a new location, SEO King provides manual entry through the theme app embeds section. You can configure:
- Business Name (leave blank to use your shop name)
- Business Photo
- Phone Number (leave blank to use your shop’s phone)
- Price Range (low and high values)
- Complete Address with all components
- Latitude and Longitude coordinates
- Opening and Closing times for each day of the week
Multiple Locations Support
For businesses with multiple physical locations, SEO King allows you to add and manage several business locations. Each location gets its own complete set of structured data, ensuring accurate information for every storefront, warehouse, or pickup point.
Setting Up Local Business Schema: Step by Step
Here’s how to implement Local Business schema for your Shopify store using SEO King:
- Navigate to the JSON-LD section in SEO King
- Select the LocalBusiness tab
- Toggle ACTIVATE to enable the feature
- Search for your business using the Google Places search, or add manually
- If using manual entry, access theme app embeds to configure your details
- Enter your business name (or leave blank to use shop name)
- Upload a representative photo of your business
- Add your phone number
- Set your price range (low and high values without currency symbols)
- Enter your complete address including street, city, state, and postal code
- Add latitude and longitude coordinates for precise location
- Configure opening hours for each day of the week
- Save your changes
Validating Your Local Business Schema
After implementation, it’s essential to verify your structured data is working correctly.
Google Rich Results Test
Visit Google’s Rich Results Test and enter your website URL. The tool will crawl your page and display all detected structured data, including any errors or warnings.
Schema Markup Validator
The Schema Markup Validator provides detailed analysis of your structured data against the official Schema.org specifications. While not all warnings affect functionality, addressing them ensures maximum compatibility.
What to Look For
When validating your Local Business schema, confirm that:
- Business name appears correctly
- Address components are properly structured
- Opening hours display for the correct days
- Geographic coordinates are accurate
- No critical errors appear in the validation results
Best Practices for Local Business Schema
To maximize the effectiveness of your Local Business structured data, follow these guidelines:
Keep Information Consistent
Your Local Business schema should match the information on your Google Business Profile, your website’s contact page, and any other online listings. Consistency across all platforms strengthens your local SEO signals.
Use Accurate Coordinates
Don’t estimate your latitude and longitude. Use Google Maps or a similar service to find your exact coordinates. Accurate coordinates ensure proper map placement and improve “near me” search relevance.
Update Hours Promptly
Whenever your operating hours change (holidays, seasonal adjustments, permanent changes), update your Local Business schema immediately. Outdated hours frustrate customers and can harm your reputation.
Choose the Right Business Type
Schema.org defines many specific LocalBusiness subtypes, including Store, Restaurant, MedicalBusiness, and dozens more. While the general LocalBusiness type works, using a more specific subtype can provide additional relevant properties.
Local Business Schema vs. Other Structured Data
Understanding how Local Business schema fits into your overall structured data strategy helps you implement a comprehensive SEO approach.
Product Schema
Product schema describes individual items you sell, including price, availability, and reviews. This generates product rich results in search. Local Business schema complements product schema by establishing your physical presence.
Organization Schema
Organization schema provides information about your company as a whole, including logo, social profiles, and contact information. Local Business is actually a subtype of Organization, so implementing Local Business also covers basic organization information.
Breadcrumb Schema
Breadcrumb schema helps search engines understand your site structure. This is particularly valuable for e-commerce sites with deep category hierarchies. SEO King can implement breadcrumb schema alongside Local Business schema.
Real Results from Proper Implementation
Merchants who implement comprehensive structured data, including Local Business schema, often see measurable improvements in their local visibility.
“SEO King has the best features and is very easy to use its tools. Further, it is economical in price when compared with many other applications in the market.”
- BROKER SHOP (United Kingdom)
“This app is very helpful and can do a lot! The service is great, all questions are answered very well and the response is very quick.”
- www.Tradingtoys.de (Germany)
“Best of the best for those who has store with hundreds of single products. They even added a feature in JSON-LD used products and now google will not delete my products from search. Thank you!”
- SellMerchandise.Shop (Romania)
Common Local Business Schema Mistakes to Avoid
When implementing Local Business schema, watch out for these common errors:
- Using a P.O. Box instead of a physical address
- Entering incorrect or estimated geographic coordinates
- Leaving opening hours blank instead of marking days as closed
- Using inconsistent business names across different platforms
- Forgetting to update hours for holidays or schedule changes
- Not validating schema after implementation
SEO King vs. Manual Implementation
While you can manually add Local Business schema to your Shopify theme, SEO King offers several advantages:
| Feature | Manual Implementation | SEO King |
|---|---|---|
| Google Places Integration | Not available | Automatic search and import |
| Multiple Locations | Complex code management | Easy interface |
| Hours Configuration | Edit JSON directly | Visual day-by-day settings |
| Validation | External tools only | Built-in verification |
| Updates | Edit theme code | Simple form changes |
| Conflict Detection | Manual checking | Automatic detection |
Ready to Improve Your Local Visibility?
If your Shopify store has a physical presence, Local Business schema is an essential component of your SEO strategy. It helps Google understand exactly where you are, when you’re open, and how to display your business in local search results.
SEO King makes implementation straightforward with Google Places integration, intuitive configuration, and automatic code generation. Combined with product schema, organization schema, and other structured data types, you can build a comprehensive technical SEO foundation that helps your store rank for both product and local searches.
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Frequently asked questions
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Local Business schema markup is structured data code (typically in JSON-LD format) that tells search engines specific information about your physical business location, including your address, phone number, opening hours, and price range. This helps Google understand and display your business information in local search results and Maps.
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If you operate purely online without any physical location where customers can visit, you don't need Local Business schema. However, if you have a showroom, pickup location, office, or any physical presence where customers can interact with your business, implementing Local Business schema can significantly boost your local visibility.
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After implementing Local Business schema, it typically takes 1-4 weeks for Google to crawl, process, and display your structured data in search results. You can speed up this process by requesting indexing through Google Search Console and ensuring your schema passes validation tests.
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Yes, you can implement Local Business schema for multiple business locations. SEO King allows you to search for and add multiple business locations from Google Places, each with their own address, phone number, and operating hours. Each location gets its own structured data markup.
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While Local Business schema helps Google understand your business information, appearing in Google Maps primarily requires a verified Google Business Profile. However, having consistent structured data on your website that matches your Google Business Profile strengthens your local SEO signals and can improve your overall local search visibility.
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Organization schema provides general information about your company (name, logo, social profiles), while LocalBusiness schema specifically describes physical locations where customers can visit. LocalBusiness is actually a subtype of Organization, so it includes all organization properties plus location-specific details like address, opening hours, and geographic coordinates.
