Structured data for local businesses, explained simply

Structured data is the hidden label that tells Google and AI exactly what your business is. Here's what it does and why most small sites are missing it.

Structured data is a small block of code on your website that spells out the facts about your business in a format machines read instantly: your name, address, phone, opening hours, services and prices. Visitors never see it. Google and AI tools read it first. It removes all guesswork about who you are.

Why does it matter for being found?

When a search engine or AI can read your facts directly instead of guessing from page text, it trusts those facts more and uses them more confidently. That's how you end up in the map pack, in rich results with stars and hours, and in AI answers. No structured data means the machine has to guess, and machines that guess often guess someone else.

What should a local business mark up?

• LocalBusiness: name, address, phone, geo location, opening hours
• Your services or products, each with a short description
• Reviews and aggregate rating, if you display them
• FAQ content, so your answers can appear directly in results

Do I need a developer for this?

Not necessarily. Many site builders add basic structured data automatically, and there are free generators for the rest. The hard part isn't writing it, it's keeping it accurate when your hours, services or prices change, and validating that Google reads it without errors.

How do I know it's working?

Google's Rich Results Test and Search Console both show you what they can read and flag errors. If your data passes clean and your facts match everywhere else online, you've sent one of the strongest, cheapest trust signals available.

Structured data is invisible, fiddly and easy to get subtly wrong, which is why most small sites skip it. We set it up correctly and keep it current as part of the monthly service. Want to know if your site has any at all? Grab a free audit and we'll check.