LocalBusiness structured data describes a real business or location in a format machines can read. It should match the facts visible on the page. Valid JSON alone does not establish that every property is correct or that Google will show a rich result.
Choose the entity you are describing
A location page can describe its actual branch. An educational article about local SEO describes an article, not a local storefront. Use an appropriate business subtype when one fits, and give each real entity a stable identifier. Do not create a new fictional business entity for every neighbourhood page.
Use verified public facts
Start with the name, public website, telephone and address when suitable. Add supported details only when accurate and relevant. Opening hours, coordinates and identifiers should come from the maintained business record. Hidden service-area addresses need special care; do not expose private information to fill a validator field.
Keep claims within the evidence
Do not invent ratings, reviews, awards or prices. Google's local-business review eligibility includes restrictions; copying your own testimonials into aggregate-rating markup does not necessarily qualify for review stars. Markup is not a way around the underlying policy.
The schema generator creates a draft from your entries. It deliberately avoids reviews and unsupported claims. Review the output against current requirements, your visible page and Google's Rich Results Test before using it. A successful test is a technical check, not a ranking promise.
Maintain the graph with the site
When a branch moves or closes, update the page and corresponding markup together. Check that canonical URLs and breadcrumb destinations still work. Keep production identities separate from preview hosts.
Use the location-page brief and technical audit to verify the full page, not only its script.
Sources and further reading
Official documentation explains platform rules. Examples and workflows are editorial guidance; illustrative businesses are fictional. See our editorial policy.
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