The LocalBusiness Schema Checklist for AI Search Visibility

What structured data actually is

Structured data is a small block of code on your website that gives search engines and other machine-readable systems clearer context about what your business is, without forcing them to infer every fact from page copy. Instead of a computer trying to interpret "Sam's Plumbing — open until 6pm, serving Escondido" from regular webpage text, structured data spells out the business name, hours, service area and services in labeled fields. Google has used this for years to build rich search results. AI assistants use the same data to answer questions like "is there a plumber open near me right now."

The fields that matter most for AI-recommendation queries

Structured data can clarify important business facts, but there is no published universal weighting that determines AI visibility. These fields are useful because they make common local-business facts explicit and machine-readable.

Name, address and phone consistency

Your business name, address and phone number need to match exactly everywhere they appear — your website, Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, and any directory listing. Structured data won't fix a mismatch; it just reports what's there. If your site says "123 Main St" and your Google listing says "123 Main Street," that inconsistency can quietly undercut how confidently an AI assistant recommends you.

areaServed

This field can describe which cities, neighborhoods or regions you actually serve — not just where your office sits. It does not guarantee visibility for "near me" questions, but it can reduce ambiguity when your service area is broader than your physical location.

Service listings

Generic category names ("home services," "beauty treatments") provide less context than specific, named services ("emergency water heater repair," "brow lamination"). Structured data can make those service facts explicit, but the visible page content should explain them clearly too.

aggregateRating

If you display eligible review scores on your site, structured data can mark them up so search systems can interpret the displayed rating more reliably. That does not establish how any independent AI assistant weighs reviews or guarantee a recommendation.

Hours

Structured opening hours make the information easier for search systems to interpret. They still need to match the visible page and the real business. Outdated hours can create a poor customer experience regardless of which search or AI experience surfaces them.

How to check your own site without a developer

You don't need to read code to see whether these fields exist on your site.

• Go to Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results) and enter your homepage and one service page URL
• Look for a "LocalBusiness" or "Service" item in the results — if nothing appears, structured data is likely missing entirely
• Check that the address, phone number and hours shown in the test match what's actually true today
• Repeat for your top 2–3 individual service pages, not just the homepage — schema is often only added to the homepage and forgotten everywhere else

Common mistakes worth checking for

• Duplicate or conflicting NAP (name/address/phone) data across structured data and visible page text
• Structured data only on the homepage, with service pages left unmarked
• Hours that were correct at launch but never updated for seasonal changes or holidays
• Copy-pasted schema from a template that still references a different business name or city

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Sam's Plumbing",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "Escondido",
    "addressRegion": "CA",
    "postalCode": "92025"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-760-555-0100",
  "areaServed": ["Escondido", "San Marcos", "Valley Center"],
  "openingHours": "Mo-Fr 07:00-18:00"
}

Frequently asked questions