What is LocalBusiness Schema?
LocalBusiness schema is a piece of code on your website that speaks directly to search engines. It’s not for humans to see. It’s for Google’s crawlers. This code, a form of structured data, explains precisely what your business is, where it is, and what it does.
For any business serving a specific area, from a plumber in Tacoma to a Bellevue law firm or a restaurant in Seattle proper, this is not optional. It is the foundation of showing up in Google Maps and the "Local Pack" results for queries like "sushi near me" or "bike shop open now".
The Schema Fields Seattle Businesses Overlook
Most web developers, even skilled ones, install a plugin that handles schema. They enter the basics: Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP). This is a good start, but it is incomplete. Google offers dozens of specific fields to qualify your business, and ignoring them is a missed opportunity.
We audit Seattle-area websites every week. Here are the most common and damaging mistakes we see.
/Missing `priceRange`
The priceRange field tells Google how expensive your products or services are, typically on a scale of one to four dollar signs ($ to $$$$). This data helps users filter results and sets clear expectations.
A Wallingford coffee shop is likely $. A custom furniture maker in Ballard might be $$$. A dinner cruise on Lake Union could be $$$$. Leaving this field blank means you miss out on users who filter by price. It also means you aren't pre-qualifying the clicks you do get.
/Incorrect or Missing `geo` Coordinates
You have an address. That is not enough. You need to provide the exact latitude and longitude for your location using the geo.latitude and geo.longitude schema properties. This removes all ambiguity for Google’s mapping functions.
This is especially important in Seattle. Is your address on 5th Avenue or 5th Avenue South? Are you in a dense building in the International District where the entrance is hard to pinpoint? Providing exact coordinates solves this. For a home-based service-area business in Renton that serves the entire Eastside, this is how you establish your anchor point.
/Vague `department` Information
The department property is powerful for larger organizations. A medical center like Virginia Mason in First Hill can use it to create distinct schema for its Emergency Room, Cardiology, and Pediatrics departments, each with its own hours and direct phone line.
The downtown Seattle Nordstrom could use it to specify departments like "Men's Shoes" or "Customer Service". This allows Google to surface hyper-specific information in search results, answering a user's question before they even click.
How to Check Your Website's Schema
You do not need to be a developer to see if your site is using structured data correctly. Use Google’s own Rich Results Test tool.
Enter your homepage URL. The tool will show you what, if any, structured data it detects. Look for "LocalBusiness" or a more specific type like "Restaurant" or "Store". Click on it to see the specific fields your website is providing to Google. If priceRange and geo are missing, you have work to do.
We see the same mistakes on websites for every type of Puget Sound business, from Tacoma plumbers to Bellevue tech startups. It's almost always a case of a developer using a generic plugin without filling in the details. That generic approach costs you customers who are in your neighborhood and ready to buy.
Fixing these schema details is a small task with a significant impact. It ensures that when someone in your area searches for your service, Google understands exactly who you are and has the confidence to show your business to that potential customer.
Start by checking your own site, or ask us for a full report.
Find out how your website stacks up with our /free-website-audit-report.
Seattle, WA
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