Help Search Engines Know Who You Are and What You Do (Using Schema Markup)
Think of schema markup like giving search engines a detailed map of your business locations, almost like a directory board at a large mall. Imagine each store listing without any specifics—no labels, descriptions, business name, or addresses. A visitor might have trouble finding what they’re looking for, and it could become frustrating and confusing. The same is true for search engines trying to understand your business’s main entity and its various locations without schema markup.
Schema is the “signage” that clearly identifies your business.
It doesn’t just tell search engines your business name—it provides all the relevant details that help customers find exactly what they need. With schema, you’re placing clear “signs” that tell search engines:
- Who You Are – Organization: The Organization schema identifies your main business (headquarters) and establishes your brand identity, helping search engines understand the core entity behind all locations.
- What You Offer – Services: LocalBusiness schema highlights your services and unique offerings at each location, allowing search engines to see what makes each branch valuable and relevant to searchers’ needs.
- Where You Are – Location: Schema markup uses your address, contact details, and geographic coordinates to accurately place each location on the digital map, ensuring customers find the correct branch based on their search.
- Who You Serve – Area Served: Defining your service area in schema markup signals to search engines the broader region your business covers beyond its physical location, making it easier for nearby customers within this area to find you.
Without this structured “signage,” search engines may not connect your main business with each location, which can lead to missed local search opportunities and a weakened online presence.
Real-Life Results from Schema Implementation
Case Study Overview: Schema markup was missing or inaccurately filled out on a business’s website.
Problems Identified:
- No schema markup on service pages.
- Incorrect information, including the wrong phone number.
- Lost ranking opportunities in local and relevant searches, impacting organic traffic.
Solution: Added accurate schema markup for each location and service page, ensuring all key details (such as phone numbers, addresses, and business hours, service area, and services offered) were correct and complete.
Results:
- 3x Increase in Organic Traffic: With schema in place, organic traffic tripled in six months.
- Reduced Ad Spend: Higher organic traffic led to a significant decrease in dependency on paid ads.
Enhanced Local Search Visibility: Proper schema boosted the site’s ability to rank well in local searches, helping customers find the right location faster.
Schema Results Companies Have Reported
- 82% Increase in CTR
Nestlé has measured that pages showing rich results in search have an 82% higher click-through rate (CTR) compared to non-rich result pages.
Source: Google Search Central - 25% Increase in CTR
Rotten Tomatoes added schema to 100,000 unique pages and saw a 25% higher click-through rate (CTR) for pages with schema, compared to those without.
Source: Google Search Central - 35% Increase in Visits
The Food Network converted 80% of their pages to schema-rich snippets, leading to a 35% increase in visits.
Source: Google Search Central - 160% Increase in Impressions
After implementing schema, one company reported impressive results: a 160% growth in impressions and a 150% growth in clicks.
Source: Search Engine Journal - 30% Increase in CTR
Businesses that use schema markup on their websites often see up to a 30% increase in click-through rates from search results.
Source: Neil Patel, Entrepreneur & Digital Marketer
Businesses like yours have seen success through targeted SEO strategies— to learn more check out our case study: The Importance of Website and SEO Audits for Home Service Companies
Check Your Own Schema: Ensure It’s Correct
Curious about the current schema on your website? Use a schema markup validator to see how search engines are interpreting your pages.
Visit schema.org, and input the URL of your home page, about page, each of your location pages, and each of your service pages into the Schema Markup Validator. If the results are blank or only display “WebPage,” it’s a sign that your schema isn’t properly coded. Properly implemented schema ensures search engines understand your business and its offerings, helping you achieve better visibility.
Neglected Schema Impacts Bottom Dollar
Surprisingly, many businesses overlook implementing Schema — a fundamental aspect of SEO since 2011. Even Marketing Companies often neglect Schema code, possibly because it’s not client-facing like a blog post or social media content.
Your website might look polished and have all the right pages, but without the proper underlying code (schema markup), it’s like a store in an unmarked building—people may never find it because search engines don’t have the precise details to direct people there. Schema provides that clarity, defining who you are and what you offer, so search engines can display your pages in search results and guide potential customers to your site.
Neglecting Schema is just one of the many common pitfalls that can impact your bottom line—addressing these oversights can help maximize your website’s potential. Transitioning from oversight to awareness, you can harness the power of Schema.
What is Schema Markup?
Schema Markup (a foundational SEO element) is a special code that is added to the backend of a website to help all search engines better understand and interpret your website and what you are offering. Without schema code, your website may be overlooked or misinterpreted by search engines.
This improves search rankings, increases online visibility, improves click-through rates, and ultimately drives more qualified traffic to pages on your website.
Why Schema Markup Matters
Without structured data (or schema), search engines have a tougher time interpreting the connection between your main business and its locations. This can lead to missed opportunities for your business in local search results. If you operate multiple branches and don’t use schema to distinguish each one, search engines may not know where to send potential customers, which can limit your visibility and local rankings.
Schema markup also helps unlock valuable search features like rich snippets, where details such as your business hours, contact information, and even reviews may appear directly in search results. Without schema, your business may look like a generic listing, lacking the extra information that attracts local customers.
Key Reasons to Implement Schema Markup:
- Improved Search Engine Understanding: By establishing the connection between your headquarters and each location, schema helps search engines fully recognize your business structure, boosting overall SEO presence and improving accuracy in search results.
- Better Local SEO: Schema helps search engines differentiate and prioritize each branch, increasing visibility in local searches.
- Enhanced Service Page Rankings: Applying schema to individual service pages can improve their chances of ranking in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find and engage with specific offerings.
- Increased Click-Through Rates (CTR): Rich snippets and precise local targeting can lead to higher CTRs, bringing in more organic traffic that often results in more conversions.
- Higher ROI and Revenue Growth: Schema-driven organic traffic allows you to reach more potential customers without additional ad spend, contributing to sustainable growth and a greater return on investment.
- Lower Ad Spend: Paid ads drive traffic only while you’re actively spending, but organic traffic from schema-optimized pages builds momentum and brings long-term results, reducing reliance on ads and increasing ROI over time.
- Rich Snippets: With schema, your listing can show more details—like address, hours, and reviews—directly in search results, helping you stand out.
- Competitive Edge: Proper schema implementation sets your business apart, especially if competitors lack it. This can help capture market share by appearing more prominently and professionally in search results. (Remember, it’s important to develop your overall competitive advantage.)
Solution: Adding Schema Markup for Multi-Location Businesses
To help implement schema effectively across different pages of your website, here’s how to begin organizing and structuring it:
Homepage:
- Organization Schema: Include schema for your business name, logo, and primary contact information to introduce your headquarters as the central entity.
- Branch Locations and Services: Include brief details of all branch locations (using LocalBusiness schema) and the main services offered across the organization.
- Business Type Schema: Specify your business type using the most current and detailed subcategory available, such as HomeAndConstructionBusiness, Plumber, or Roofer. This helps search engines recognize your industry and better match your services with relevant local searches.
Service Pages:
- Detailed Schema for Each Service: Each service should have its own schema, highlighting specifics like the service description, pricing, and geographical area served. This helps with search visibility when potential customers are searching for those specific services.
Location Branch Pages:
- LocalBusiness Schema: Use this schema on each location page, including the branch’s name, address, contact information, hours of operation, and the services offered at that location.
- Area Served: Indicate the specific geographic area each location covers (can include a list of cities, counties, or zip codes). This can further help with local search relevance.
About Page:
- Organization Schema: Include schema that defines your organization (headquarters), alongside the individual branch locations.
- Services: List the key services offered by your business, tied to both the organization and each location, if applicable.
Contact Page:
- Organization Schema: Provide phone numbers and contact details (ensuring they match the Google Business Profile).
- Area Served: Indicate your business’s service area, including the geographic locations or regions served.
Person Pages (for key personnel, such as leadership or specialists):
- Person Schema: Include details like name, job title, certifications/degrees, social media accounts, awards, and other relevant details to highlight their professional background.
Community Service Page:
- LocalBusiness Schema: Showcase your community engagement and the local service areas you support, including any community service events and related details.
FAQ Page:
- FAQ Schema: Add FAQ schema to help search engines better understand the frequently asked questions and answers related to your business, enhancing visibility in search results.
Schema Tips:
- Accuracy is Crucial: Always make sure that the schema information (e.g., name, phone number, address, email) exactly matches what is listed on your Google Business Profile and other directories.
- More Details = Better: The more specific and detailed the schema, the better it helps search engines understand your business. Include information such as:
- Logo
- Price Range
- Hours of Operation (make sure to use time zone-specific hours)
- Contact Points (including phone and email)
- Brief Description of Services
- Business Description
- Slogan
- Legal Business Name
- Commonly Used Name
- Areas Served (this can be especially useful for local businesses)
- Social Media Accounts (using sameAs property)
- Geo Location (latitude/longitude) for local relevance
- Sitelinks (specific links for better organization)
- Product Ontology
- Aggregate Rating and Reviews (important for rich snippets)
There are additional schema properties you can add based on your business’s unique needs, but the above details are a strong foundation to get started.
Note: Schema and SEO Brings people to your web pages, but remember your website seals the deal. (Learn more on How Website Words, Design, and CTAs Increase Conversions.)
Maximize Your Local SEO: The Power of Accurate Schema Markup for Multi-Location Businesses
By making sure that the schema on each page is highly detailed and accurate, you’ll help search engines understand your business structure and services more effectively. This leads to better local SEO performance, higher rankings, and a more consistent online presence across multiple platforms.
By setting up schema markup for each location and your main entity, you’re ensuring that search engines have a clear “map” of your business. This helps each branch show up in local searches with accurate, easily accessible information. This simple, foundational SEO step can improve your visibility, enhance user experience, and ultimately drive more local traffic to each of your business locations.
Ready to Improve Your Local SEO? Let’s Optimize Your Schema Markup for Better Visibility and Traffic
Contact me today to get started with tailored schema markup solutions that help search engines understand your business and drive more local customers to your locations. Not sure where to begin? Start with a digital audit to uncover opportunities for schema markup and beyond.
