The 7 Schema Markups Every Local Business Needs for AI Search in 2026

The single most important schema for any business with a physical or service-area presence. It tells AI your name, address, hours, contact, and category.

Where to add it: Add to your homepage, ideally inside . Use the most specific subtype that fits your business.

Tip: Use a specific subtype like Plumber, Restaurant, Dentist, JewelryStore, AutoRepair, or Attorney instead of generic LocalBusiness when one fits. Schema.org has 100+ subtypes — pick the closest match.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Plumber",
  "name": "Smith Plumbing",
  "image": "https://smithplumbing.com/storefront.jpg",
  "@id": "https://smithplumbing.com/#business",
  "url": "https://smithplumbing.com",
  "telephone": "+1-512-555-0100",
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "Austin",
    "addressRegion": "TX",
    "postalCode": "78701",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": 30.2672,
    "longitude": -97.7431
  },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [{
    "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
    "dayOfWeek": ["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],
    "opens": "08:00",
    "closes": "17:00"
  }],
  "areaServed": ["Austin","Round Rock","Cedar Park","Pflugerville"],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.facebook.com/smithplumbing",
    "https://www.yelp.com/biz/smith-plumbing-austin"
  ]
}
</script>

For businesses without a physical location (consultants, online services, agencies) — or as the publisher of your content site-wide. Pairs well with LocalBusiness for hybrid businesses.

Where to add it: Add to your homepage. If you also use LocalBusiness, link them with a shared @id.

Tip: The contactPoint field is what AI uses to surface a customer-service phone number when someone asks “How do I contact [you]?”

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Smith Plumbing",
  "url": "https://smithplumbing.com",
  "logo": "https://smithplumbing.com/logo.png",
  "founder": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Sarah Smith"
  },
  "foundingDate": "2008-03-15",
  "contactPoint": {
    "@type": "ContactPoint",
    "telephone": "+1-512-555-0100",
    "contactType": "customer service",
    "areaServed": "US",
    "availableLanguage": ["English","Spanish"]
  }
}
</script>

Marks up each individual service you offer, with prices, area served, and provider. AI uses this to answer questions like “Who installs water heaters in Austin?”

Where to add it: Add one Service block per service page, or a list of Service objects on your services overview page.

Tip: Include price (or starting price) when you can. AI assistants increasingly cite businesses with transparent pricing over those that hide it.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Service",
  "serviceType": "Emergency Plumbing Repair",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "Plumber",
    "name": "Smith Plumbing",
    "@id": "https://smithplumbing.com/#business"
  },
  "areaServed": "Austin, TX",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "priceSpecification": {
      "@type": "PriceSpecification",
      "priceCurrency": "USD",
      "price": "150",
      "description": "Starting from $150"
    }
  },
  "description": "24/7 emergency repair for burst pipes, clogged drains, and water heater failures."
}
</script>

Marks up question-and-answer content. This is the schema AI assistants quote most often, because the format directly matches how AI structures its answers.

Where to add it: Add to a dedicated FAQ page or to any page with a Q&A section. Three to seven questions is the sweet spot.

Tip: The questions should be ones your customers actually ask — not generic SEO bait. “How much does a roof inspection cost?” will outperform “What is roofing?” every time.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Do you offer emergency service?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes — we offer 24/7 emergency repair across the greater Austin area, with most calls dispatched within 60 minutes."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How much does a service call cost?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Standard service calls start at $150, which includes the first hour of labor. We provide a written estimate before any additional work."
      }
    }
  ]
}
</script>

Your average review score, total review count, and individual reviews. Cross-references with your Google Business Profile to corroborate trust signals.

Where to add it: Add to your homepage and to any review or testimonials page. Don't add fake reviews — Google will catch it and de-index you.

Tip: Use only first-party reviews collected with permission. Pulling reviews from Google Business and re-marking them up on your own site is not recommended.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Plumber",
  "name": "Smith Plumbing",
  "@id": "https://smithplumbing.com/#business",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.9",
    "reviewCount": "247",
    "bestRating": "5",
    "worstRating": "1"
  },
  "review": [{
    "@type": "Review",
    "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maria Gonzalez" },
    "datePublished": "2026-03-12",
    "reviewBody": "Sarah&apos;s team came out on a Sunday and replaced our water heater in under three hours. Fair price and clean work.",
    "reviewRating": {
      "@type": "Rating",
      "ratingValue": "5",
      "bestRating": "5"
    }
  }]
}
</script>

Your site’s navigation hierarchy. Helps AI understand the relationship between pages and surfaces breadcrumb trails in search results.

Where to add it: Add to every page that isn’t the homepage. Most CMS plugins (Yoast, Rank Math) handle this automatically once configured.

Tip: Breadcrumbs are most valuable on deep pages — service detail pages, individual blog posts, location-specific landing pages.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "https://smithplumbing.com/"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "Services",
      "item": "https://smithplumbing.com/services/"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "Water Heater Repair",
      "item": "https://smithplumbing.com/services/water-heater-repair/"
    }
  ]
}
</script>

The owner, founder, or key expert behind your business. This is the schema most local businesses skip — and the one that drives E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) hardest.

Where to add it: Add to your About page, team page, or any blog post the person authors.

Tip: Include licenses, certifications, and links to LinkedIn or industry profiles in the sameAs array. AI uses these to verify you’re a real person with the credentials you claim.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Sarah Smith",
  "jobTitle": "Founder &amp; Master Plumber",
  "worksFor": {
    "@type": "Plumber",
    "name": "Smith Plumbing",
    "@id": "https://smithplumbing.com/#business"
  },
  "image": "https://smithplumbing.com/team/sarah.jpg",
  "description": "Master Plumber (TX License #M-12345) with 22 years of experience. Founded Smith Plumbing in 2008.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahsmith",
    "https://www.tspe.org/sarah-smith"
  ],
  "alumniOf": "Austin Community College Plumbing Program",
  "knowsAbout": ["Residential plumbing","Water heater installation","Drain cleaning"]
}
</script>