Local SEO is no longer just about keywords; it’s about helping search engines understand exactly who you are and where you operate. Schema markup (also known as structured data) acts as a digital translator, telling Google your specific business hours, physical address, and service area in a language it understands perfectly.

By implementing Local Business Schema, you increase your chances of appearing in the coveted 'Map Pack' and earning 'Rich Results' (like star ratings or price ranges) that make your listing stand out from other Brisbane competitors. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating and installing this code without needing to be a computer programmer.

Prerequisites: What You’ll Need

Before we dive in, ensure you have the following ready:

Your Business Details: Legal name, physical address, ABN (optional but good for consistency), and phone number.
A Google Account: To access testing tools.
Website Access: You’ll need to be able to add code to your site (usually via a plugin or the section).
A Logo URL: A direct link to your business logo hosted on your website.

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Step 1: Choose Your Schema Generator

While you can write JSON-LD code from scratch, it is much safer for beginners to use a generator. We recommend the Merkle Schema Markup Generator or the [Hall Analysis Tool]. What you should see: A dropdown menu asking you to select the type of structured data. Select "Local Business" from the list.

Step 2: Select Your Specific Business Type

Google likes specificity. Instead of just choosing "Local Business," look for a more specific sub-category in the dropdown.

Example: If you run a cafe in Milton, choose "Food Establishment" -> "Restaurant". If you are an electrician in Chermside, choose "Home And Construction Business" -> "Electrician".

Step 3: Fill in Your Core Identity Details

Enter your official business name exactly as it appears on your Google Business Profile.

Image URL: Paste the link to your logo.
URL: Your website homepage (e.g., https://yourbusiness.com.au).
Phone: Use the international format (e.g., +61 7 XXXX XXXX for Brisbane landlines).

Step 4: Add Your Physical Address

This is the most critical part for local SEO. Ensure this matches your Australian Post address exactly.

Street Address: e.g., 123 Queen Street
Locality: Brisbane
Region: QLD
Postal Code: 4000
Country: Australia

Step 5: Define Your Geo-Coordinates

To help Google Maps pin your location accurately, you need your Latitude and Longitude. Pro Tip: Go to Google Maps, right-click on your business location, and the first numbers you see are your coordinates. Copy and paste these into the generator fields.

Step 6: Set Your Opening Hours

Don't skip this! Search engines use this data to show "Open Now" or "Closing Soon" in search results. Select the days of the week and input your hours in 24-hour format (e.g., 09:00 to 17:00). In the "SameAs" section of the generator, add the URLs for your Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages. This tells Google that these social profiles belong to the same entity as the website, helping to build your brand authority.

Step 8: Copy the Generated JSON-LD Code

On the right-hand side of your generator screen, you will see a block of code starting with

How to Use Schema Markup for Local Business