JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is the code that tells search engines and AI systems exactly what your business is, what you do, and where you're located. Without it, you're making Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity guess—and they don't guess in your favor.
This guide provides ready-to-use JSON-LD templates for the three most important schema types for local businesses: LocalBusiness, Service, and FAQ. Copy the code, replace the placeholder values with your business information, and add it to your website. That's it.
What JSON-LD Does for Your Business
Think of JSON-LD as a business card for machines. When a search engine or AI crawler visits your website, it reads your text content—but it also looks for structured data that explicitly defines your business details in a standardized format.
Bay Area Mobile Mechanic in Oakland, CA learned this lesson the expensive way. They had a well-designed website with great content about their mobile auto repair services, but zero structured data. Google and AI systems had to guess what the business did, where it operated, and what services it offered. When they finally added LocalBusiness schema with their service area covering Oakland, Berkeley, and Fremont, Service schema for each of their 12 repair services, and FAQ schema answering common questions about mobile mechanic pricing, their Google impressions increased by 180% in the first month. Their site went from being invisible to AI search engines to being cited by Perplexity for "mobile mechanic Oakland" queries — all because machines could finally read their business data in a structured format.
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- Google uses it to display rich results, knowledge panels, and map pack entries with accurate information
- AI systems use it to understand your business and recommend it with confidence
- Voice assistants use it to answer questions about your business hours, services, and location
- Click-through rates improve because your search listing displays richer, more detailed information
Template 1: LocalBusiness Schema
This is the most essential schema for any local business. It defines who you are, where you are, when you're open, and how to contact you. Add this to your homepage.
LocalBusiness Schema Template
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"description": "A brief description of your business and what you do.",
"url": "https://yourbusiness.com",
"telephone": "+1-555-123-4567",
"email": "[email protected]",
"image": "https://yourbusiness.com/images/storefront.jpg",
"logo": "https://yourbusiness.com/images/logo.png",
"priceRange": "$$",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
"addressLocality": "Dallas",
"addressRegion": "TX",
"postalCode": "75201",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "32.7767",
"longitude": "-96.7970"
},
"openingHoursSpecification": [
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": ["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],
"opens": "08:00",
"closes": "18:00"
},
{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": "Saturday",
"opens": "09:00",
"closes": "14:00"
}
],
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/yourbusiness",
"https://www.instagram.com/yourbusiness",
"https://www.yelp.com/biz/yourbusiness"
],
"areaServed": [
{
"@type": "City",
"name": "Dallas"
},
{
"@type": "City",
"name": "Fort Worth"
},
{
"@type": "City",
"name": "Arlington"
}
]
}
</script>How to Customize This Template
- Replace all placeholder values with your actual business information
- Use a more specific
@typeif available:Dentist,Plumber,Restaurant,AutoRepair,LegalService, etc. - Get your exact coordinates from Google Maps (right-click your location and click the coordinates to copy them)
- List all cities you serve in
areaServed—this is crucial for local search - Include all your social media profiles in
sameAsto help search engines connect your web presence
Template 2: Service Schema
Service schema tells search engines exactly what services you offer. Add this to your individual service pages (one per page) or include multiple services on a general services page.
Service Schema Template
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Service",
"name": "AC Repair and Installation",
"description": "Professional air conditioning repair, maintenance, and new system installation for homes and businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.",
"provider": {
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"url": "https://yourbusiness.com"
},
"serviceType": "HVAC Service",
"areaServed": [
{
"@type": "City",
"name": "Dallas"
},
{
"@type": "City",
"name": "Fort Worth"
}
],
"hasOfferCatalog": {
"@type": "OfferCatalog",
"name": "AC Services",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "AC Repair",
"description": "Diagnosis and repair of all air conditioning systems including central air, mini-splits, and heat pumps."
}
},
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "AC Installation",
"description": "Professional installation of new air conditioning systems with manufacturer warranty."
}
},
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "AC Maintenance",
"description": "Preventive maintenance plans to extend the life of your system and prevent costly breakdowns."
}
}
]
}
}
</script>Tips for Service Schema
- Be specific with service names—use the terms customers actually search for
- Include your service area to reinforce local relevance
- Write descriptions that match the language your customers use, not industry jargon
- Link the
providerback to your LocalBusiness schema for consistency
Template 3: FAQ Schema
FAQ schema is incredibly powerful for both search visibility and AI readiness. Add this to any page that answers common customer questions. For a detailed walkthrough, see our step-by-step FAQ schema guide.
FAQ Schema Template
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What areas do you serve?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "We serve the entire Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex including Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and surrounding communities. We offer free estimates within our service area."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How quickly can you respond to an emergency?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "For emergency calls, we typically have a technician at your location within 1-2 hours. Our emergency line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Do you offer free estimates?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Yes, we offer free in-home estimates for all new installations and major repairs. Diagnostic fees for service calls are applied toward the cost of repair if you choose to proceed with the work."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Are you licensed and insured?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Yes, we are fully licensed, bonded, and insured. Our license number is available upon request, and proof of insurance can be provided before any work begins."
}
}
]
}
</script>How to Add JSON-LD to Your Website
JSON-LD goes inside a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in your website's HTML. The most common placement is in the <head>section of your page, though it works anywhere in the HTML. Here's how to add it on common platforms:
- WordPress: Use a "Custom HTML" block or a plugin like Rank Math that has built-in schema editors
- Shopify: Add to
theme.liquidin your theme code editor - Squarespace: Settings > Advanced > Code Injection > Header
- Wix: Settings > Custom Code > Add to head of specific pages
- Custom HTML: Paste directly into the
<head>section of your HTML
Validate Your Schema
Always test your JSON-LD after adding it. Invalid schema won't just fail to help—it can confuse search engines. Use these free tools:
- Google Rich Results Test — search.google.com/test/rich-results
- Schema Markup Validator — validator.schema.org
Want to know what schema your site is missing? Run a free Sigma Score audit to see exactly which structured data types are present on your site and which ones you need to add. Our optimization packages include complete schema implementation, validation, and ongoing monitoring.
The Bottom Line
JSON-LD is the language that bridges the gap between your business and the machines that increasingly decide who gets found online. These three templates—LocalBusiness, Service, and FAQ—cover the essential structured data every local business needs. Copy them, customize them, add them to your site, and validate them. It's an afternoon of work that can improve your visibility for years.
How Sigma Agents Applies This
At Sigma Agents, JSON-LD implementation is one of the first things we deploy for every client. The templates above cover the basics, but our implementations go significantly deeper. We customize schema types to your specific industry — using Dentist, Plumber, HVACBusiness, AutoRepair, or other specialized types instead of generic LocalBusiness — and we include every property that Google and AI systems recognize, from geo-coordinates and service area definitions to offer catalogs and aggregate ratings.
We also implement schema types that most businesses overlook entirely: BreadcrumbList for site navigation, Article schema on blog posts with full authorship data, and Review schema that surfaces your star ratings directly in search results. Each schema type sends additional signals that make your business more understandable and more trustworthy to the machines that determine your visibility.
Every implementation is validated using Google's Rich Results Test and Schema.org's validator before going live. We then monitor for schema errors through Google Search Console and fix issues as they arise. This ongoing validation ensures your structured data continues working correctly even as your site evolves and new content is added.
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