A small business website usually needs only a handful of structured data types: Organization (or the more specific LocalBusiness) on the home or About page, BreadcrumbList on pages with a clear hierarchy, and Article on editorial content. Add them in JSON-LD, make sure they match what visitors can see, validate them, and expect no guaranteed result. Structured data makes a page eligible for enhanced presentation; it does not promise it.
What structured data is, and what it is not
Google’s introduction to structured data describes it as a standardised format for providing information about a page and classifying its content. It supports JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa, and recommends JSON-LD as usually the easiest to implement and maintain. The same page sets out rules that matter in practice:
- Markup must describe information that appears on the page. Do not add data users cannot see.
- Include all required properties for a feature, and prefer accurate, complete recommended properties over filling every optional field with weak data.
- Validate with the Rich Results Test during development, then monitor the Rich result status reports after launch, since template changes can break markup.
- Structured data makes a page eligible for enhanced results. It does not guarantee they will appear.
Markup that breaks Google’s guidelines can lead to a manual action, in which case the structured data is ignored.
The types worth using
| Type | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Home page or About page | Describes who you are |
| LocalBusiness (or a subtype) | Home or location page | Address, hours, phone for a physical business |
| BreadcrumbList | Pages inside a hierarchy | Shows page position |
| Article (or BlogPosting) | Posts and guides | Describes editorial content |
| Product or Service | Where relevant | Check Google’s current feature documentation first |
Organization
Google’s Organization guidance says there are no required properties, and recommends adding every property that applies, such as name, alternateName, legalName, url, logo, sameAs (links to your other profiles), address, telephone, email and description. The logo must be at least 112 by 112 pixels and crawlable. Put the markup on the home page or a single page describing the organisation, such as an About page. It is not needed on every page. Use the most specific subtype available.
LocalBusiness
Google’s LocalBusiness guidance requires name and address, and recommends opening hours, geo coordinates, telephone, url and others. Opening hours use dayOfWeek, opens and closes, and there are conventions for late-night, all-day and seasonal closures. Use the most specific subtype, such as a restaurant or a day spa, because LocalBusiness is itself a subtype of Organization.
A common mistake is publishing hours in markup that differ from those on the page or in your Business Profile. Keep one source of truth.
BreadcrumbList
Google’s breadcrumb guidance says a BreadcrumbList needs at least two ListItem entries, each with a position, plus a name and an item URL (the last item can omit the URL, in which case Google uses the page’s own). Build breadcrumbs around a typical user path, not necessarily the URL structure. Breadcrumbs depend on a sound hierarchy, covered in website information architecture.
Article
Article markup describes headline, author, publication date and images for editorial content. Because the properties and Google’s requirements can change, check the current Article documentation in Google Search Central before implementing, and keep dates truthful.
About FAQ markup
Many older guides tell small businesses to add FAQPage markup. Google’s documentation for the FAQ rich result carries a changelog stating that the feature would no longer appear in Google Search starting 7 May 2026, and that the documentation was later removed. In practice, do not add FAQ markup in the expectation of a visible result. You can still publish a helpful FAQ section on the page for visitors, which is worthwhile in its own right.
Implementation steps
- List your page types and decide which type each should use.
- Write the JSON-LD from the real, visible content, ideally generated by your template so it stays in sync.
- Test examples in the Rich Results Test and fix critical errors.
- Deploy, then inspect key URLs with the URL Inspection tool to confirm Google can access them.
- Submit or update your sitemap, and check status reports in Search Console after indexing.
- Re-test after every template or content model change. Include this in your website launch checklist.
Common mistakes
- Marking up content that is not on the page
- Duplicating Organization markup with conflicting details across pages
- Using a generic type when a specific one exists
- Copying markup from a template and leaving another business’s details in place
- Treating markup as a ranking tool rather than a clarity tool
- Forgetting that markup needs maintenance
Clear linking also helps search engines understand your site; see internal linking strategy.
Limits
Google’s feature support changes, and other search engines may treat markup differently. Check current documentation before relying on any specific feature.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Technology team builds and maintains business websites, including the technical foundations that search engines read. See Technology or contact us to discuss your site.
Sources
- Introduction to structured data markup, Google Search Central
- Organization structured data, Google Search Central
- LocalBusiness structured data, Google Search Central
- Breadcrumb structured data, Google Search Central
- FAQ structured data, Google Search Central
