Which LocalBusiness Schema Type to Use
Schema.org defines LocalBusiness as a parent type with over 100 specific subtypes. Choosing the most specific applicable type matters because Google's rich result features — the specific display elements that appear in search — are tied to the schema type. A Restaurant type enables menu URL, serves cuisine, and star rating display. A MedicalClinic type enables medical specialty and available service display. A LegalService type enables area served and legal service type display. Using the generic LocalBusiness type when a more specific subtype applies means missing the type-specific rich result features.
The most commonly used subtypes are Restaurant, LodgingBusiness (for hotels and accommodation), MedicalBusiness and its subtypes (Dentist, Physician, MedicalClinic), LegalService (Attorney, Notary), FinancialService (AccountingService, BankOrCreditUnion), and Store (a generic retail subtype with its own category-specific subtypes).
The Four Required Properties for Rich Result Eligibility
Google requires four properties for a LocalBusiness schema to be eligible for rich results: name (the official business name as a string), address (as a PostalAddress object containing streetAddress, addressLocality, addressRegion, postalCode, and addressCountry), telephone (the primary contact number in international format), and url (the canonical homepage URL).
A schema missing any of these four properties will not generate rich results, regardless of how many other properties are present. The address property is the most commonly incomplete — it must be a nested PostalAddress object, not a plain text string. An address written as a flat string value rather than a structured PostalAddress will fail validation.
Optional Properties That Increase Rich Result Eligibility
Beyond the four required properties, several optional properties significantly affect rich result display. openingHoursSpecification (as an array of OpeningHoursSpecification objects) enables the business hours display in knowledge panels. geo (as a GeoCoordinates object with latitude and longitude) improves local mapping accuracy. image adds a business photo to the knowledge panel. aggregateRating (with ratingValue and reviewCount) enables star rating display in search results when the rating comes from reviews on the same page.
priceRange (a string like $ or $$$) and servesCuisine (for Restaurant type) are type-specific optional properties that enable additional display elements. The key principle is that optional properties only add to rich result eligibility — a schema with only the four required properties still qualifies, and additional properties increase the range of display features available.