Why many location pages underperform

How SwiftSchema helps

How it works

What is Place structured data?

Place represents physical locations—venues, landmarks, campuses, stadiums, parks, cultural sites—regardless of whether they offer commercial services. It focuses on core location identity: name, address, geo coordinates, phone, maps, and official profiles. Use Place for general venues; use LocalBusiness for locations that provide services with hours and offerings.

Eligibility & Status

Place markup improves map confidence, disambiguation, and local understanding but doesn’t produce a specific rich result on its own. It complements LocalBusiness, Event, and Organization schema.

Why place markup matters

• Navigation accuracy: Geo coordinates and addresses reduce misrouted directions.
• Multi-campus clarity: Museums, universities, or parks with multiple entrances can describe each one precisely.
• Official verification: Linking to authoritative profiles (city listings, tourism boards) reduces spoofing.
• Event support: Events referencing a Place inherit accurate location data.

Essential properties to include

• name
  .
• address
  (
  PostalAddress
  with street, locality, region, postal code, country).
• geo
  (
  GeoCoordinates
  with
  latitude
  and
  longitude
  ).
• telephone
  : International format when available.
• url
  : Canonical landing page.
• hasMap
  : Link to an interactive map (Google Maps URL or custom map).
• image
  : Photos of the location.
• sameAs
  : Official listings (city tourism, Wikipedia, social).

Preparing place data before generating schema

1. Gather NAP data: Pull from city records or your location directory to ensure accuracy.
2. Confirm coordinates: Use a GIS tool or mapping service to capture precise lat/long.
3. Collect imagery: High-quality photos of the venue, entrance, or notable features.
4. List map links: Choose the map URL you want to promote (
   hasMap
   ).
5. Document contact info: Phone or general inquiries email (if public).
6. Record official profiles: City directories, tourism sites, social channels.

Implementation workflow inside SwiftSchema

1. Select Place in the generator.
2. Enter
   name
   , canonical
   url
   , and PostalAddress.
3. Add
   geo
   coordinates and
   telephone
   .
4. Provide
   hasMap
   and
   sameAs
   links for official profiles.
5. Include
   image
   URLs if you have photos.
6. Export JSON-LD, embed it on the location page, and validate via the Rich Results Test.

Troubleshooting & QA

• Missing country: Always include
  addressCountry
  .
• Swapped coordinates: Latitude is first; ensure values are in decimal degrees.
• Multiple locations on one page: Create individual pages (or use PlaceList) so each Place has its own JSON-LD block.
• Business vs Place: If the location offers services/hours, use LocalBusiness or the appropriate subtype.

Maintenance and governance

• Update schema when addresses, phone numbers, or maps change.
• Audit seasonal or temporary locations to ensure closures/removals are reflected.
• Keep
  lastReviewed
  metadata current and assign ownership for location schema.

Common Errors & Fixes

• Missing country: include a two-letter country code (
  US
  ,
  CA
  , etc.).
• Swapped coordinates: ensure latitude and longitude are correct.
• Multiple locations on one page: give each location its own page and JSON-LD.
• Business pages marked as Place: use LocalBusiness when hours/services apply.