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.

On-page parity checklist

• Location name and address on-page match
  name
  and
  address
  .
• Phone numbers match
  telephone
  and use international format.
• Map embeds or links on-page match
  hasMap
  URLs.
• Coordinates displayed (if any) align with
  geo
  decimal degrees.
• Images on-page are the same assets referenced in
  image
  URLs.

Content depth ideas (avoid thin location pages)

• Provide directions for car, transit, and accessible routes; mention parking rules or fees.
• Describe landmarks or entrances to reduce confusion for large venues.
• Add hours or access notes if relevant (gate times, seasonal closures).
• Include safety/accessibility info (ramps, elevators, lighting, restrooms).
• Link to upcoming events or services that use the Place so users can take action.
• Share brief history or significance for notable venues to add context.
• Include contact options for rentals or inquiries if the venue is bookable, and align them with
  contactPoint
  when used.
• Mention policies (bag checks, ticketing requirements) when the Place hosts events, and keep them aligned with event detail pages.
• Add short photo captions to clarify entrances or parking locations; ensure those images are represented in
  image
  .
• If the Place has multiple entrances or buildings, consider using
  containsPlace
  or adding clear on-page maps and descriptions for each access point.
• Add
  inLanguage
  for multilingual pages and ensure localized contact numbers or hours match the locale presented.
• If you embed booking widgets for tours or rentals, ensure they don’t inject conflicting schema and that any contact info matches your primary Place data.
• Keep
  lastReviewed
  updated after address, map, or branding changes.

QA and governance

• Verify coordinates against authoritative GIS sources and monitor for drift after site migrations.
• Revalidate after changing map providers or URL parameters.
• Audit quarterly to retire closed locations and update renamed landmarks.
• Keep
  lastReviewed
  current and log ownership for maintaining location data.
• Keep an internal registry of locations with @id/URL mappings so Events or LocalBusiness entries link to the correct Place.