# LocalBusiness schema includes geo coordinates or service area

- **Pattern:** `ab-001780` (`marketing-local-seo.local-signals.schema-geo-or-service-area`)
- **Severity:** low
- **Lifecycle:** active
- **Last modified:** 2026-04-18
- **Canonical URL:** https://auditbuffet.com/patterns/ab-001780
- **License:** CC-BY-4.0 — attribute to AuditBuffet Pattern Catalog (https://auditbuffet.com/patterns/ab-001780)

## Why it matters

schema-org GeoCoordinates and schema-org areaServed give Google precise signals for map placement and service-area targeting. Without `geo` coordinates, Google must infer your map pin from address text matching — an imprecise process that can result in incorrect placement. Without `areaServed` or `serviceArea`, service-area businesses (plumbers, landscapers, delivery services) that don't serve customers at a single fixed address have no way to declare their coverage, making them invisible to queries from customers in their actual service footprint.

## Severity rationale

Low because omitting geo and areaServed reduces map placement precision and service-area query coverage without preventing other local SEO signals from functioning.

## Remediation

Add `geo` coordinates and, if you serve a defined region rather than a single address, an `areaServed` declaration to your LocalBusiness JSON-LD in `app/layout.tsx`.

```json
"geo": {
  "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
  "latitude": "39.9242",
  "longitude": "-83.8088"
},
"areaServed": {
  "@type": "City",
  "name": "Springfield"
}
```

Get your exact latitude/longitude from Google Maps by right-clicking your business location and selecting the coordinate display.

## Detection

- **ID:** `schema-geo-or-service-area`
- **Severity:** `low`
- **What to look for:** Examine the LocalBusiness JSON-LD for `geo` property (object with `latitude` and `longitude`) or `areaServed` property (a string, `City` object, or `GeoShape` object describing the service area). Also check for `serviceArea` property.
- **Pass criteria:** Count all geo-related properties in the LocalBusiness JSON-LD. The schema must include at least 1 of: a `geo` object with valid latitude and longitude coordinates, or an `areaServed` / `serviceArea` property describing the coverage area.
- **Fail criteria:** The LocalBusiness schema has no `geo`, `areaServed`, or `serviceArea` property.
- **Skip (N/A) when:** No LocalBusiness JSON-LD exists (caught by parent checks), or whole-audit N/A rule applies.
- **Detail on fail:** `"LocalBusiness schema does not include geo coordinates or areaServed. Adding these signals improves map placement confidence for Google."`
- **Remediation:** Add geo coordinates to your LocalBusiness JSON-LD in `app/layout.tsx`:

  ```json
  "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "39.9242", "longitude": "-83.8088" }
  ```

---

## External references

- schema-org GeoCoordinates
- schema-org areaServed

Taxons: findability

HTML version: https://auditbuffet.com/patterns/ab-001780