Local visibility now depends on how well you define your locations, people, and services for both Google and AI assistants.

If your entities are fuzzy—mismatched NAP, unclear practitioners, outdated hours—AI Overviews and local packs skip you.

This guide shows you how to model LocalBusiness, Person, and Service entities, connect them with schema and internal links, and maintain them with governance.

Use it with our structured data pillar at Structured Data: The Complete Guide for SEO & AI and entity playbook at Entity Optimization: The Complete Guide & Playbook.

What local SEO entities are

  • Organization: brand-level identity.

  • LocalBusiness: each physical location with NAP, geo, hours.

  • Person: practitioners or staff that users search for.

  • Service: treatments, offerings, or categories.

  • Event: workshops or appointments users attend.

  • Relationships: Organization → LocalBusiness → Person/Service/Event.

Why entities matter for AI and local search

  • Disambiguation: assistants know which clinic or store to show.

  • Trust: consistent schema and NAP reduce hallucinated hours or wrong locations.

  • Coverage: rich results, local pack, event carousels, and AI answers improve together.

  • Conversion: accurate services and people drive bookings and calls.

Entity modeling steps

  1. Inventory locations, practitioners, services, and recurring events. Assign unique URLs and @id anchors.

  2. Standardize naming and disambiguation (city, district, brand).

  3. Map relationships: which practitioners work where; which services are offered at which locations; which events happen where.

  4. Document sameAs sources (GBP, directories, social, professional profiles) and keep them consistent.

Page and schema blueprints

Location (LocalBusiness)

  • On-page: NAP above the fold, hours, map, services, CTAs (call, book), reviews summary, FAQs for access/parking.

  • Schema: LocalBusiness (subtype), address, geo, telephone, openingHoursSpecification, image, priceRange, sameAs, parentOrganization.

  • Link to Organization, practitioners (Person), services (Service), and events (Event).

Practitioner (Person)

  • On-page: bio, specialties, credentials, locations served, booking CTA, sameAs.

  • Schema: Person with jobTitle, worksFor, image, sameAs, knowsAbout, medicalSpecialty/specialty if applicable; link to LocalBusiness locations via worksFor or affiliation.

Service

  • On-page: what it is, who it’s for, pricing/coverage, preparation, FAQs, related practitioners and locations.

  • Schema: Service with provider (Organization/LocalBusiness), areaServed, audience, offers where applicable; about/mentions key entities.

Event

  • On-page: date/time, location, agenda, speaker, price, RSVP/booking.

  • Schema: Event with startDate/endDate, eventAttendanceMode, eventStatus, location, organizer, offers, performer/speaker Person.

Internal linking that reinforces entities

  • Location pages link to practitioners, services, and upcoming events hosted there.

  • Practitioner pages link back to served locations and services; author schema on articles they wrote.

  • Service pages link to locations where available and to relevant practitioners.

  • Articles/FAQs link to location and service pages with entity-rich anchors.

  • Breadcrumbs reflect geography and hierarchy.

Structured data checklist

  • Organization with sameAs and logo on all templates.

  • LocalBusiness per location with unique @id; geo and hours accurate.

  • Person for practitioners with consistent IDs and sameAs.

  • Service tied to provider; offers where relevant.

  • Event linked to location and organizer; eventStatus maintained.

  • BreadcrumbList and WebSite searchAction where applicable.

Data sources and governance

  • Source of truth: booking/POS/CRM for hours, services, practitioners; CMS for content; PIM for offers if ecommerce.

  • Owners: ops for NAP/hours, HR/PR for practitioners, marketing for services/content, engineering for templates.

  • Cadence: weekly hours checks; monthly sameAs and directory alignment; quarterly schema audits.

  • Change log: record hour changes, new staff, new services, and closed locations; keep IDs stable.

AI citation playbook

  • Prompts: “Is [location] open now?”, “Who is the [specialty] at [location]?”, “Does [clinic] offer [service]?”, “Events at [location] this month.”

  • Run monthly in AI Overviews/assistants; log answers and sources.

  • Fixes: if wrong, update schema/on-page data, sameAs, and about/mentions; retest.

Multilingual and EU/Portugal specifics

  • One @id per entity; translate content, not IDs; use inLanguage per page.

  • Localize addresses, phone formats (+351), currencies (EUR), and timezones.

  • For regulated services (health/legal/finance), show reviewers and credentials; align with local rules.

  • Add Portuguese labels where relevant; align hreflang with schema language.

  • Include accessibility details; AI assistants surface them in recommendations.

Measurement and KPIs

  • Coverage: percentage of locations/services/practitioners with live schema and pages.

  • Eligibility: LocalBusiness/Event rich result detections; zero blocking errors.

  • NAP consistency: match rates across site schema, GBP, directories.

  • AI citations: assistants referencing correct hours, services, and practitioners; track prompt outputs.

  • CTR and conversions: calls/bookings from location and service pages; changes after schema/UX updates.

  • Freshness: days since last hour/practitioner/service update.

Analytics and dashboards

  • Inventory: list all locations, practitioners, and services with @id, status, last update, and owner.
  • Coverage: percentage of pages per template with required schema; alerts for drops.
  • Parity: compare on-page and schema values for hours, phone, prices; highlight mismatches.
  • Performance: calls, bookings, directions clicks, and revenue per location/service; annotate schema and content releases.
  • AI visibility: log AI answers citing your locations or practitioners; store prompt outputs.
  • Freshness: timers for hours, practitioner bios, service details, and event dates.

Internal processes

  • Change intake: who can update hours, practitioner assignments, or services; require approvals and change log entries.
  • Publishing guardrails: block releases if required fields (hours, geo, phone) are missing; fail CI on empty schema properties.
  • Ops + marketing sync: weekly standup to align promotions, events, and service changes with schema/content updates.
  • Training: teach staff to use consistent names and IDs in content, forms, and signage.

Internal linking deep dive

  • Add locator/hub page linking to all locations with consistent naming; include schema per list item where feasible.
  • On service pages, show “Available at” modules linking to locations; include city names in anchors.
  • On practitioner pages, list “Available at” with addresses and links; include booking CTAs.
  • From blog/FAQ content, link to relevant services and locations with entity-rich anchors (“physiotherapy Lisbon clinic”).
  • Ensure every location is within three clicks of home and category pages.

Structured data QA checklist

  • Location: address, geo, telephone, hours, priceRange, sameAs, parentOrganization present; @id unique.
  • Practitioner: jobTitle, worksFor/affiliation, image, sameAs, specialties; @id stable.
  • Service: provider, areaServed, audience, offers if applicable; about/mentions set.
  • Event: startDate/endDate with timezone offset, eventStatus, location, offers, organizer.
  • BreadcrumbList present and correct per template; WebSite searchAction configured.
  • Rich Results Test clean on sample URLs per template.

AI answer readiness

  • Clear definitions in first paragraph of each entity page (what, where, who).
  • FAQs for access, parking, insurance, languages spoken, and booking steps.
  • About/mentions pointing to brand, locations, practitioners, and services.
  • Consistent sameAs to GBP, Apple Maps, professional directories; no dead links.
  • Up-to-date dateModified after content or hours changes.

Content ideas per template

  • Location: neighborhood guides, access/parking tips, team introductions, reviews summary, community involvement.
  • Service: eligibility, prep steps, expected outcomes, risks, pricing/coverage, aftercare, related services.
  • Practitioner: specialties, outcomes, languages spoken, schedule, media appearances, credentials.
  • Event: agendas, materials to bring, speaker bios, follow-up resources.
  • Blog: local FAQs, seasonal tips, comparison guides linking back to services and locations.

Multilocation pitfalls and fixes

  • Pitfall: copying hours across locations. Fix: store hours per location in source of truth and generate schema dynamically.
  • Pitfall: duplicate IDs. Fix: enforce @id naming convention with city/branch anchors; validate uniqueness in CI.
  • Pitfall: inconsistent service availability. Fix: indicate which services are available where; avoid marking unavailable services.
  • Pitfall: outdated practitioners. Fix: update bios and worksFor when staff move; redirect old pages; keep historical articles attributed correctly.

Local PR and off-site alignment

  • Keep GBP categories, descriptions, and hours aligned with site schema.
  • Earn local press that repeats full business name and location; link back to location pages.
  • Update directories (health, legal, tourism) with the same NAP and URLs; remove duplicates.
  • Encourage reviews on trusted platforms; if first-party reviews are used, match them on-page and in schema.

Events and seasonal operations

  • Add Event schema for workshops, screenings, demos; update eventStatus when canceled or postponed.
  • Use specialOpeningHours for holidays; publish in advance and test in Rich Results Test.
  • After events, archive or update status to avoid stale data; keep URLs live with recap if useful.

Prompt bank for local entities

  • “Is [location] open now?”
  • “Who is the [specialty] at [location]?”
  • “Does [location] offer [service]?”
  • “Events at [location] this weekend.”
  • “Which languages are spoken at [location]?”
  • Run monthly; log accuracy and sources; fix schema/content when wrong.

90-day rollout plan

  • Weeks 1–2: audit NAP, schema, and IDs; build entity map; fix top 5 locations.
  • Weeks 3–4: publish/refresh practitioner and service pages; add schema and links; validate.
  • Weeks 5–6: sync hours and services from source systems; set dashboards and alerts; clean sameAs.
  • Weeks 7–9: add events where relevant; launch prompt testing; update locator and breadcrumbs.
  • Weeks 10–12: localize content; train staff; embed governance in release and ops workflows.

Case snapshots

Tourism operator

  • Added LocalBusiness and Event schema for tours; linked guides (Person) and services; localized PT/EN pages.
  • Result: richer event/tour results, AI answers listing correct times and pickup points, bookings up 10%.

Franchise retail

  • Standardized IDs and schema across 30 stores; centralized hours feed; added city anchors in internal links.
  • Result: fewer wrong-hour complaints, assistants recommending nearest open store, CTR on location pages +7%.

Governance scorecard

  • Are IDs stable for all locations, practitioners, services? yes/no
  • Are hours and phones in sync across site, GBP, and schema? yes/no
  • Are sameAs links active and high trust? yes/no
  • Are prompt tests accurate for top locations and services? yes/no
  • Are dashboards and alerts active? yes/no
  • Are changes logged with dates and owners? yes/no

Maintenance and QA

  • Weekly: verify hours and availability; update eventStatus; crawl for missing schema.

  • Monthly: review sameAs and directory listings; run prompt tests; fix broken links.

  • Quarterly: refresh bios, service details, and images; audit @id map; prune or redirect closed locations.

  • Validate with Rich Results Test for sample URLs after changes.

Case examples

Clinic network

  • Standardized IDs and schema for each location and practitioner; synced hours from booking system; added Event schema for workshops.

  • Result: stable local pack, event carousel inclusion, assistants citing correct hours and doctors.

Multi-location retail

  • Added LocalBusiness schema, service pages, and location-specific FAQs; linked to Organization.

  • Result: improved map visibility, fewer wrong-hour complaints, AI answers recommending nearest open store.

Governance scorecard

  • IDs stable for all locations, practitioners, services? yes/no
  • Hours and phones in sync across site, GBP, and schema? yes/no
  • sameAs links active and high trust? yes/no
  • Prompt tests accurate for top locations and services? yes/no
  • Dashboards and alerts active? yes/no
  • Changes logged with dates and owners? yes/no

Performance and UX tips

  • Place call and book buttons above the fold; match numbers to schema and GBP.
  • Show parking/transit and accessibility details; include in FAQs and schema where eligible.
  • Highlight languages spoken; assistants use this in recommendations.
  • Keep images fast and not generic; broken visuals reduce trust.
  • Ensure mobile users can reach directions and CTAs in one tap; most local queries are mobile/voice.

Stability and resilience

  • Serve schema server side where possible; avoid reliance on consented scripts for core LocalBusiness data.
  • Cache hours and NAP from the source system; update via jobs and validate after runs.
  • Fail builds when required location or service fields are empty; block publishes until fixed.
  • After migrations, crawl to confirm all location/practitioner pages return 200 and include schema.

Prompt bank for local entities

  • “Is [location] open now?”
  • “Who is the [specialty] at [location]?”
  • “Does [location] offer [service]?”
  • “Events at [location] this weekend.”
  • “Which languages are spoken at [location]?”
  • Run monthly; log accuracy and sources; fix schema/content when wrong.

How AISO Hub can help

AISO Hub builds local entity systems that stay accurate.

We model your locations, people, services, and events; deploy JSON-LD; and set monitoring to catch drift.

  • AISO Audit: find gaps in location, service, and event entities plus schema errors and NAP drift

  • AISO Foundation: build templates and ID maps so every locale publishes consistent, localized entities

  • AISO Optimize: test new location/service content, FAQs, and CTAs to lift bookings and citations

  • AISO Monitor: track hours, schema errors, and AI citations with alerts before accuracy slips

Conclusion: clarity wins local and AI

Define every local entity with stable IDs, accurate schema, and linked pages.

Keep hours, services, and people current, validate often, and monitor AI answers.

When your local graph is clear, you earn trust from both search engines and assistants—and you turn more nearby searches into bookings.