Implementing Structured Data and Schema Markup for Cafés

To implement structured data and schema markup for cafés, you should use the LocalBusiness schema type from Schema.org, specifically tailored for food service businesses like cafés. This structured data helps search engines understand key details about your café, improving your visibility in local search results and enabling rich results such as business hours, reviews, and menus.

Key steps and elements to include:

• @context and @type: Use "https://schema.org" as the context and "LocalBusiness" or more specifically "CafeOrCoffeeShop" as the type.
• Basic required properties:
  • name: The café’s name.
  • address: Full postal address using the PostalAddress type, including street, city, region, and postal code.
  • telephone: Include country code and area code.
  • url: The café’s website URL.
  • description: A brief description of the café.
• Recommended properties to enhance rich results:
  • openingHoursSpecification: Detailed opening hours.
  • geo: Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
  • aggregateRating: Average rating and review count if available.
  • priceRange: Indicate relative price level (e.g., "$$").
  • menu: Link or embedded menu data using the Menu schema, which can include multiple menus and sections (breakfast, lunch, drinks).
  • sameAs: Links to social media profiles.
• Example snippet structure (JSON-LD format):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "CafeOrCoffeeShop",
  "name": "Example Café",
  "description": "A cozy café serving specialty coffee and pastries.",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Coffee St",
    "addressLocality": "CityName",
    "addressRegion": "RegionName",
    "postalCode": "A1B 2C3"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-234-567-8900",
  "url": "https://examplecafe.com",
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": [
        "Monday",
        "Tuesday",
        "Wednesday",
        "Thursday",
        "Friday"
      ],
      "opens": "07:00",
      "closes": "18:00"
    },
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Saturday", "Sunday"],
      "opens": "08:00",
      "closes": "16:00"
    }
  ],
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": 45.4215,
    "longitude": -75.6999
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.5",
    "reviewCount": "120"
  },
  "priceRange": "$$",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://facebook.com/examplecafe",
    "https://instagram.com/examplecafe"
  ],
  "menu": "https://examplecafe.com/menu"
}

• Testing and validation: After adding the markup to your website, use tools like the Schema.org Validator or Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure the markup is error-free and correctly implemented.

• Additional tips:

  • Align your visible content with the structured data to meet search engine guidelines.
  • Use nested types like OpeningHoursSpecification and GeoCoordinates to provide detailed information.
  • If your café offers online ordering or reservations, consider adding relevant schema types such as OrderAction or Reservation for enhanced functionality.

Implementing this structured data correctly will improve your café’s search engine presence, potentially showing rich snippets like ratings, hours, and menus directly in search results, attracting more customers.