Yes, schema markup significantly assists with local search (GEO) in Australia as of December 2025 by providing search engines like Google with explicit clues about a business’s location and services, improving the relevance of search results.
Schema markup is code added to a website’s HTML that helps search engines understand the content. For local SEO, key schema types include ‘LocalBusiness’, ‘Restaurant’, ‘Service’, and ‘Place’. These schemas now include properties specific to Australia, such as Australian Business Number (ABN) and Australian Company Number (ACN) fields, which Google began prioritising in December 2024. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), currently in testing and expanding throughout 2026, increasingly relies on structured data like schema to populate AI Overviews and knowledge panels. Google Business Profile data remains a primary source, but schema provides a complementary and verifiable signal. Tools like Google’s Rich Results Test and Schema Markup Generator assist with implementation and validation. Currently, there are no direct costs associated with implementing schema markup, but development time or specialist agency fees may apply.
Essentially, schema markup functions as a detailed digital business card, enabling search engines to more accurately categorise and display Australian businesses in relevant local search results.
