Proper Schema usage for service based businesses?

[AaronHenry]

Any thoughts on how schema markup should properly implemented on service base businesses? Let's say a plumber in Washington has a few locations. Obviously you would use schema mark up on their physical location information, but what about service areas?

Are there ramifications to using the for service areas? It seems like you could potentially confuse the search engines. We are noticing a competitor use this on a newly developed website. We haven't seen any improvement in their rankings per say, but it may be a bit early to tell.

[Travis_Bailey]

Semantic markup isn't cruise control for rankings. It's just a way to spoon feed the search engines, per se. I wouldn't use addressLocality.

Edit: I wouldn't use addressLocality for a serviceArea. (Jumped the gun on ending that sentence.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Imedia,

I agree with Sam: don't use this for your location-less service areas. Use it to highlight your physical location.