Websites for vet practices

Why this matters

Pet owners look for a vet when they need one—often locally and sometimes urgently. Your website needs to show up in local search, put key info (opening times, contact, out-of-hours) where people can see it fast, and make booking or contact easy [2]Source 2 .

If your site is slow, hard to scan on mobile, or buries opening times and contact, you lose clients to the next result.

1) Urgent info at a glance

People need opening times, address, phone number, and out-of-hours or emergency info without digging.

What to include

• Opening times: Clear, up to date. Same format on every page or in a consistent place (e.g. header or footer). Include bank holidays and any seasonal changes.
• Phone number: Visible on every page. Tap-to-call on mobile. If you have a separate emergency number, make it obvious.
• Address: Full address with a link to Google Maps or similar. So people can get directions quickly.
• Out-of-hours or emergency: If you have a partner practice or emergency line, say so clearly. People search for this when they are stressed.

What to avoid

• Burying opening times or contact in a PDF or several clicks deep.
• Out-of-date opening times or wrong phone numbers.

2) Local visibility

Most vet clients search locally: “vet near me”, “vet in [town]”.

What to include

• Location in titles and content: Page titles and key content that include your town or area. So search engines and users know where you are.
• Google Business Profile: Claim and keep it updated. Opening times, address, phone, photos, and services. Matches what’s on your site.
• Services and species: Clear list: small animals, equine, exotics, etc. So people know you treat their pet and so you can rank for “vet for [species]” or “vet [town]”.

For more on local visibility, see local SEO for small businesses and local SEO: beyond Google My Business.

3) Booking and contact

Make it obvious how to book an appointment or get in touch.

• Book online: If you use a booking system, one clear “Book an appointment” or “Book online” button. Make sure it works on mobile and is accessible (keyboard, screen reader).
• Phone and email: If you prefer phone or email, say so. “Call to book” or “Email us to arrange an appointment”.
• Short enquiry form: Name, phone, email, brief message (e.g. “Pet name and species”, “Reason for visit”). Do not ask for more than you need.
• What happens next: “We’ll call you within 24 hours” or “We’ll confirm your appointment by email”.

For more on forms, see form design that gets completed.

4) Structure and performance

Many pet owners check your site on a phone, often in a hurry. Fast, scannable pages build trust [1]Source 1 .

• Clear headings: So people can scan for opening times, services, contact.
• Short paragraphs: One idea per paragraph. Easy to read on a small screen.
• Fast load: Images sized and compressed. No heavy scripts that slow the page. Especially important for mobile.
• Accessibility: Good contrast, readable text, form labels and error messages that make sense [3]Source 3 .

For more on performance, see fast websites: what fast means in 2026.

Summary

Vet practices need a site that puts urgent info first: opening times, contact, address, and out-of-hours or emergency info visible at a glance. Support that with local SEO (location in content, Google Business Profile, clear services) and an obvious booking or contact path. Keep the site fast, scannable, and accessible so people can find what they need on any device.