If you run a kennel, cattery, dog home boarding service or small-pet boarding business, you already know how much trust is involved.
Owners are not simply looking for the cheapest available space. They want to know where their pet will sleep, who will care for them, whether the setting is licensed, and how quickly they can get an answer about dates.
That is why your Google Business Profile matters.
A complete profile can help you appear for searches such as:
- “dog boarding near me”
- “licensed kennels near me”
- “cat boarding in [town]”
- “home boarding for dogs [area]”
- “pet boarding with medication”
- “cattery near [location]”
- “small pet boarding near me”
But many boarding businesses lose enquiries because their profile is vague, out of date or missing the details owners need before making contact.
This guide explains how to improve your Google Business Profile for pet boarding in plain English.
1. Choose the most accurate primary category
Your primary category tells Google what your business mainly is.
Choose the closest available category that matches your main service. Depending on your business, this might be:
- Dog boarding kennel
- Pet boarding service
- Dog day care centre
- Cattery or another boarding-related option available in your profile
Do not choose every animal-related category available. Google advises using the fewest categories needed to describe your core business.
If you mainly provide overnight dog boarding, make that the focus. If you board dogs, cats and small animals, choose the category that best represents the main business and add only relevant secondary categories.
Do not add dog grooming, dog training or veterinary-related categories unless you genuinely provide those services.
Your business name should also be your real-world name. Do not add phrases such as “Best Dog Boarding in Leeds” unless that is genuinely part of the name used on your signage and business documents. Keyword-stuffing your profile name can create problems, including suspension.
Read Google’s guidelines for representing your business.
2. Make your address and service area honest
Boarding businesses need to be especially clear about where care actually takes place.
If customers bring pets to your kennel, cattery or boarding premises, use the real business address. Make sure the location is accurate, signed where appropriate and easy to find.
If you provide home boarding for dogs, explain that dogs stay in your home. Do not create extra profiles for every town you serve. Do not use a virtual office or a rented address where you do not operate.
If you also provide collection and drop-off, list the genuine areas you cover. Avoid adding an enormous service area simply to appear in more searches. A customer who finds you but discovers you do not cover their location is not a useful enquiry.
Keep your business name, address and phone number consistent across your website, directories, booking platforms and social profiles. Small differences can make your business harder to verify.
3. List every real boarding service
The Services section is one of the most useful parts of your profile. It gives owners a quick way to understand whether you are suitable for their pet.
Add separate services for the work you actually provide, such as:
- Overnight dog boarding
- Home boarding for dogs
- Cat boarding
- Dog day care
- Small-pet boarding
- Holiday boarding
- Medication administration
- Special-diet support
- Collection and drop-off
- Puppy or dog introductions
- Grooming during a stay, if genuinely offered
Use short descriptions that answer practical questions.
For dog boarding, explain the sleeping arrangements, exercise routine, supervision, group sizes and whether dogs from different households are mixed.
For cat boarding, mention quiet areas, hiding spaces, litter arrangements, enrichment and how cats are kept separate where needed.
For small animals, state which species you accept and whether owners need to provide food, bedding or specialist equipment.
Do not claim to offer veterinary care unless you are qualified and registered to do so. You can say that you follow owner instructions, administer agreed medication or contact a nominated vet when necessary. Do not suggest that boarding replaces professional veterinary advice.
4. Be clear about licensing, welfare and capacity
Trust matters more in pet boarding than in many other local services.
In England, commercial dog and cat boarding activities generally require a licence from the local authority under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. This includes boarding dogs in kennels, home boarding for dogs and boarding cats in a cattery.
Rules differ across the UK, so check the requirements for your council and nation.
Do not claim to be licensed if your licence is pending. Do not display an old star rating. Do not imply that you meet a higher welfare standard unless you can support the claim.
Your profile and website should make it easy to find:
- The type of licence you hold
- The relevant local authority
- Your current licence number, where suitable
- Your current star rating, if one applies
- The species and number of animals you are approved to board
- Any important vaccination or behavioural requirements
- Your insurance position
- Your emergency and veterinary arrangements
Be honest about capacity. If you only accept two dogs at a time, say so. A smaller capacity can be a strength when it means more supervision and individual care.
You can link to the UK Government guidance on home boarding for dogs so owners can understand the wider requirements.
5. Upload photos that answer owner concerns
Stock photos do not prove anything about your business.
Use clear, recent photos of the place where animals actually stay. Add a useful mix of:
- The entrance and external signage
- Reception and handover areas
- Dog sleeping areas
- Secure exercise areas
- Cat accommodation
- Small-animal housing
- Bedding and enrichment
- Food preparation areas
- Safety gates and fencing
- Staff carrying out normal care routines
- Licence displays or certificates, with sensitive information covered
Show clean, comfortable and well-managed spaces. Avoid photos that make animals look cramped, distressed or unsupervised.
Add new photos regularly, especially when you change accommodation, improve outdoor areas or introduce a new service.
A facility tour can also make a strong website page. Give owners clear instructions about whether tours are by appointment, which areas are available to view and whether animals are present during visits.
6. Build reviews around real experiences
Ask for reviews after a successful stay, when the owner has collected their pet and can see that everything went well.
Make the process simple. Send a direct review link by email or text, and include it in booking follow-ups.
Do not offer rewards for positive reviews. Do not write reviews for customers. Do not pressure people to mention specific keywords.
A useful review may naturally mention:
- The type of pet
- The service used
- The local area
- Communication during the stay
- Medication or special-diet support
- The booking and collection process
- The condition of the accommodation
Reply to every review. Thank people for positive feedback and refer to a genuine detail from their stay.
For a negative review, stay calm. Acknowledge the concern, avoid sharing private information and invite the owner to continue the conversation directly. Never discuss an animal’s medical or behavioural details publicly.
7. Use Q&A to remove booking hesitation
Owners often have the same questions before they enquire.
Add useful questions and answers to your Google Business Profile, including:
- Do you accept dogs from different households?
- Do you provide home boarding?
- What vaccinations are required?
- Can you administer medication?
- Do you accept nervous, elderly or reactive dogs?
- Do you board cats separately from dogs?
- Do you accept rabbits or guinea pigs?
- Is a facility tour available?
- How far in advance should I book?
- Do you provide collection and drop-off?
- What happens if a pet becomes unwell?
- Are you insured and licensed?
Keep answers accurate and current. If the answer depends on an assessment, say so. Do not promise that every pet is suitable before you have spoken to the owner.
8. Publish useful Google Posts
Google Posts are not a replacement for a complete profile, but they give owners another reason to trust you.
Post about:
- Holiday availability
- Christmas and summer booking deadlines
- New accommodation
- Tour dates
- Vaccination reminders
- Changes to collection arrangements
- Seasonal welfare information
- Introductions for new dogs
- Behind-the-scenes cleaning and enrichment routines
Keep posts factual. Do not make exaggerated claims such as “the safest kennel in the UK”. Focus on what has changed and what the owner needs to do next.
9. Improve response times and the enquiry route
A profile view is not a booking.
Owners may be comparing several boarding businesses at the same time. If they cannot quickly ask about dates, species, care needs and price, they may move on.
Set a clear response target. For example, reply to messages within one working day, or state when your team checks enquiries.
Make your website mobile-friendly. Most local searches happen on phones, often while someone is arranging travel or checking a last-minute care problem.
An instant quote widget can give visitors a useful starting estimate while collecting:
- Pet type
- Number of animals
- Arrival and collection dates
- Boarding or daycare service
- Medication or special-diet needs
- Collection requirements
- Name and contact details
The estimate should be clearly described as a starting point, not a confirmed booking or final price.
See how the VU1 membership instant quote widget works — membership is £99 per month.
10. Avoid these common mistakes
The most common problems are simple to prevent:
- Using a stuffed business name
- Choosing unrelated categories
- Creating profiles for towns you do not operate in
- Hiding licensing information
- Showing old photos or old opening hours
- Promising veterinary expertise without the qualifications
- Claiming unlimited capacity when availability is limited
- Ignoring unanswered reviews and questions
- Listing services you no longer offer
- Making owners complete a long form before they can ask about dates
- Failing to explain vaccination, introduction or cancellation requirements
Local SEO for pet boarding is not about repeating “dog boarding near me” everywhere. It is about giving Google and pet owners clear, accurate evidence that your business is relevant, local and trustworthy.
How VU1 helps pet boarding businesses
VU1 checks 15 local, on-page and technical signals in plain English. The free audit can show whether your Google Business Profile, service pages, local information, mobile site and enquiry route are helping or losing you work.
It takes under 15 seconds to start, needs no signup and gives you practical fixes based on your website and service area.
If you want a clearer route to more local enquiries, VU1 membership. It includes local SEO, Google Business Profile optimisation, citation building, website fixes, a domain, hosting and an instant quote widget. There are no per-lead fees.
If you also run related animal care services, keep your wider local pages consistent with verified trade hubs such as /trades/kennels-catteries/.
You can review representative VU1 case studies to see how clearer local information and better enquiry routes support different service businesses, use the free audit to spot weak points, or see how the instant quote widget works.
Start with a free check
Enter your website URL, email address and the town or service area where you want to be found. Get your free 15-signal report in plain English, usually within a few minutes.
Run the free VU1 audit, then use the findings to make your pet boarding business easier to find and easier to book.