To get your fitness studio recommended by AI assistants, spend 30 days doing four things in order: check what the assistants say now, fix your basic details everywhere, add clear class-level information on Google and your website, then re-check. AI assistants (tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity that answer questions in plain sentences) tend to recommend businesses whose details are consistent, specific and backed by recent reviews. This checklist is written for a gym or studio owner in Ireland, not a marketer, and you can do most of it yourself in about an hour or two a week.

The practice of making your business easy for these tools to find and quote is sometimes called GEO, short for generative engine optimisation. It is not a trick. It is mostly good housekeeping, done properly.

Week Focus Main output
1 Measure and correct basics A written baseline and consistent details
2 Google Business Profile and booking listings Complete, current profiles
3 Website pages and reviews Plain-language FAQs and class-specific reviews
4 Re-check A before-and-after comparison

Week 1: measure what AI assistants currently say about your studio

Before changing anything, find out where you stand. Open ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, plus Google, and ask the questions a local person would type. Use your own town or neighbourhood, for example:

  • "Best gym in Rathmines for beginners"
  • "Small group strength classes near Salthill, Galway"
  • "Gym in Cork city centre with early morning classes"
  • "Women-only fitness classes in Navan"
  • "Is [your studio name] any good?"

Record each answer in a simple spreadsheet: the date, the assistant, the question, which gyms were named, and whether you were among them. Note anything wrong, such as an old address, a class you stopped running, or the wrong opening hours.

Typically, answers vary from one day and one tool to the next, so treat this as a snapshot rather than a score. If you want a quicker version, our free check does this measurement for you. If you want to understand why certain gyms get named, read how AI assistants choose a gym in your town.

Week 1: correct your name, address, phone number and opening hours everywhere

AI tools pull from many sources, and when those sources disagree, your studio looks uncertain. The core details are your name, address, phone number and hours. People often shorten these to "NAP", which stands for name, address, phone.

Pick one exact version of each and copy it everywhere:

  • Name: the same spelling and format each time. If you are "Harbour Strength Studio" on your sign, do not be "Harbour Strength & Fitness" elsewhere.
  • Address: include your Eircode, the Irish postcode that identifies a single property.
  • Phone: one format, for example +353 21 000 0000 or 021 000 0000, used consistently.
  • Hours: the same everywhere, including staffed hours versus 24-hour access if you offer both.

Then check these places in turn: your website footer and contact page, Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, your booking system (Glofox, Mindbody, Wodify, TeamUp or whichever you use), ClassPass or similar marketplaces if you are listed, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Tripadvisor and Golden Pages. Search your studio's old name or old address as well, since outdated listings are a common source of wrong answers.

Week 2: complete your Google Business Profile and any class booking listings

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that appears on Google Search and Google Maps when someone searches for your business. It is usually the most important source for local recommendations, so fill in every part that applies to you.

Work through this list:

  1. Primary category: choose the one that best describes you, such as "Gym", "Fitness centre" or "Yoga studio", and add secondary categories for what else you genuinely offer. Our article on why your category changes what AI recommends explains the reasoning.
  2. Description: say plainly what you offer, who it suits and where you are, without stuffing in keywords.
  3. Services: list your classes and memberships, for example "Beginner strength", "Spin", "Pilates reformer" or "Personal training".
  4. Attributes: tick what applies, such as wheelchair-accessible entrance or changing rooms.
  5. Booking link: add a direct link to your timetable or trial-class page.
  6. Hours and special hours: set regular hours, then add Irish bank holiday changes in advance. See handling Irish public holiday variations.
  7. Photos: add the entrance, the floor, the equipment, the coaches and a class in progress. Our photo checklist covers what to include.

For more detail specific to gyms, see Google Business Profile for gyms in Ireland.

Then check your class booking listings. Make sure class names, descriptions, prices and locations on your booking platform match your website. If a class is called "HIIT 45" in one place and "Full Body Burn" in another, pick one name and use it.

Week 3: add website pages and FAQs that use your members' own words

Members rarely say "high-intensity interval training programme". They say "a class that won't make me feel out of my depth" or "somewhere I can train after dropping the kids to school". Your website should answer in those words.

Collect the real phrasing first. Look at:

  • Questions people ask at the front desk or on a trial visit
  • Instagram and Facebook messages
  • Existing Google reviews
  • Emails asking about prices, parking or what to bring

Then build these pages:

  • One page per main class type or service, with who it suits, what a session looks like, how long it lasts, and who coaches it.
  • A pricing and membership page with real prices, any joining fee, and your cancellation terms in plain English.
  • A "first visit" page covering what to bring, how to book a trial, and whether beginners are welcome.
  • A "find us" page with your Eircode, nearest bus or Luas/DART/train stop if relevant, and parking details.

Add a short FAQ to each page, with questions written as members would ask them and answers of two or three sentences. For example: "Do I need experience to join a Pilates class?" or "Is there parking near the studio?" Clear question-and-answer text is easy for both search engines and AI assistants to quote.

Week 3: ask recent members for reviews that mention specific classes or coaches

Reviews tell AI tools what you are actually like. "Great gym!" helps a little. "The Tuesday 7am strength class with Aoife is great for beginners" helps far more, because it matches how people ask.

Here is how to do it properly:

  • Send members your Google review link. In your Google Business Profile, use the option to share a review form, which gives you a short link.
  • Ask people who have attended recently, such as after a trial month or a goal milestone.
  • Suggest, without scripting, that they mention which class they attend and what made a difference.
  • Do not offer discounts or free sessions in exchange for reviews, and do not only ask people you expect to be positive. Google's policies prohibit both.
  • Reply to every review, using the class or coach name where natural and thanking them by first name if they are happy for you to.

Aim for steady, recent reviews over a single burst. Five good reviews spread across a month look more natural than twenty in one weekend.

Week 4: re-check AI answers and note what changed

Now repeat your week 1 questions, using the same wording, the same tools and the same spreadsheet. Compare:

  • Are you named more often, or in more kinds of searches?
  • Are the address, hours and class details correct?
  • Which competitors still appear, and what do their listings include that yours does not?
  • Which wrong details remain, and where might they be coming from?

Be realistic. AI answers change, and some updates take weeks to appear, so a small change at day 30 is normal and no change does not mean failure. What matters is that you now have a baseline, correct information and a list of the gaps still to close.

What to keep doing each month once the 30 days are up

Treat this as a monthly routine of about an hour:

  • Re-run your question list and add the new date to your spreadsheet.
  • Update your details whenever your timetable, prices, coaches or hours change, in all places at once.
  • Check bank holiday hours at least two weeks ahead.
  • Add a few new photos each month, such as new equipment, a class or a team update.
  • Ask for a handful of new reviews and reply to all existing ones.
  • Add one new FAQ based on a real question you were asked that month.

If you would like an outside view, you can run the free check from suggestedby.ai, which measures whether AI assistants name your studio for local searches. Whichever way you measure, the plan stays the same: be accurate, be specific and keep it current.