Get found, get booked: how to optimise your coach profile for Google, AI and enquiries

Our first Auckland coach found Scouty by accident. She asked Gemini where she should advertise her PT services, and it pointed her our way.

That’s the shift in a nutshell. People looking for a coach aren’t just Googling “personal trainer near me” any more. They’re asking ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude a proper question, like “who’s a good strength coach in Christchurch for someone coming back from a knee injury?”, and getting two or three names back.

It’s happening fast. BrightLocal’s 2026 survey found 45% of consumers had used an AI tool to find a local business, up from 6% the year before. And AI is choosy: a 2026 study of more than 350,000 business locations found ChatGPT recommended just 1.2% of them, compared with 35.9% showing up in Google’s local map results.

Being named isn’t the finish line, though. Yext’s 2026 research found only 5% of people go straight from an AI answer to buying. The rest go and check: they search your name, visit your page and read your reviews. (These are US and global studies, but they’re the same tools Kiwis use.)

So your profile now has three jobs:

Get found on Google (SEO)
Get recommended by AI tools (GEO)
Get chosen once someone lands on it (conversion)

The good news? The same clear, specific words help with all three. Here’s how to write them, with examples you can borrow.

SEO, GEO and conversion, in plain English

SEO (search engine optimisation) means making your page easy for Google to find, understand and show when someone searches “running coach Queenstown”.

GEO (generative engine optimisation) is the same idea for AI tools. ChatGPT, Gemini and friends read the web, then boil it down into an answer. GEO means making sure the web says clear, consistent, trustworthy things about you, so you end up in that answer.

Conversion is what happens next. A stranger lands on your profile and decides to message you, or doesn’t.

You don’t need to become a marketer to get any of this right. You need to say who you help, where and how, plainly, consistently and with proof. Most of the work below is writing, not tech.

Start here: the 10-minute AI test

Before you change a thing, find out what AI already says about you.

Write down five to ten questions your ideal client would actually type. Think “best postnatal personal trainer in Wānaka”, “Hyrox coach Queenstown” or “how much does a running coach cost in NZ?”
Ask each one in ChatGPT and Gemini. Use a logged-out or temporary chat if you can, so the answer isn’t shaped by your own history.
Then ask directly: “What do you know about [your name], [your coach type] in [your town]?”
Note what comes back. Are you mentioned? Is the description right? Who gets named instead of you, and what do their pages say?

Missing or misdescribed? Don’t panic. That list of questions is now your to-do list: every one you didn’t show up for is something your profile should answer plainly. Run the test again every month or two, because AI answers shift as the web changes.

Part 1: Get found on Google and recommended by AI

Google and AI tools are trying to answer one question: who’s the best match for what this person just asked? Your job is to make that an easy call.

1. Choose your niche, and say it plainly

“Personal trainer” describes thousands of people. “Strength coach for trail runners in Queenstown” describes you.

The more specific you are about who and what you coach, the easier it is for Google and AI to match you to someone asking for exactly that. Pick the one, two or three things you want to be known for, and put them where they count: your headline and the first lines of your bio.

Vague: “Personal trainer passionate about health and fitness.”
Specific: “Online and in-person strength coach in Queenstown, specialising in runners, injury rehab and functional strength.”

On Scouty, your page title is built from your name, your town and your main coach type, so it reads something like “Sam Taylor, Christchurch Running Coach”. Choose the coach type that matches what your ideal clients search for.

The same goes for specialities. It’s tempting to tick everything you could coach. Don’t. Tick 30 boxes and you’re telling Google and AI you’re everything, which reads as nothing in particular. Tick the ones you genuinely want to be hired for.

2. Say exactly where you coach

Google and AI lean hard on location. Name your town, the suburbs or areas you cover, the gym or studio you work from, and whether you coach online.

“Based at [gym] in Riccarton, coaching across Christchurch and online throughout NZ” gives a search engine, and a client, everything they need in one line.

3. Write in the words clients actually use

Clients don’t search for “periodised hypertrophy programming”. They search for “help getting strong after having a baby” or “personal trainer for over 50s”.

AI tools quote written text that answers real questions. So answer them on your profile, in plain language:

Who do you work with? Be specific: “women in their 40s and 50s who are new to strength training”.
What happens in the first session?
How much does it cost?
Do you coach online, in person, or both?
What makes your approach different?

Your Scouty bio, “How I coach”, “Types of clients I work with” and “What makes me different” sections are made for these answers. Use each one to say something new, rather than pasting the same paragraph into all four.

4. Be the same coach everywhere

If your Instagram says “Sarah K Fitness”, your website says “Sarah Kennedy PT” and your Google listing says “SK Strength”, AI can’t be sure they’re all you. You end up looking like three small coaches instead of one credible one.

Pick one version of your name, business name, location and speciality. Then use it everywhere: Scouty, Instagram, Facebook, your website, Google Business Profile and LinkedIn.

5. Be listed in more than one trusted place

AI tools get more confident about a coach when several reputable sources say the same thing about them. Aim for:

A page Google and AI can read. That’s your Scouty profile, your own website, or both. A lot of Instagram sits behind a login or inside images and video, so it isn’t reliably read. Social is great for building trust; a readable page is where the facts live.
A Google Business Profile. If you meet clients in person, you can usually set up as a service-area business, which keeps your home address private.
Local mentions. Your gym’s trainer page, a club or race website, a local guide or podcast. Each one is another signal pointing at you.
Links that join it all up. Put your Scouty profile link in your Instagram bio and on your website.

6. Collect reviews AI can read

Reviews are proof for clients and a strong signal for AI. In SOCi’s study, the businesses ChatGPT recommended averaged 4.3 stars.

The type of review matters. A written review that describes a real result (“came back from a running injury and entered my first 10k”) gives AI something to quote and a future client something to picture. A bare star rating, or a screenshot of a nice DM, does neither.

Freshness matters too. BrightLocal found 74% of consumers only care about reviews from the last three months. So treat five written reviews as your starting line, then keep a steady trickle coming.

The easiest way to get them? Ask right after a win: a PB, a first pull-up, a pain-free week. Make it specific: “Would you mind writing a couple of lines about how training’s going, especially [the win]?” And if you get Google reviews, reply to each one personally.

Part 2: Turn profile views into enquiries

Getting found is half the job. After an AI recommendation, about half of people go and check the business’s own page before doing anything else. That page is your profile, and it has seconds to do its work.

Visitors aren’t reading. They’re scanning for a reason to message you or a reason to leave, and silently asking six questions. Answer all six.

Is this for someone like me?

In five seconds, your headline and the first lines of your bio should tell a stranger who you are, who you help and what to do next.

Lead with the client, not yourself. Most bios open with some version of “Hi, I’m Sam and I’m passionate about fitness.” Every coach says that. Open with the person you help and the change you help them make instead.

Before: “Hi, I’m Sam! I’ve been a PT for seven years and I’m passionate about all things health and fitness.”
After: “I help busy Christchurch parents get strong, pain-free and back into the sport they love, without living at the gym.”

Saying who you’re not for helps too. “Not the right fit if you’re after bodybuilding prep” filters out the wrong enquiries and makes the right people feel seen.

Can I trust you?

Strong profiles show three kinds of proof. Most only show one.

What clients say: written reviews, as covered above.
What you’ve done: qualifications, years coaching, races, competitions and honours. Proof you can do the thing before you teach it.
What you’ve helped clients achieve: “Coached 14 runners through their first half marathon” or “Six clients back skiing after knee surgery”. Specific beats impressive.

If you’ve got it, put it on the page. A coach with a national title who never mentions it is leaving trust on the table.

What do I get, and what does it cost?

Vagueness kills enquiries. People rarely message just to find out the basics. Each session, package or programme on your profile should say:

what it’s called and who it’s for
what’s included
how long it runs, and where (gym, outdoors, online)
the price, or at least a “from” price

Showing a price means the people who enquire already know you’re in their range. You spend less time on back-and-forth with people who were never going to book.

Does this fit my life?

Spell out where, when and how you coach: the gym, the suburbs, the mountain, mornings or evenings, in person or online check-ins. Logistics kill more coaching relationships than motivation does, as we found when we spoke with Queenstown coaches. Make the fit obvious upfront.

Can I picture training with you?

Your photo is the first thing people see. Go for bright, clear shots of you in your coaching environment: the gym floor, the trail, the slopes. A friendly, approachable shot beats a dim selfie in the car every time. Add a couple of action shots of you coaching, with your clients’ permission.

What do I do next?

Give people one easy, low-commitment next step. “Book a free 15-minute intro chat” beats “Contact me for more info”.

Then reply fast when an enquiry lands. Someone who has messaged three coaches will often go with whoever gets back to them first.

Before and after: a profile rewrite

Here’s a made-up but very typical example: Jess, a Christchurch PT with six years’ experience.

Headline

Before: Personal trainer
After: Strength coach for women 40+ in Christchurch. In person in Riccarton and online.

Bio opener

Before: “Hi, I’m Jess! I’ve been a PT for six years and I’m passionate about health and fitness. I tailor programmes to suit everyone’s goals.”
After: “I help women in their 40s and 50s get strong and confident in the gym, without spending hours there. Most of my clients have never lifted before, and that’s exactly who I love working with.”

Specialities

Before: 27 boxes ticked
After: Women’s strength, menopause fitness, beginner strength

Proof

Before: Two reviews from 2024
After: Seven recent written reviews, plus “40+ women coached through their first strength programme”

Services

Before: PT session, enquire for pricing
After: Strong Start: six weeks, two sessions a week at [gym], Riccarton. Includes a movement assessment and app programme. $480.

Next step

Before: Send me a message
After: Book a free 15-minute intro chat

The “after” version tells Google, AI and a real person the same clear story. Who (women 40+), what (strength), where (Riccarton, Christchurch and online), proof (recent reviews and results), and exactly what to book and for how much.

Your profile checklist

Start with the quick wins. Most take 15 minutes or less.

Quick wins (this week)

Run the AI test with five client-style questions
Rewrite your headline: who you help, what you do, where
Rewrite the first two lines of your bio to lead with the client
Untick the specialities you don’t want to be hired for
Add a price, or a “from” price, to every service
Name your town, suburbs, gym, and whether you coach online
Add your Scouty profile link to your Instagram bio

Bigger jobs (this month)

Ask five happy clients for a written review
Add your achievements and specific client results
Answer the five big client questions across your profile sections
Match your name, location and speciality on every platform
Set up or tidy your Google Business Profile
Upload two or three bright photos in your coaching environment
Re-run the AI test and compare

Where Scouty fits in

Your Scouty profile is built to be read. It’s a public page that Google and AI tools can see, with your reviews in plain text right there on the page. The technical plumbing is on us. Your job is the words, the proof and the photos, and that’s exactly what this guide covers.

We’re also running free, in-person workshops for coaches on getting found and recommended by AI. Queenstown was first, and Christchurch is next. Want an invite? Get in touch.

Already on Scouty? Log in and give your profile 30 minutes this week.

Not on Scouty yet? Get found by clients searching on Scouty, Google and AI. JOIN SCOUTY →

FAQ

What’s the difference between SEO and GEO?
SEO helps your page show up in Google’s search results. GEO helps AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini mention you when they answer a question. Both reward the same things: clear, specific, consistent information about who you help, where, and proof that you’re good at it.

How do I get ChatGPT to recommend me as a personal trainer?
There’s no switch to flip. AI tools recommend coaches the web describes clearly and consistently. Have a readable profile that names your niche and location, use the same details on every platform, collect recent written reviews and get listed in a few trusted places. Then test it by asking the questions your clients would.

Do I need my own website if I’m on Scouty?
Not to get started. Your Scouty profile is a public page Google and AI can read. Your own site is a bonus: if you have one, link it to your Scouty profile and keep the details matching. Extra Bonus - with a Scouty profile you know the technical markup of your profile is built to be read and understood by AI - a big win over many basic websites.

How many reviews do I need?
Treat five written reviews as your starting line, then keep fresh ones coming. Recent, specific reviews do more for you than a big pile of old or vague ones.

Should I put my prices on my profile?
Yes, or at least a “from” price. It saves you time with people who were never going to book, and it removes a reason for the right people to hesitate. Transparency builds trust and people buy from those they trust.

Does posting on Instagram help with AI search?
It helps people get to know you. But a lot of Instagram sits behind a login or inside images and video, so search engines and AI tools don’t reliably read it. Use social to build trust, and point people to a page that spells out who you help, where and for how much.

How long until I show up in AI answers?
It varies. Google can pick up changes within days or weeks, while AI tools refresh less predictably. Make your changes, then re-run the AI test every month or two.