When someone searches "gym near me" or "gyms in [city]," Google surfaces a Map Pack — typically three local results with a map — before any organic website listings. The businesses in those three spots capture the majority of clicks from that search. Your website ranking doesn't get you into that box. Your Google Business Profile does.
This is what makes GBP categorically different from most SEO work. It's a separate system, and it rewards different inputs: completeness, review velocity, photo activity, and category accuracy — not just backlinks and page content.
For gyms specifically, the Map Pack is especially high-value because gym searches are almost always local and high-intent. Someone searching for a gym in your neighborhood is ready to visit or at least take a tour. Showing up in that top-three block puts your name in front of them at exactly the right moment.
The good news: most gyms don't fully optimize their GBP. Incomplete profiles, outdated photos, no review strategy, and wrong category selections are common. That means a well-maintained profile stands out quickly — you don't need to outrank national brands, you need to outrank the three other gyms in your zip code.
The goal of this guide is to walk through every meaningful optimization point in order of impact. Start at the top, work your way down, and treat this as an ongoing maintenance task rather than a one-time setup.