A few years ago, finding a personal trainer meant a Google search and a few clicks. PTs could launch a minimal website, build personal relationships in the gym, collaborate with related practices and build a business out of that. And most of that is still true today, except that online visibility has rapidly shifted.
Now, when a potential client types “best warm-up before a 5k” or “personal trainer vs. group classes” into Google today, they’ll likely get an answer before seeing a single website link.
AI Overviews now appear on roughly 48% of all Google searches, and informational topics (low-hanging fruits that PTs tend to take advantage of, like “how tos” and “what’s best” content) rarely get any visibility today.
The visibility is dwindling across other business categories as well. Content Stream found that most employee assistance programmes aren’t visible in search, with only 3 providers making up over 92% of AI Overview appearances.
If you run a fitness business, it’s important to understand how and where the visibility is shrinking and what you can do to position your website.
AI Overviews are intercepting PT queries
AI Overviews show up most on informational searches and rarely on transactional or local ones. That means they are less likely to intercept someone searching your business name directly, or looking up “personal trainer near me”.
However, health-related queries trigger AI Overviews on close to 80% of searches, which means a lot of your fitness and training content are going to get pushed down.
If someone searches “how to fix knee pain from squats”, Google might just answer it on the spot.
We found some research that backs this up, too. Pew Research tracked 68,000 real searches and found people clicked a result 8% of the time when an AI Overview was present, compared to 15% of the time when it wasn’t. That’s roughly half as often.
Ahrefs also looked at thousands of keywords and found that the top-ranking page saw a 58% drop in click-through rate when an AI Overview appeared. This proves that the query shift is happening, and it’s occurring across various queries, not just PT-related ones.
Your website’s visibility profile is changing
We’ve found that getting fewer clicks doesn’t necessarily mean your content is being ignored. Instead, the visibility is shifting as more sources are now in play.
Seer Interactive’s 2026 study found that brands cited inside an AI Overview see 35% more organic clicks than brands that show up below it but aren’t cited. So while the previous goal was to “rank #1”, the new one is to be the source Google quotes.
Because even when someone doesn’t click through, getting named will build awareness for your brand.
Functionally, that means it’s time to shift how you create content. The focus now should be on:
- Being a clear, credible source on a narrow topic, instead of a generic one
- Showing real expertise (certifications, specialties, years of experience) right where Google and readers can see it
- Keeping your local presence strong, since that part of search hasn’t changed much
SEO and AEO for trainers: Start here
AEO (answer engine optimization) means writing content that’s easy for LLMs, including Google’s AI Overview, to parse, understand, and reference when providing answers. Many of the core SEO principles still apply, but there are a few differences you should pay attention to as well.
Here are some AEO tips for personal trainers:
- Answer the question early and clearly. If your post is about post-workout soreness, say what helps in the first two sentences, then go into detail after. AI systems (and skimming humans) both reward this.
- Write about specific, narrow questions, not broad topics. “Best stretch for tight hips after deadlifts” beats “how to stretch”.
- Make your credentials visible. A bio that says “certified strength coach, 8 years working with runners” gives both readers and AI systems a reason to trust the answer. (See our certification guide for more.)
- Don’t neglect your Google Business Profile, reviews, and location pages. This is advice that still works today, despite having been around for a while.
How trainers can stay visible in 2026 and beyond
None of this means SEO stopped working. It means the win condition changed a little. Now, instead of just chasing rankings, you need to chase two goals side by side: your visibility in Google’s AIO, and how well your website performs in the SERPs.
Here’s our recommendation: Pick five common questions your clients ask you in person to track. These could be on form, recovery, programming, nutrition, or any other relevant category.
For each of these, write a short, clear, well-credentialed answer to each one. Don’t worry about hitting a word count.
Then, search these questions in Google and see which websites show up. Track it over time to see if you appear.
About the Author
Matthew is a co-founder of Content Stream, an SEO agency focused exclusively on health, fitness, and wellness brands. He started his career as a physiotherapist before moving into SEO and content strategy. He now helps businesses in the health and wellness space build lasting visibility.
