How to Add Services to Your Gym's GBP

Key Takeaways

Adding services to your GBP creates additional keyword signals that help you rank for specific searches like "boxing classes near me" or "personal training Parramatta"
Google auto-suggests some services based on your category — add those first, then create custom services for everything else you offer
Including descriptions and pricing (even price ranges) makes your listing more useful and increases click-through rates
Services are different from categories — categories tell Google WHAT you are, services tell Google WHAT YOU OFFER
Most gyms leave this section completely empty, which means filling it out gives you an easy edge

Introduction

If someone searches "kickboxing classes Bankstown" and your gym offers kickboxing but hasn't listed it as a service on GBP, you're basically invisible for that search.

Your GBP categories tell Google what type of business you are. Your services tell Google exactly what you offer. And here's the thing — most gym owners never touch the services section. They pick "Gym" as their category, maybe add a phone number and some hours, and call it done.

What that means for you is there's a genuine competitive advantage sitting right there, waiting. Adding services is free, takes about 15 minutes, and immediately expands the number of searches your gym can appear for.

This guide covers what services to add, how to write descriptions that actually help your rankings, and whether or not to show pricing.

What Services Are (And Why They Matter for SEO)

Services on GBP sit in their own section of your listing. When someone views your profile on Google Search or Maps, they can see a clear list of what you offer, organised into categories.

But the real value isn't just what members see — it's what Google's algorithm sees.

How Services Help You Rank

Every service you add creates an additional keyword association for your listing. If your primary category is "Gym" and you add services like:

Boxing classes
Personal training
Kids martial arts
Strength and conditioning
Group fitness classes

...you're now eligible to appear in searches for all of those terms, not just "gym near me."

Example: A martial arts academy in Marrickville had "Martial Arts School" as their primary category. After adding services for "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu," "Muay Thai," "Kids Self Defence," and "Competition Training," they started appearing in searches they'd never ranked for — specifically "BJJ Marrickville" and "kids self defence classes inner west."

Services vs Categories

This confuses a lot of people, so let me clear it up:

| | Categories | Services |

|---|---|---|

| Purpose | Define your business type | Define what you offer |

| Limit | 1 primary + up to 9 additional | Unlimited |

| Visibility | Shown subtly on listing | Shown in dedicated section |

| SEO impact | High (determines which searches you appear in) | Medium (adds keyword signals) |

| Example | "Boxing Gym" | "Boxing Classes," "Private Boxing Lessons," "Boxing Fitness" |

You need both. Categories are the foundation. Services build on top.

For more on picking the right categories, see our GBP categories guide.

How to Add Services (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Access Your GBP Dashboard

Go to business.google.com
Select your gym's listing
Click "Edit profile" or go to the "Services" tab

Step 2: Check Google's Suggested Services

Based on your business category, Google will auto-suggest common services. For a gym, you might see suggestions like:

Personal training
Group fitness classes
Strength training
Cardio training
Fitness assessment

Add all the suggested ones that apply. These are pre-mapped to Google's search taxonomy, which means they carry strong keyword signals out of the box.

Step 3: Add Custom Services

This is where it gets good. Click "Add custom service" and start listing everything you offer.

For a boxing gym:

Boxing classes
Boxing fitness (non-contact)
Private boxing coaching
Kids boxing
Fight preparation
Pad work sessions
Boxing for beginners

For a CrossFit box:

CrossFit classes
Olympic weightlifting
Gymnastics programming
CrossFit fundamentals (on-ramp)
Open gym sessions
Competition programming
Nutrition coaching

For a commercial gym:

Personal training
Group fitness classes
Strength training
Cardio training
HIIT classes
Yoga classes
Pilates classes
Functional training
Body composition analysis
Gym induction

For a martial arts academy:

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Muay Thai
Kids martial arts
Self-defence classes
Competition training
Private lessons
Grading preparation
Women's self-defence

Step 4: Organise Into Service Groups

Google lets you group services under headers. This keeps your listing clean and scannable.

Example groupings for a boxing gym:

Group Classes

Boxing fundamentals
Boxing fitness
Advanced sparring
Pad work circuits

Private Training

1-on-1 boxing coaching
Fight camp preparation
Technique correction sessions

Kids Programs

Kids boxing (ages 6-12)
Teen boxing (ages 13-17)

Specialist Services

Body composition testing
Nutrition guidance
Competition preparation

Writing Service Descriptions That Rank

Each service can have a description of up to 300 characters. Use these — they're another place to add relevant keywords naturally.

Good Description Examples

Service: Boxing Fitness Class

Description: "High-energy group boxing fitness class in Bankstown. No experience needed. Combines pad work, bag work, and bodyweight conditioning. All fitness levels welcome. 45-minute sessions."

Service: Kids Martial Arts

Description: "Structured martial arts classes for kids aged 5-12 in Penrith. Builds confidence, discipline, and coordination through age-appropriate training. Beginner-friendly."

Service: Personal Training

Description: "One-on-one personal training sessions tailored to your goals. Strength, weight loss, sports performance, or general fitness. Qualified trainers with 10+ years experience."

What Makes a Good Description

Include your suburb — "boxing classes in Marrickville" beats "boxing classes"
Include the benefit — what does the member get out of it?
Include who it's for — beginners, kids, advanced, women-only
Keep it natural — don't keyword-stuff. Write like a human.

What to Avoid

"BEST BOXING GYM IN SYDNEY" — all caps and superlatives feel spammy
Keyword stuffing: "boxing classes boxing gym boxing training boxing fitness boxing near me"
Leaving descriptions blank — you're wasting free SEO real estate

Should You Display Pricing?

This is the question I get asked most. And the answer is: it depends.

Arguments For Showing Pricing

Filters out tyre-kickers. If your PT rate is $90/session, people who can only afford $30 won't waste your time enquiring.
Builds trust. Transparency signals confidence. You're not hiding anything.
Google may display pricing in search results, making your listing more informative than competitors who show nothing.

Arguments Against Showing Pricing

Competitors can see your rates. If you're in a price-competitive market, this can work against you.
Price without context is misleading. A $60/week membership that includes unlimited classes is great value — but someone just seeing "$60/week" might compare it to a $10/week budget gym.
Promotional pricing changes. If you run frequent offers, keeping GBP pricing current is another thing to maintain.

My Recommendation for Gyms

Show price ranges, not exact prices. Something like:

Membership: From $45/week
Personal training: $70-$100/session
Kids classes: From $25/week

This gives people enough information to self-qualify without exposing your exact pricing structure. And it's easy to keep current because ranges don't change as often as specific promotions.

If you don't want to show any pricing at all, that's fine too. The service listing itself (without pricing) still carries SEO value.

Maintaining Your Services List

When to Update

New class or program launches — add it immediately
Seasonal programs — add them when they start, remove when they end
Discontinued offerings — remove them so you don't get enquiries about something you no longer do
Rebrand or rename — if "Boxing Bootcamp" becomes "Fight Fit," update it

Quarterly Audit

Every 3 months, spend 10 minutes reviewing your services list:

Is everything still accurate?
Are there new offerings that aren't listed?
Do descriptions still reflect what you actually deliver?
Are there seasonal programs to add or remove?

A CrossFit box in Tuggerah added "Summer Shred Program" as a service every November and removed it in March. That simple seasonal update meant they appeared in searches for "summer fitness program" during their peak sign-up period.

Advanced: Using Services for Keyword Research

Your GBP services can double as a keyword research tool. Here's how:

Go to your GBP Insights or Performance dashboard
Look at the search terms people use to find your listing
If you see searches for services you offer but haven't listed — add them
If you see searches for things you don't offer — consider adding them or at least note the demand

Example: A gym in Parramatta noticed they were appearing in searches for "sauna near me" because a member had mentioned their sauna in a review. They added "Infrared Sauna" as a service, and that search term went from occasional to consistent.

At the end of the day, your services list is a living document that should grow and evolve with your business.

Common Mistakes

Not adding services at all. This is by far the most common mistake. An empty services section means Google has less context about what you offer, and you rank for fewer searches. Even 5 basic services is better than zero.
Being too vague. "Training" tells Google nothing. "Personal Training," "Group Boxing Classes," "Kids Martial Arts" — these are specific enough to match real search queries.
Duplicating your categories as services. If your category is "Boxing Gym," don't just add a service called "Boxing Gym." Add the specific services: boxing classes, private coaching, boxing fitness, kids boxing.
Setting and forgetting. Your gym evolves. Your services list should too. That 6-week challenge you launched last month? Add it. That yoga class you quietly dropped? Remove it.
Keyword stuffing descriptions. Google is smart enough to penalise this. Write descriptions for humans first, search engines second. If it sounds unnatural, rewrite it.

Next Steps

Services are one part of a fully optimised GBP. Here's what to tackle next:

Get the big picture right: Google Business Profile for Gyms — The Complete Guide
Make sure your categories are sorted: GBP Categories for Gyms
Boost your visibility with the right keywords: How to Add Keywords to Your Gym's GBP

Want someone to review your services list and suggest what's missing? Book a free GBP audit — we'll check your services, categories, and overall listing optimisation, then tell you exactly what to fix.

HOW TO ADD SERVICES TO YOUR GYM'S GBP