Research · November 2026
What 100 Brooklyn fitness studios get wrong online
In November 2026 we checked 100 independent boutique fitness studios across Brooklyn: Pilates, yoga, boxing, martial arts, strength and dance. We looked at what a beginner, or an AI tool like ChatGPT, actually finds: the timetable, the prices and intro offer, the address and phone, and whether you can book a first class.
don't show their class timetable as readable text
don't show both their prices and an intro offer
make you create an account to book a first class
were named when we asked Google's AI Mode for the best studios
Red Hills Lab, Brooklyn boutique fitness studio research, November 2026. 100 independent studios with 15+ Google reviews, random sample.
What we found
Studios have one big, simple gap: the timetable. Nine in ten only show their classes inside a booking widget, behind a login, or not at all. A nervous beginner, or an AI tool answering 'best Pilates class near me tonight', can't see what runs when, how hard it is, or what it costs.
| What we checked | Result |
|---|---|
| Timetable readable as text on their own site | 9% |
| Timetable only inside a booking widget | 51% |
| Prices and intro offer both shown | 35% |
| No prices on the site | 32% |
| Book a first class without creating an account | 4% |
| 30+ Google reviews with a recent one | 31% |
| Business details set up for search tools | 42% |
| Average score | 3.1 out of 5 |
The booking apps we saw most were Mindbody, WellnessLiving, Arketa, Mariana Tek and Momence. They're great for booking, but the schedule lives inside the app, so your own site doesn't say what classes you run.
17 of the 100 studios are in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. They averaged 3.4 out of 5, and 15 of the 17 don't show their timetable as text.
What AI search said
On 1 November we asked Google's AI Mode four questions people actually ask, like 'best pilates studio in Brooklyn' and 'best boutique fitness studio in Williamsburg'. It made 27 recommendations. 4 of our 100 studios were named. About a third of the answers were franchises or multi-site chains, which have a page for every location and the same details everywhere.
A snapshot from one browser on one day. Answers change by person, place and time.
The fixes
Put this week's timetable on your site as plain text: class names, times and level.
Show your prices and intro offer on one page.
Add a "book your first class" button, with guest checkout if your app allows it.
Make your address, phone and hours match Google.
Explain each class: what happens, how hard it is, what to bring.
Check my studio
Run a studio or gym in New York? We'll check yours the same way and send you the result within 1 working day. Free.
How we did it
Method
We built the list from Google in November 2026: 447 independent boutique fitness studios across Brooklyn with 15+ Google reviews. We left out chains, franchises, groups with three or more locations, kids-only schools, therapy and recovery businesses, and instructors without a studio.
We shuffled the list once and took the first 100. Any studio that didn't fit was replaced by the next one on the list.
For each studio we compared the Google listing with its own website: timetable, prices and intro offer, address and phone, business details for search tools, booking and reviews. Booking widgets were loaded in a real browser.
We scored each studio on four things (can it be read, does it agree with itself, do others vouch for it, can you book it), out of 10 points, shown as 1 to 5.
Limits: we only counted press the studio's own site links to, so those scores are a lower bound. We didn't compare opening hours with Google, because class times aren't opening hours.
Questions people ask
What is AI search?
Tools like ChatGPT, Google's AI Mode and Perplexity that answer questions like 'best Pilates class in Brooklyn' with a short list of places. They build those answers from what they can read about you online.
My studio uses Mindbody (or Arketa, or Mariana Tek). Isn't that enough?
It's great for booking. But the schedule lives inside the widget, so your own site doesn't say what classes you run. Put this week's timetable on your site as text too.
What should a studio website include?
Timetable, prices and intro offer, booking, each class explained, and how to get there.
Can you guarantee we'll be recommended?
No. Nobody can. We make sure everything AI tools read about you is clear, correct and the same everywhere.
How do I get my studio checked?
Use the form above. It's free and we'll reply within 1 working day.