The Brand Review Index
A Comparative Analysis of Leading Brands' Google Review Ratings
Gyms and Fitness Brands
You might wonder how often people think about reviewing their gym. But, the top 12 gym brands we analyzed in the US have almost 2.5 million Google reviews combined.
So why is that? And which brand is doing the best at getting their customers to leave reviews? The table below lays it all out for you, and below, you’ll find the trend analysis on the top gyms.
| Brand | Median Google Review Rating | Avg. Google Review Rating* | Locations Analyzed | Avg. Reviews Per location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CrossFit  | 5.0 ⭐️ | 4.8 ⭐️ | 4,168 | 47 |
F45 Training | 5.0 ⭐️ | 4.7 ⭐️ | 804 | 66 |
Orangetheory Fitness | 4.8 ⭐️ | 4.8 ⭐️ | 1,271 | 147 |
Pure Barre  | 4.8 ⭐️ | 4.7 ⭐️ | 623 | 48 |
Planet Fitness  | 4.4 ⭐️ | 4.4 ⭐️ | 2,243 | 511 |
Anytime Fitness  | 4.4 ⭐️ | 4.3 ⭐️ | 2,341 | 93 |
Snap Fitness  | 4.4 ⭐️ | 4.3 ⭐️ | 566 | 52 |
Crunch Fitness | 4.1 ⭐️ | 4.0 ⭐️ | 375 | 388 |
LA Fitness | 3.9 ⭐️ | 3.9 ⭐️ | 543 | 619 |
Gold’s Gym | 3.9 ⭐️ | 3.9 ⭐️ | 238 | 269 |
Equinox | 3.8 ⭐️ | 3.8 ⭐️ | 96 | 106 |
24 Hour Fitness | 3.4 ⭐️ | 3.4 ⭐️ | 286 | 293 |
*As this is is an average of an average, and therefore not the most mathematically accurate to present, we’ve included the Median Review Google Review Rating.
Brand Size and Reputation
The chart below shows the size of the top 12 gym and fitness brands against their median review scores.
The horizontal (X) axis represents each brand’s median Google review rating, and the vertical (Y) axis plots them by location size.
Top Three Trend Analysis
There are some impressive review scores for US gyms. Often, brands with high location counts can see lower average/median review ratings, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for gyms and fitness centers! With 66% achieving a median and average rating over 4.0 stars, it suggests that gym-goers are more likely to write a positive review.
We’ll discuss the top four gym brands, as CrossFit and F45 share a median Google review rating of 5.0 (impressive!), and Orangetheory Fitness and Pure Barre share a median of 4.8.
Crossfit and F45
CrossFit operates on an affiliate gym model. Gym owners can apply to open and run an officially associated but independently owned CrossFit gym.
The corporate website immediately makes several things clear: CrossFit is built on the idea of community, culture, and lifestyle.
With that in mind, looking at various CrossFit gym reviews across the US, these core values are reflected right back at the brand by its patrons. Themes of community, its coaches, and how it makes members feel are constantly present in the review keywords (pictured above), while review details highlight things like ‘friendliness,’ ‘welcoming,’ and ‘atmosphere.’
This sense of community goes a long way in encouraging advocacy, too. I’m sure you know someone who does CrossFit, and they’ve likely told you how much they love it. So, you can understand why they’re willing to leave such positive reviews.
Similarly, F45 Training also builds its brand on community. Though CrossFit’s imagery and messaging are much more reflective of welcoming everybody, F45 conveys high energy and more intensity. And the reviews match up.
‘Motivating,’ ‘energy,’ and ‘goals’ frequently appear as review keywords, and you can feel the enthusiasm in the written detail. It’s also significant to note that F45 Training appears to respond to its business reviews more regularly across its locations than CrossFit. Although, given CrossFit gyms are independently owned, their responses are likely to be much more sporadic as the responsibility will come down to individual gym teams.
However, F45’s responses tend to match the enthusiasm and energy of its members while appearing unique and genuine. This is a strong tactic that helps reinforce brand perception and is undoubtedly helpful for consumers who might be researching gyms in their area. It all helps to build a picture of who the brand is and what it stands for (and, after seeing lots of Mark Wahlberg on the website, I now can’t help but read all review responses in his voice).
Community is Key
Orangetheory Fitness and Pure Barre follow a similar pattern to CrossFit and F45 Training in that both brands are based on specific exercise models. What all four fitness brands have in common is that, in focusing their brand identities on a particular fitness model, they are able to build a strong sense of community around it. These are not your typical turn-up-and-workout gyms.
For more traditional gym brands, however, a sense of community may not be as strong. Therefore, the focus should always be on ensuring the best possible customer experience. Whether that’s down to the quality of gym facilities, the atmosphere within the gym/fitness center, or the helpfulness of staff, there needs to be a reason for a gym user to come away and want to share their feedback.
Our local SEO guide for gyms has some useful tips for optimizing GBPs and making them stand out to potential customers.