Marketing Personas for Leisure Operators in the Age of AI Search

Marketing Personas in 2026: How to Understand Your Audience (and Get Found by AI Search)

Let’s be honest. “Marketing personas” sounds like one of those things everyone nods at, then quietly ignores once the meeting ends.

But here’s the twist. Personas are no longer just a marketing exercise. They now play a big role in SEO, AI search, and how your website content gets discovered, summarised and recommended.

Search engines don’t just list pages anymore. AI tools read, interpret and reuse content. If your messaging isn’t clear about who it’s for, you’re invisible. Simple as that.

So let’s refresh what marketing personas actually are, why they still matter, and how to build ones that work in a world of AI search.

What is a Marketing Persona?

• Goals and motivations
• Challenges or barriers
• Preferred activities or services
• Communication preferences
• How they search for information online

That last one matters more than ever.

AI search engines use language, context and intent to decide which content to surface. Personas help you write content that matches how real people actually talk and search.

Why Marketing Personas Still Matter (More Than Ever)

Personas used to be about targeting emails and adverts. Now they also help you:

• Match real search intent, not just keywords
• Create content AI tools can understand and reuse
• Avoid generic messaging that blends into the background
• Answer the questions people are actually asking online

If your content tries to speak to everyone, it ends up speaking to no one. AI search notices that too.

How Search and AI Changed the Game

Traditional SEO focused on keywords and rankings. That still matters. But AI search works differently.

AI tools:

• Read your content like a human would
• Look for clear explanations and answers
• Prefer structured content with headings and lists
• Pull direct answers from pages instead of showing ten blue links

Personas help because they shape how you explain things. The language you use. The questions you answer. The examples you give.

If you know who you’re talking to, AI knows who your content is for too.

Examples of Gym Personas (Updated for 2026)

Let’s bring this to life.

Muscle Martha

Martha is in her early 30s. She works full-time, trains in the evenings and wants results without wasting time.

She cares about:

• Strength training
• Efficient workouts
• Clear progress tracking

What she searches for:

• “Strength training gym near me”
• “Best gym for weight training beginners”
• “How often should I lift weights”

Content that works for Martha:

• Clear class descriptions
• Simple explanations of programmes
• Straight-talking advice without fluff

Next up we have:

Zumba Zoe

Zoe is social, energetic and motivated by fun. Fitness is about enjoyment, not numbers.

She cares about:

• Group classes
• Music and atmosphere
• Feeling welcome

What she searches for:

• “Fun fitness classes near me”
• “Beginner friendly dance workouts”
• “Group exercise classes timetable”

Content that works for Zoe:

• Friendly tone
• Visual examples
• Clear class schedules and descriptions

Notice the difference. Same website. Totally different needs. Personas stop you writing bland content that pleases no one.

How to Build Better Marketing Personas Today

Forget printing personas and sticking them on the wall. Modern personas should be useful, flexible and grounded in real data.

1. Use Real Behaviour, Not Assumptions

Start with what people actually do:

• Website pages they visit before joining
• Search terms bringing them to your site
• Emails they open or ignore
• Classes they book most often

This tells you more than guessing age and income ever will.

2. Add Search and Question Data

This is the big upgrade.

For each persona, ask:

• What questions are they searching for online?
• What problems are they trying to solve?
• What words do they use, not what marketing uses?

This helps you create content that AI search engines can confidently pull into answers.

3. Keep Personas Alive

Personas are not a one-and-done job.

Search behaviour changes. Priorities shift. AI tools evolve. Review personas regularly using:

• Search analytics
• Website behaviour
• Customer feedback

Small updates make a big difference over time.

How Personas Improve SEO and AI Search Visibility

Here’s the payoff.

Strong personas help you:

• Write clearer blog posts that answer real questions
• Create landing pages that match search intent
• Structure content so AI tools can understand it quickly
• Avoid vague language that search engines ignore

AI search favours content that explains things properly. Personas help you do that naturally.

Quick Wins You Can Use Right Now

If you want immediate improvements:

• Add an FAQ section that answers real customer questions
• Use headings that mirror how people search
• Write short, clear explanations early in the page
• Avoid jargon. If a customer wouldn’t say it, don’t write it

If a human can skim your page and get the point in 10 seconds, AI probably can too.

Final Thought

Marketing personas aren’t about being clever. They’re about being clear.

In a world where AI search engines decide what gets surfaced, clarity wins. Know who you’re talking to. Use their language. Answer their questions properly.

Do that, and your content doesn’t just rank. It gets used.

Last Updated: January 2026