SEO and AI search for Dutch businesses

Dutch buyers read English but search in Dutch

English proficiency in the Netherlands is very high, and many companies publish in English as well. That does not mean the searches happen in English. A buyer looking for a supplier usually types the Dutch phrase, then compares the results. If your pages only exist in English, you compete for a small part of the demand.

We confirm every term against Search Console and keyword data before it goes into a title. The table above is a starting prompt, not a finished keyword list.

Domains, language versions and hreflang

SIDN runs the .nl register, and a .nl address is a familiar trust signal for Dutch visitors. If you already have a global .com, a /nl/ folder can work as well, as long as the tags are correct. Belgium matters here: Flemish buyers search in Dutch too, with their own spelling habits and shops.

• Use hreflang nl-NL for Dutch readers in the Netherlands, nl-BE for Flanders, and en for the English version.
• Give each version its own URL, a self-referencing tag and return tags on every alternate page.
• Show prices in euros with btw included for consumers, since 21% is the standard rate and 9% applies to some goods.
• Do not redirect visitors by browser language alone. Let them switch version, and let Google crawl every version.

Our hreflang generator produces the tags, and international SEO covers a wider Benelux rollout.

Privacy, cookies and what they do to your data

The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens enforces the AVG, the Dutch name for the GDPR. Cookie consent is set by the Telecommunicatiewet, and the AP has taken the view that forcing visitors to accept tracking cookies to enter a site is generally not allowed. Check the details with your lawyer.

For SEO this has a practical effect. If most visitors decline tracking, analytics under-reports organic traffic. We therefore treat Search Console as the main source of truth for impressions and clicks, and use analytics as a secondary view. We can also set up consent mode and a privacy-friendly analytics configuration with your developer.

Where each part of SEO fits

Working across the time gap

The Netherlands is on CET in winter and CEST in summer. That is 4.5 hours behind India in winter and 3.5 hours behind in summer, so the morning in Amsterdam overlaps with the afternoon in Pune. Calls are booked in your working hours, usually between 09:00 and 12:00 your time. Work is remote. Each phase ends with a written update, and one lead stays on your account.

What SEO costs

Projects start at $1,500, and our rate is $30 an hour. After a short call you receive a fixed quote within one working day. What moves the price: how many pages and languages, how much content has to be written in Dutch, and how many technical problems the audit finds. Our SEO cost guide lists the usual drivers. Public prices are in US dollars, and a Dutch company buying from outside the EU should ask its accountant how btw is handled on the invoice.