Local SEO: The Key to More Customers in Your Area
"Where can I find a good dentist in Amsterdam?" "Best restaurant Utrecht center?" These search queries are made millions of times per day. As a local business in the Netherlands, you can benefit from this with the right local SEO strategy. After helping hundreds of local businesses rank higher in their region, I share here the most effective techniques that deliver immediate results.
Why Local SEO Is Crucial for Your Business
Local SEO is no longer optional - it's essential. Google reports that 46% of all searches are local. "Near me" searches have grown by 900% in recent years. For businesses in the Netherlands, this means enormous opportunities.
A practical example: a physiotherapist in Amsterdam was on page 3 for "physiotherapy Amsterdam". After our local SEO optimization, he was in position 1 within 3 months, resulting in 60% more new patients. His secret? A systematic approach to local SEO that anyone can implement.
The benefits of local SEO are clear.
Higher conversions because local visitors have much higher purchase intent.
Less competition since ranking for "hairdresser Rotterdam" is easier than "hairdresser Netherlands".
Faster results as local SEO often works within 1-3 months. And
lower costs because less budget is needed than for national SEO campaigns.
Google Business Profile: The Foundation of Local SEO
Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is the most important factor for local rankings. A fully optimized profile can make the difference between position 10 and position 1.
Complete profile information: Fill in everything. Business name, address, phone number (NAP), website, opening hours, categories - leave nothing empty. Google rewards complete profiles with better rankings.
Consistent NAP data: Your business name, address, and phone number must be exactly the same on all platforms. A pharmacy in Amsterdam had different versions of their address online (Damrak 15 vs Damrak 15A vs Damrak str. 15). After correcting these inconsistencies, they rose from position 8 to position 2.
Choose relevant categories: Choose your primary category carefully - this has the biggest impact on rankings. A restaurant should choose "Restaurant" as the main category, not "Bar" or "Café", even if they serve drinks.
Regular updates: Post weekly updates, photos, events, or offers. Active profiles rank higher than silent profiles.
Reviews Are Worth Gold
Online reviews are the second most important ranking factor for local SEO. They influence not only your position on Google but also whether people actually make contact.
Proactively ask for reviews: Ask every satisfied customer for a review. A dental practice in Rotterdam implemented a system where they sent a personal WhatsApp after each treatment with a direct link to their Google review page. Result: from 12 to 180 reviews in 6 months.
Respond quickly to all reviews: Respond to all reviews within 24 hours. Thank positive reviews and solve problems from negative reviews. This shows Google and customers that you're active.
Quality over quantity: Better 50 authentic reviews than 200 fake reviews. Google's algorithms detect fake reviews better and punish businesses that use them.
A physiotherapist from The Hague went from 2.8 to 4.7 stars by systematically asking for feedback and responding professionally. His local rankings rose from position 12 to position 3.
Local Keywords Research
Local keyword research differs from regular keyword research. You must think like your local customers search.
Service + location combinations: "Dentist Amsterdam", "Hairdresser Rotterdam center", "Restaurant Utrecht". These combinations often have less competition than generic terms.
Use neighborhood and district names: People search for "Dentist Jordaan" or "Restaurant Zuiderpark". Research all neighborhoods, districts, and known locations in your area.
Long-tail local keywords: "Best pizza restaurant Amsterdam" or "24 hour dentist emergency Rotterdam". These have less search volume but much higher conversion.
A restaurant in Utrecht discovered that "restaurants Oudegracht" had much less competition than "restaurant Utrecht". By focusing on district-specific terms, they got 40% more reservations.
On-Page Optimization for Local SEO
Your website must clearly show where you're located and which areas you serve.
Location information prominent: Put your address in the header and footer of your website. Create specific pages for each location if you have multiple branches.
Create local content: Write blogs about local events, news, or topics relevant to your area. A travel agency in Amsterdam wrote about "Best day trips from Amsterdam" and "Weekend getaways from North Holland". This content attracted many local visitors.
Implement schema markup: Use LocalBusiness schema markup to tell Google you're a local business. This helps with rich snippets in search results.
Internal linking to location pages: Link from your homepage and service pages to your contact page with address details.
Building Local Citations
Citations are mentions of your business on other websites. Consistent citations strengthen your local SEO signals.
Primary directories: Make sure you're in Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Yelp, and TrustPilot. These are most important.
Local and industry-specific directories: For the Netherlands, these could be: local business guides, municipality websites, or industry organizations.
Quality over quantity: 20 high-quality citations are better than 100 low-quality listings. Focus on sites relevant to your business and location.
A law firm in Amsterdam improved their local rankings by adding listings to legal directories and local network websites. They went from position 15 to position 5 within 4 months.
Technical Local SEO
Technical aspects can make or break your local SEO.
Optimize website speed: Local searchers are often on the go and in a hurry. A slow website means lost customers. Aim for loading times under 3 seconds.
Mobile optimization: 60% of local searches happen on mobile devices. Your website must work perfectly on smartphones.
SSL certificate: Google prefers secure websites. Make sure your website uses https://.
Local hosting: While not critical, hosting in the Netherlands can marginally help with local rankings.
Link Building for Local SEO
Local backlinks are more powerful than generic backlinks for local rankings.
Local partnerships: Collaborate with other local businesses for mutual links. A restaurant can link to a local wine shop, and vice versa.
Sponsorship and events: Sponsor local events or sports teams. These organizations often link to sponsors on their websites.
Local news sites: Build relationships with local journalists. Good PR action can deliver valuable links and local awareness.
Municipality and organizations: Many municipalities have business pages. Make sure you're listed there.
A physiotherapist in Rotterdam got links from the local football club (he treated their players), a fitness center (partnership), and the municipal magazine (interview about back problems). These local links enormously strengthened his authority.
Content Marketing for Local SEO
Local content attracts local visitors and signals relevance to Google.
Cover local events: Write about King's Day in your city, local festivals, or news events. A photographer in The Hague wrote about "Best photo shoot locations in The Hague" and got 500% more local inquiries.
Customer success stories: Share stories of local customers (with permission). "How we helped [company name] from Utrecht double their revenue."
Create local guides: "Restaurants in Amsterdam with gluten-free options" or "Best childcare in Rotterdam". This content is often shared and attracts links.
Seasonal content: Link your services to seasons or local traditions. A garden center can write about "Planting tulips in the Netherlands: optimal timing."
Social Media for Local SEO
Social media signals local relevance and can bring traffic to your website.
Use geo-tagging: Tag your location in all sociale media posts. This strengthens local signals.
Local hashtags: Use hashtags like #Amsterdam, #Rotterdam, #Netherlands in your posts.
Local community betrokkenheid: Respond to other local businesses, share local news, support local initiatives.
Encourage customers to tag: Ask customers to tag your business in their posts. User-generated content is worth gold.
Tracking and Monitoring
Measure your local SEO performance to know what works.
Google Search Console: Monitor which local keywords bring traffic. Filter on queries with your city name.
Google Analytics: View geographic data of your visitors. Do they really come from your target area?
Rankings tracker: Monitor your position for important local keywords. Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs have local tracking options.
Review monitoring: Track how many reviews you get per month and your average score.
Common Local SEO Mistakes
Avoid these common mistakes:
Inconsistent NAP data: Your business name, address, and phone number must be exactly the same everywhere.
Wrong Google Business categories: Choose categories that perfectly match what you do, not what seems to bring more traffic.
Fake reviews: Google punishes fake reviews hard. Focus on earning real reviews.
Keyword stuffing with locations: "Dentist Amsterdam Amsterdam best dentist Amsterdam" doesn't work anymore. Write naturally.
Ignoring negative reviews: Respond professionally to all reviews, including negative ones.
Local SEO for Multi-Location Businesses
Have multiple locations? Each location needs a unique approach.
Separate Google Business Profiles: Each location must have its own profile with unique content.
Location-specific landing pages: Create unique pages for each location with local content and keywords.
Local variation in content: A location in Amsterdam has different needs than one in Maastricht.
A retail chain with 15 stores in the Netherlands saw 200% growth in local traffic by treating each location as a unique business instead of one national approach.
The Future of Local SEO
Local SEO continues to evolve. Important trends to watch include
voice search with queries like "Hey Google, where is the nearest dentist?",
visual search where people take photos of businesses and search for information, and
AI-powered features as Google shows more and more direct answers.
Local SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency and patience are essential, but the results can be transformative for your business. Start with your Google Business Profile, collect reviews, and systematically build your local presence.
Want help optimizing your local SEO? As a specialized agency, we help businesses in the Netherlands become the local market leader in their sector. Contact us for a free local SEO analysis of your
business.