In Amsterdam the first on-page question is not which keyword to target but which language to target it in. Locals search for a “tandarts” or a “loodgieter”, while expats, students and visitors type the English equivalent, and many businesses need to win both. My on-page SEO for Amsterdam companies is built around that bilingual reality.
Dutch, English, or both: deciding page by page
Most people in Amsterdam speak excellent English, which tempts businesses to publish an English-only site. That works for some audiences, such as international schools, relocation services or startups selling across Europe. It does not work well for a dentist, an accountant or a tradesperson whose customers mostly search in Dutch. Dutch searchers use Dutch terms, and Google matches the language of the query to the language of the page.
I start by sorting your services into three groups:
- Dutch-first: services most local residents buy, such as home repairs, healthcare, legal and financial help for Dutch matters.
- English-first: services aimed at internationals, such as expat tax returns, relocation, English-language childcare or co-working.
- Both: services with real demand in both languages, such as restaurants, fitness studios, physiotherapy and many shops.
Pages in the “both” group get two genuinely written versions on separate URLs (for example /nl/ and /en/), linked with hreflang tags so Google shows the right one. If you sell into Belgium as well, Flemish customers sometimes use different words from Dutch customers, and a separate nl-BE version may be worth it for your key pages. I work on structure, keyword placement and markup; the Dutch copy should be written or checked by a native speaker, ideally someone on your team who knows how your customers talk.
Dutch search terms behave differently
Dutch joins words into compounds, and that affects keyword research and on-page copy. “Fietsenmaker”, “huisartsenpraktijk” and “zonnepanelen installateur” (often written as one word) can appear in several spellings, with and without spaces or hyphens. Google handles many variants, but your title tags and headings should use the form people most commonly type, and the body copy can cover the alternatives naturally. English translations of Dutch concepts also need care: an English-speaking expat looking for a “huisarts” may search “GP Amsterdam” or “family doctor Amsterdam”, and both should appear on the English page.
Formatting details matter too. Dutch readers expect prices in euros with a comma as the decimal separator (€ 49,95), dates in day-month order, and phone numbers starting 020 for Amsterdam landlines. Getting these right on the Dutch version reassures readers that a local wrote it.
Neighbourhoods and the Amsterdam map
Local searches in the city often include a neighbourhood: the Jordaan, De Pijp, Oud-West, Oost, Amsterdam-Noord, or the Zuidas business district. A physiotherapist in Oost and one in Noord are separated by the IJ, and people do not cross it casually for a routine visit. For businesses with more than one location, I create a page per real location with directions by tram, metro or bike, notes on parking (which is expensive and limited across much of the city), and the services available there. I do not create pages for districts where a business has no presence.
Five mistakes I find on Amsterdam websites
- Machine-translated Dutch pages. Native readers spot them immediately, and they rarely use the terms people actually search.
- A language switcher that sends everyone to the homepage. Each page should link to its own equivalent in the other language, which is also what hreflang expects.
- English titles on Dutch pages. CMS plugins often leave the meta title untranslated, so the search result appears in the wrong language.
- Missing company details. Dutch customers and many directories expect to see your KvK (Chamber of Commerce) number and full address. Putting them in the footer and in your Organization or LocalBusiness schema supports trust.
- Consent banners that break the page. GDPR and Dutch cookie rules require consent for many trackers, but a banner that blocks content or loads slowly hurts the page experience. I flag issues for your developer; legal wording is for your privacy adviser.
Sector notes for the city
Hospitality: restaurants and cafés compete with Google Maps, Tripadvisor and delivery platforms such as Thuisbezorgd. Your own menu page should be real HTML text (not just a PDF or image) so it can be indexed, with Restaurant schema, opening hours and a booking link. Tourism and experiences: visitors search in English and many other languages, often from their phones on the day, so pages need clear meeting points, durations and booking information near the top. Tech and creative companies: many international firms based in Amsterdam sell across Europe, so their on-page work is about European markets with hreflang rather than local search. Professional services: notaries, lawyers and financial advisers need named, qualified professionals on the page, and their own compliance review of any claims.
Practical details of working together
Amsterdam clients work with me at a distance: I am in Karachi, Pakistan, with no Dutch office. Karachi is three hours ahead of Amsterdam in summer and four hours ahead in winter, which gives us a solid shared block from your morning into the early afternoon. Calls run in English. Deliverables arrive as page-by-page recommendations with rewritten English copy and Dutch keyword guidance for your native-speaking editor, or I implement changes directly in your CMS. Fees are quoted in euros. Where personal data is involved, I work on a need-to-know basis and can sign a data processing agreement if your GDPR process requires one.
Language handling is only part of the job; the main on-page SEO service page lists the rest. Previous work is outlined in my client case studies.
Questions Amsterdam businesses ask about bilingual pages
We only have an English site. Are we missing Dutch searches?
Very likely, if your customers include Dutch residents. English pages can still rank for some searches, but for most local services Dutch queries are better served by Dutch pages, so I would start by translating your two or three most valuable service pages properly.
Can you write Dutch copy yourself?
I write the structure, headings plan, keyword guidance and English copy. The final Dutch text should come from a native speaker, which keeps it natural and accurate.
Should we use a .nl domain or a subfolder on our .com?
For a business focused on the Netherlands, a .nl domain is a clear local signal. For an international company, subfolders on one domain with hreflang are usually easier to manage. Changing an existing setup carries risk, so we would weigh it carefully first.
A free audit will show whether your Dutch and English versions support or undercut each other, with concrete changes for each. Ask for one here.