Google Ads Consultant, Netherlands

Dutch, English and the queries in between

English is common in Dutch business life, which tempts some advertisers to run English-only campaigns. That can work for certain audiences, such as international teams, tech companies and expat founders, but plenty of commercial search still happens in Dutch, particularly among owner-managed firms, installers, wholesalers and regional service companies. The interesting part is the mixture. Dutch searchers often combine languages, keeping English terms for software, logistics or marketing concepts and Dutch words for everything else.

I handle this by letting the search terms decide the structure:

• Review what people actually typed before clicking, and tag each query as Dutch, English or mixed.
• Build campaigns or ad groups around the dominant pattern for each service, with ads in the language the query used.
• Keep mixed queries with the Dutch campaign when the landing page is Dutch, because the searcher is most likely a Dutch speaker.
• Check that each ad leads to a page in the same language rather than an English page with a Dutch headline.

Google's language targeting draws on signals about the user and the query, not just a browser setting, so it does not replace this work. Dutch copy should come from native speakers on your team or a partner; machine-translated ads read badly, and Dutch readers generally respond better to plain, direct statements than to sales language. My Dutch SEO page deals with the same language choice for organic pages.

Cross-border campaigns from a Dutch base

Many Dutch companies sell beyond the border from the start: distributors serving the Benelux, logistics providers working for German shippers, software firms selling across Europe. In Google Ads that often shows up as one campaign with several countries switched on. The result is blended reporting, ads in the wrong language and budgets drifting toward whichever country has the largest auction.

I treat each market as its own unit:

• Flanders: Dutch-language, yet Belgian vocabulary and expectations differ, and a page that mentions Dutch-only terms or only a Dutch address may not convince. Ad copy should be checked by a Flemish speaker.
• Germany: a separate German-language campaign with German landing pages written by native speakers, and an honest view of whether you can genuinely serve German customers.
• English-language Europe: a campaign aimed at international buyers, often narrower than expected, with stricter negative keywords.

Location targeting should usually rely on where people are, not on their interest in a place, unless you serve visitors or relocating businesses. Budgets are set per market so the largest country does not swallow everything. This also shows which countries produce orders rather than clicks, which feeds directly into decisions about where to expand next. For organizations working across several markets, my international SEO service complements the paid side.

Performance Max, product feeds and when to hold back

The Netherlands has many webshops and wholesalers with product catalogs, and for them Performance Max with a clean product feed can be a reasonable choice. The campaign type uses your assets, feed and conversion data to serve ads across Google's channels. It also hides much of its working, and it will chase whatever you call a conversion, including cheap newsletter sign-ups or existing customers searching for your brand.

I decide on it case by case:

• For a webshop with accurate product data and reliable purchase tracking, it is worth testing alongside standard Shopping and Search, with brand exclusions.
• For a B2B distributor whose orders arrive by quote, customer portal or phone, I start with Search and offline conversion import, then test Performance Max once the CRM signal is dependable.
• For services sold through long conversations, I often leave it off and keep budget where search terms can be inspected.

Landing pages carry as much weight as the campaign choice. A Dutch visitor expects clear terms, delivery and pricing information where relevant, a company name and Chamber of Commerce details they can verify, and a form that asks only what sales needs. I review pages for message match, speed and clarity and write change briefs for your web team. For regulated sectors such as financial services, health products or gambling, Google's policies and Dutch rules can restrict what may be advertised; I flag the likely limits and leave the legal reading to your advisor.

Consent, the Dutch regulator and tracking to the CRM

Dutch cookie rules sit in national telecommunications law alongside the GDPR, and the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens has published guidance on consent and tracking. Most business websites now ask visitors before placing advertising cookies, and a refusal limits what Google Ads can observe. Consent mode adjusts tags to each visitor's choice and lets Google model part of the missing data. I configure it with your consent tool and explain which numbers are observed and which are estimated. Whether your banner and privacy notice meet Dutch requirements is for your privacy advisor or data protection officer to judge.

Because platform data is partial, the CRM becomes the reference point:

1. Forms capture the click identifier and campaign parameters with the inquiry or quote request.
2. Your CRM stores them on the lead and keeps them through conversion to account and opportunity.
3. Sales confirms stage definitions, such as qualified, quoted and ordered.
4. Those stages flow back to Google Ads by connector, scheduled file or integration.

Enhanced conversions, which send hashed customer data to match conversions, need a privacy review before use; I describe what is sent so your advisor can decide. Where the quote and order live in an ERP rather than the CRM, I trace the link between the two so ordered value can be reported per campaign. My CRM consulting in the Netherlands covers that boundary in more detail.

Budget pacing, ownership and the reports you receive

Spend in a Dutch account should follow demand rather than a fixed monthly amount divided evenly. Summer holidays, the end-of-year period and sector cycles change how many buyers search, and campaigns should be adjusted on purpose. I monitor pacing against the plan, show where a campaign limited by budget is producing qualified leads, and propose moving money away from campaigns that only produce clicks. I do not suggest a budget figure without understanding your market; we agree a test level and adjust on evidence.

Account ownership is not negotiable in my setup. The Google Ads account, the tag container and the conversion settings belong to your company, under your billing profile, with me working as a user. If an agency currently holds the account inside its own manager structure, I help you establish ownership before changes start, so your data history stays with you whatever happens next.

Reports are written for a director or commercial lead: spend, qualified leads, quotes and orders by campaign and language from the CRM, with platform metrics such as impression share, click-through rate and search term trends used to explain changes. Each report ends with recommendations. All work is remote, with calls during Dutch office hours. For the bigger channel picture, see my Dutch B2B lead generation page and the Netherlands overview.