What we know about the local visibility and AI visibility of chains comes from two sources: our own research and three books by founder Gijs Bodenstaff. The franchise chain benchmark 2026 examined five hundred profiles across one hundred large chains in the Netherlands over six months; only 40% of them were complete. On this page you can read how that research was set up, what it found and what each Local SEO book for franchise chains covers.
Why does a marketing agency carry out its own research into franchise chains?
There are plenty of opinions about the local visibility of chains, but few Dutch figures. Anyone advising a franchise brand wants to be able to show where the chain stands compared with similar chains. That is why we do our own measuring. The research was carried out by LocalSEOLab.nl and Stichting LODAK, with Stanley Leijnse as researcher and chair of the foundation.
We are not interested in a report that gathers dust on a shelf. The findings determine which elements are standard in our packages, such as the 24-hour response time for reviews and the monthly completeness check for each profile.
How was the benchmark of franchise chains set up?
The set-up is easy to repeat, and that is deliberate. Any franchise brand can compare the same measurement points for its own locations with the findings. The full publication is available on franchiseseo.nl.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Sample | The 100 largest Dutch franchise chains |
| Number of profiles | 500 Google Business Profiles |
| Duration | Monitored for six months |
| Assessors | Local Guides (level 6+) who review for Google |
| Measurement points | Completeness, review responses, Google Posts, WhatsApp integration, questions and answers |
| Carried out by | LocalSEOLab.nl and Stichting LODAK |
Which key figures came out of the 2026 chain benchmark?
What stands out: virtually every chain examined has its marketing handled by an agency or an in-house department. So the gap is not a lack of marketing, but the work for each location that falls outside the normal planning.
| Measurement point | Finding | What you can do with it yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Profile fully completed | 40% of profiles | Check every field for each location |
| Review responses within 24 hours | 6 out of 100 chains | Assign a review owner for each location |
| Response time of chains that do reply (average) | 6.8 days | Measure your own response time for a month |
| Demonstrable review process | Missing at 90% | Record who replies and when issues are escalated |
| Fast and personal reply | At none of the chains | Use templates only as a starting point, never as the final text |
| Ever published a Google Post | 19% of chains (10% weekly, 4% consistently vary the type) | Plan a fixed rhythm for each location |
| WhatsApp integration | 7% of profiles | Decide for each location whether chat is a good fit |
| Questions on the profile | At 40%, no chain answers all of them | Check monthly for unanswered questions |
How do we use the benchmark findings in our work for franchisors?
Every figure is reflected in a fixed part of our service. The completeness check is part of managing Business Profiles for each location. The 24-hour response time is at the heart of our review management for every branch. Unanswered questions, posts and contact buttons are covered in the local SEO checklist per location.
For a new franchise brand we compare the same measurement points with the benchmark in a baseline measurement. This immediately shows which locations are above or below the average of the large chains, and from baseline measurement to roll-out the same yardstick stays in use.
Which books on Local SEO for franchise chains has Gijs written?
The books are written for marketers and management teams of franchise brands, not for SEO specialists. They differ in length and depth. Read more about the author on the page about Gijs Bodenstaff.
| Title | Published | Format | Length | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Local SEO & GEO Handboek 2027 (Dutch-language edition) | Second edition since September 2026 | Paperback | Over 370 pages: 69 chapters plus 17 appendices | Account structure, entities, how locations appear in AI answers, European rules on reviews and a plan for the first 90 days |
| Local SEO 2026 voor Franchiseketens (Dutch-language edition) | July 2026 | Paperback or e-book | 101 chapters across 235 pages | For chains of ten to five hundred locations; who decides what between head office and the locations |
| Local SEO & GEO voor Franchiseketens 2026 (Dutch-language edition) | June 2026 | Hardcover or Kindle | 26 strategies in 83 pages | A compact overview with a 90-day plan, written with Stanley Leijnse |
The handbook as a reference work
The Franchise Local SEO & GEO Handboek 2027 is the most extensive volume. It is meant to be picked up when you have a specific question, for example how to structure the accounts of dozens of locations. ISBN 979-8176015843.
Governance for larger chains
Local SEO 2026 voor Franchiseketens deals with the question of who decides what as a chain grows from ten to hundreds of locations.
The short version to get started
Local SEO & GEO voor Franchiseketens 2026 can be read in an evening and works well as a shared starting point within a marketing team.
How does the knowledge from books and research reach your locations?
Reading a book is something different from applying it every month across thirty locations. The team applies the methods, using AI for data collection and alerts and people for checks and contact. GEO comes from the same place: how locations become visible in ChatGPT is described in the books and measured in practice with fixed test questions. Does the franchise brand already have a regular agency? Then we work as a complement to your current agency. Read more about the people in the story behind our agency.