Gijs Bodenstaff: founder and franchise marketer

Gijs Bodenstaff founded Franchise Marketing Bureau and has been active in online marketing since 1998. From 2010 Local SEO became his specialism; he has helped more than 800 businesses to be found more easily locally. Because he was himself the franchisor of a European franchise brand, he knows how a head office thinks.

What is Gijs's career in online marketing?

Gijs started in online marketing in 1998, at a time when search engines were still in their infancy. In 2010 he was the first in the Netherlands to start an agency purely for link building, and local search became his focus. At Stageplaza.nl he was at the helm for thirteen years (1998 to 2011), with a team of 35 spread across eight countries and more than 5,000 internship placements. In 2010 he also set up and marketed a franchise brand of his own.

His agency Linkbuilding Specialist grew to 25 FTE between 2010 and 2014, won the Emerce Finest 50 title Best Link Building Office Nederland in 2011 and was acquired after four years. He now holds more than 27 certifications in Local SEO, GEO and Google, and has his own Wikidata entity (Q139585063).

He brings that combination of entrepreneurship, international leadership and specialist knowledge to his work for franchise brands. Read more about the people he works with under the team behind Franchise Marketing Bureau.

Milestones of Gijs Bodenstaff and what they mean for franchise brands
Milestone	What it involves	Why it matters for your franchise brand
Online marketing since 1998	More than twenty years of experience with search engines and websites	Knows how search behaviour has developed from the early days to AI
Local SEO since 2010	More than 800 businesses made easier to find locally	Knows what moves a location higher on the map
European franchise brand	Europlacement.com and Globalplacement.com, set up by him	Understands the role and concerns of a franchisor
Thirteen years at Stageplaza.nl	Leading a team of 35 in eight countries	Experience managing many people and markets
First link building agency in the Netherlands	Founded in 2010	Foundation for white-hat website authority
Emerce Finest 50 (2011)	Best Link Building Office Nederland	Recognition of expertise by the industry

Portrait photo of Gijs Bodenstaff, founder of Franchise Marketing Bureau and specialist in Local SEO and GEO for franchise chains — Gijs Bodenstaff, active in online marketing since 1998 and in Local SEO since 2010.

Which roles does Gijs hold at Google?

Gijs holds three roles at Google: he is a level 8 Local Guide, he is a Product Expert and he tests as a beta tester for Google Labs. As a Product Expert he answers business owners' questions about Google products. As a beta tester he often sees new search features before the market does. That helps in assessing changes in Maps, search results and AI answers.

Which books and knowledge resources has Gijs written?

One of his books is the Franchise Local SEO & GEO Handboek 2027 (Dutch-language edition). In it he explains how franchise brands become visible per location in Google, maps and AI assistants. Practical summaries of that knowledge can be found in our knowledge base articles, such as the explanation of Generative Engine Optimisation for franchise chains.

He also wrote Local SEO 2026 voor Franchiseketens (Dutch-language edition, 235 pages) and, together with Stanley Leijnse, Local SEO & GEO voor Franchiseketens 2026 (Dutch-language edition). An overview of the books and of the benchmark of 100 chains is available at Gijs's books and research on franchise chains.

Where can you find Gijs's online profiles?

These profiles belong to the same person and are also linked in this website's structured data (sameAs). This allows search engines and AI assistants to connect them:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gijsbodenstaff
Personal website: gijsbodenstaff.nl
Author profile on the website gijs-bodenstaff.nl
Amazon author page: amazon.com/stores/author/B0HCMGSTFX
YouTube: @GijsBodenstaffGEOspecialist
Profile on franchiseseo.nl
Profile on franchise-marketing.nl

See also our network of franchise sites for the role of each site.

Questions about Gijs Bodenstaff

Since when has Gijs Bodenstaff worked in online marketing?

He started in online marketing in 1998. He saw the rise of search engines, local maps and now AI assistants at close quarters. Since 2010 his focus has been on local search, the discipline that makes the biggest difference for franchise brands with many locations.

For how many businesses has Gijs worked on local search?

Since 2010 Gijs has helped more than 800 businesses to be found more easily locally. This involved Google Business Profiles, local pages, reviews and listings. That experience is the basis for the checklists we now use per location for franchise brands.

Does Gijs have experience as a franchisor himself?

Yes. With Europlacement.com and Globalplacement.com, Gijs set up a franchise brand of his own in Europe. As a result he knows from practice what is involved in recruitment, local marketing and safeguarding the brand. That makes conversations with head offices more concrete and quicker.

What management experience does Gijs have?

For thirteen years Gijs led Stageplaza.nl, with a team of 35 spread across eight countries. He uses that experience with international teams and processes when organising work across many locations at once, with fixed checks and clear agreements.

What does it mean that Gijs is a Google Product Expert?

As a Google Product Expert, Gijs helps business owners with questions about Google products, such as the Google Business Profile. Google thereby recognises his knowledge of those products. For franchise brands it means problems with profiles, verification or listings are recognised and resolved more quickly.

What does Google Local Guide level 8 involve?

A Local Guide improves Google Maps by writing reviews, posting photos and reporting errors. You only reach level 8 after many contributions. As a result Gijs knows Google Maps from the inside, including from the side of the user who searches for and rates a location.

Which book on franchising and Local SEO did Gijs write?

One of his books is the Franchise Local SEO & GEO Handboek 2027, about the visibility of franchise brands and locations in Google, map services and AI assistants. We use the core of that approach every day in our work for clients.

Why does this page list Gijs's profiles on other websites?

Search engines and AI assistants build a picture of people by linking profiles. By listing all profiles here and connecting them in the structured data, it is clear that they refer to the same Gijs Bodenstaff. That strengthens the trustworthiness of his name and of the agency.

Is Gijs personally involved in projects for franchise brands?

Yes. Gijs determines the strategy together with head office and oversees delivery. The hands-on work is done by the team and the freelancers. Strategy, advice and training are charged at €65 per hour, and you always receive a fixed quote in advance.

How do you get in touch with Gijs Bodenstaff?

Book a half-hour call via Calendly, or use the details on the contact page. We also respond at weekends, from eight in the morning to seven in the evening. Gijs reads the incoming messages himself.

Gijs Bodenstaff: founder and franchise local SEO specialist