Dutch and English adult search: measuring demand, linking versions and remembering Belgium

1Read demand in each language

Search Console lets you filter queries and pages, so compare the Dutch and English wording for the same need side by side. The Netherlands topped the EF English Proficiency Index in 2025, but proficiency is not preference: only your own data shows how your audience actually searches.

2Borrowed words and native phrasing

• Many category terms appear in Dutch queries in their English form; do not translate them by reflex.
• Where Dutch has its own everyday word, use it, and check spelling variants people type.
• Have a native speaker review headings and navigation, where a clumsy word costs the most.

3Link the versions properly

An example set; many platforms need only two or three of these.

Every version should list all the others and itself. Give each its own address, never switch language by cookie alone, and offer a visible language choice rather than forcing a redirect.

4Belgium is a separate question

Flemish Belgium reads Dutch, but vocabulary, prices, delivery times and legal details can differ. If they do, a Belgian Dutch version is worth its cost; if they do not, one Dutch version with clear delivery information serves both countries well.

5Keep the languages in step

When a category or listing changes in one language, update the other. Out-of-date translations confuse visitors and weaken the pairing search engines rely on. The service view is on Dutch search, and wider multi-market planning on platform marketing.

6The size of each audience

Rounded figures for planning. Your own analytics show how each group actually reaches your platform.

7Je or u

Dutch offers an informal "je" and a formal "u". Many consumer brands now use "je" for a friendly tone, while some sectors prefer "u" for respect or seriousness. Choose one for your platform, use it consistently in Dutch pages and emails, and keep the English tone to match. Switching between them across pages reads as careless, and readers notice.

8Naming categories in two languages

Category names should use the words each audience searches. Sometimes that is the same English loanword in both versions; sometimes the Dutch term is quite different. Research each name in Dutch and English search data with a native speaker, record the choice in a glossary, and use it everywhere: menus, titles, filters and listings. A glossary prevents the same category being called three different things.

9The expat audience in the Randstad

Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht have large international communities who often search in English for local services and events. For event and venue platforms especially, English pages for those cities can bring a distinct audience. Check English queries in Search Console by city before investing, and keep English listings as current as Dutch ones.

10A fallback version for everyone else

Visitors searching in a language you do not offer still need somewhere to land. Most Dutch platforms send them to English, or to a short page where they can pick Dutch or English, and mark that page as the hreflang fallback. Make sure it is an open, safe-for-work page rather than a login or age check, so visitors from anywhere see something useful first.

11Language checklist

• Each language has its own URLs and linked equivalents.
• Je or u chosen and used consistently.
• A glossary covers category names in both languages.
• User content shows its original language, labelled if translated.
• Belgian demand measured before building nl-BE pages.

The service behind this report is Netherlands adult search.

12Dutch content that is not a translation

Some of the best Dutch pages are not translations at all. Guides answering questions Dutch users ask, place pages for Dutch cities and help pages about Dutch payment and delivery habits often have no English equivalent, and need none. Write them in Dutch first and foremost, from Dutch search data and user questions. English pages can follow where there is English demand, but they do not have to mirror the Dutch site page for page.

13Emails and notifications

Language choice should follow users beyond the website. Let them choose Dutch or English for emails, alerts and notifications, remember the choice across devices, and make sure every message, from sign-up to password reset, exists in both languages. Keep subject lines discreet in both languages, since notifications often appear on lock screens.

14More on this

Structure in two languages is covered in listing site architecture, profiles in marketplace profile SEO, and the overall plan in Dutch marketplace SEO.

15Measuring a new language version

After launching a language version, compare its impressions, clicks and conversions with the other version each month, by page type. Expect it to start slower and settle over a few months. If the new version brings visitors but few enquiries or sign-ups, check whether listings in that language are complete and current, and whether the checkout or sign-up is fully translated.

16User content in mixed languages

Sellers and members will write in whichever language they prefer. Show user content in its original language, label it clearly, and avoid automatic translation that is presented as if the user wrote it. If you offer translation, make it a visible option for the reader, marked as automatic. Index user content under the language it is actually written in.

17When English is enough

For some niches, especially international communities in Amsterdam, English alone may serve most users. Check Dutch queries in Search Console before deciding; even small Dutch demand can be worth a few well-made pages for the most important categories. The decision should follow data, revisited every six months as the audience changes.

18In one line

Measure demand in each language, write for each audience rather than translating everything, link versions properly, choose a tone and keep it, and let your own data decide whether Flanders or English-only niches need more. The two languages should feel like one platform rather than two sites stitched together, with the same rules, prices and care on both sides. Filters in both languages are covered in marketplace filters.

19Background sources

• Google Search Central documentation

Links to the bodies and studies mentioned, so the facts can be traced back.

QQuestions