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Friends Of Search 2020
On February 5, Friends of Search took place in Belgium for the first time. Our entire team headed to The Egg in Brussels to attend this leading search conference. We’re excited to share our key learnings and takeaways with you.

Cindy Krum from MobileMoxie – Google and Languages
Did you know that language plays a significant role in the search results Google presents? Google considers three factors when displaying your results:
- The Google domain version (e.g., Google.be, Google.de).
- The language of the search query.
- The search language settings and the language set on the (mobile) device.
However, Google primarily focuses on the language settings of your device. This means that keywords rank differently for everyone. In some cases, your site may appear at the top, while in others, it ranks much lower.
Cindy provided a clear example: In Zürich, Switzerland, there are three spoken languages—French, German, and Italian. If you want to rank for the word “coffee” in these three languages (kaffee, café, and caffè, respectively), don’t split the keywords by language. Instead, analyze each keyword based on the device’s language settings. This approach helps you understand how well each keyword performs in its respective language group.

Dieuwerke Antoons-O’Donnell of Bol.com – Optimizing SEO at scale and localized

Dieuwerke provided insight into how Bol.com approaches SEO at scale. With 2 billion URLs—330 million of which are indexed by Google—solutions at scale are a necessity. Bol.com started by addressing title tags, which were often poorly formulated and, in some cases, incorrect.
For example, a search result might indicate a page about “21 mountain bikes,” which is misleading. Bol.com aimed to reach users searching for a mountain bike with 21 gears—a significant difference with a major negative impact.
To achieve more natural titles and page headers, they worked with variables. Page titles were adjusted, and 71 variables were created to generate natural title tags. The results included:
- 98% natural headers
- +58% organic traffic
- +25% increase in top 3 search result appearances
When Bol.com expanded to Belgium, they encountered a language barrier between Flanders and the Netherlands. Despite speaking the same language, differences exist—for example, magnetron (Netherlands) vs. microgolfoven (Flanders). Rolling out a French-language site for Wallonia remains a significant challenge, as the current setup does not support French well. The key lies in balancing automated scripts with manual interventions.
Jeroen Maaijen at TUI Benelux – In-house Sea Team
Jeroen Maaijen shared tips on how to successfully assemble an in-house SEA team at TUI Benelux:
- Team Collaboration: SEA is not a solo effort; it’s a team endeavor. Build a diverse team with varying levels of seniority and personality types.
- Ownership: Assign ownership of specific tasks to team members and recognize their contributions.
- Procedures and Back-Up Systems: Use written procedures to allow team members to take over tasks when needed. A back-up system ensures someone is always available to step in.
- Team Audits: Perform regular team audits where members review each other’s work and provide constructive feedback.
- External Input: Don’t isolate the in-house team completely. External input from other companies or freelancers can help prevent tunnel vision and add valuable insights. Regular round-ups with outsiders can be highly beneficial.

Frederick Vallaeys of Optmyzr about AI in our world
With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, is the job of a SEA specialist at risk? According to Frederick Vallaeys of Optmyzr, the answer is no. However, our role will evolve, and we must adapt. Frederick compared it to the role of a pilot: in the past, the pilot handled everything manually, whereas now, they primarily serve as a control mechanism. Thanks to automation, pilots still need to remain vigilant, but manual execution is no longer necessary.
The same applies to online marketers: while tasks used to require manual effort, we can now save significant time through machine learning and automation. However, oversight remains essential, and our roles will gradually shift, focusing on greater efficiency.
Judith Lewis from DeCabbit on Digital Strategy
Judith Lewis kicked off her presentation with chocolate—not Belgian, though! She quickly made up for it with an outstanding talk. Judith explained in a concise manner how to build a bulletproof digital strategy, starting with the core question:
What are we doing, for whom, and why?

The presentation covered every aspect: what, who, when, and where. Judith demonstrated how to properly create personas, implement the customer journey, and determine which channels to use and when. Her talk was a perfect conclusion to our Friends of Search adventure.

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