Online advertising for franchise chains comes down to one question: which location generates which enquiry, and at what cost? We set up campaigns in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and Meta Ads with a separate budget and radius for each location. You pay the advertising budget directly to the platform, so you can always see where every euro goes.
Why does advertising for franchise chains need its own set-up?
A franchise brand advertises on two levels at once. The brand wants national recognition, while the location wants customers from its own neighbourhood. If you put both into one campaign, you cannot see which location is profitable and which is wasting budget.
Scale makes this even more important. According to the Dutch Franchise Association (NFV), the Netherlands has 34,937 franchise locations spread across 936 franchise brands. A service provider has 26 locations on average, a food brand 66 (calculation based on NFV data). With numbers like these, adjusting each location by hand no longer works. You need a fixed structure, with naming, budgets and measurement that are the same for every location.
Should franchisors buy ad campaigns centrally or per branch?
The answer is almost always: both, with clear boundaries. Head office safeguards the brand, copy and measurement. The location gets its own budget and its own area. This prevents two locations from bidding against each other on the same keyword.
| Element | Head office | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Brand keywords | One national campaign | No separate bids on the brand name |
| Local keywords | Template and exclusions | Own radius and budget |
| Ad copy | Fixed brand rules and approval | Local details such as address and offer |
| Conversion tracking | One measurement plan for all accounts | Uses the same goals |
| Budget | Allocation via the marketing fund | Optional top-up of its own |
What exactly do we set up for each advertising network?
Elisabeth, our local advertising specialist, structures the accounts so that every location is visible separately in the figures. Angela takes care of the local campaigns in Meta. Where it fits, we add TikTok or LinkedIn, for example for reaching prospective franchisees online.
| Network | What we set up | Why it matters for chains |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | Search campaigns per location with radius, location extensions | Captures search intent at the moment someone is looking for a location |
| Microsoft Ads | Imports the Google structure, separate bids | Reaches searchers on Bing and partner networks |
| Meta Ads | Local campaigns on Facebook and Instagram per location | Builds awareness around a new or quiet location |
| All networks | Consistent naming and UTM codes | Results can be traced back to each location |
A local landing page as the destination
An advert for one location should land on that location, not on the homepage. That is why we link campaigns to a strong page for every branch with the address, opening hours and a direct call button.
AI as the signal, people as the decision makers
AI helps us flag anomalies across all accounts, such as a location whose cost per click suddenly rises. A specialist assesses the signal and adjusts the campaign.
Work together on measurable results, not on an annual contract. Start with the free visibility scan.
Which metrics do we track for advertising per location?
We prefer to measure a few things well. Every KPI has a reason and a fixed measurement method, which you can see in measurable figures for each location.
| KPI | Why | How we measure it |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per enquiry | Shows what a customer acquired through advertising costs | Conversion goals in every account, divided by spend |
| Call clicks and direction requests | Local customers call or drive over directly | Call extensions and location extensions |
| Impression share | Shows whether the budget covers demand | Report per campaign in Google and Microsoft |
| Reach in the area | Measures awareness around the location | Meta reporting per radius |
Which mistakes do we often see in campaigns for chains?
Three patterns keep recurring when we open existing accounts during the baseline measurement.
Locations bidding against each other
Overlapping areas without exclusions drive up the cost per click. We define an area for each location.
Measurement differs per account
If one location counts forms and another counts phone calls, you cannot compare anything. One measurement plan solves that.
Google only
Microsoft Ads is often left untouched, even though the structure can be copied over with little extra work.
Fictitious worked example: advertising across twenty franchise locations
A fictitious service provider with twenty locations wants more appointments. The budget goes directly to the platforms, and management is a fixed monthly fee on the basis of a quote.
| Item | Per location per month | Twenty locations per month |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads (paid to Google) | €300 | €6,000 |
| Microsoft Ads (paid to Microsoft) | €75 | €1,500 |
| Meta Ads (paid to Meta) | €125 | €2,500 |
| Total media budget | €500 | €10,000 |
| Management by us | Fixed monthly fee on quotation | Fixed monthly fee on quotation |
What does ad management cost for a franchise brand?
Ad management falls outside the packages per location and has a fixed monthly fee on the basis of a quote, tailored to the number of locations and networks. You do not pay a percentage of your media budget. The packages for profiles and reviews can be found under fixed prices per location. Curious where you stand now? Start with a no-cost location scan, or first take a look at the full online services package.
What does a location outside the Google Maps top 3 cost you?
This calculation uses Dutch figures instead of American click-through rates. The average revenue per franchise location comes from the Dutch Franchise Association (NFV) statistics, reference year 2025. Nobody can say in advance exactly how much revenue a location loses without a top position in Google Maps, with a Google Business Profile that is not in order, or without proper review management. So you calculate a scenario per cause: a few percent of revenue going to a more visible competitor. Add them up and you see the combined cost.
| Sector | Revenue per location per year | 1% revenue missed | 3% revenue missed | Growth package (€4,800 a year) as share of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All sectors (average) | €1,445,000 | €14,450 | €43,350 | 0.33% |
| Services | €480,000 | €4,800 | €14,400 | 1% |
| Hospitality | €1,230,000 | €12,300 | €36,900 | 0.39% |
| Health care | €1,270,000 | €12,700 | €38,100 | 0.38% |
| Non-food retail | €1,750,000 | €17,500 | €52,500 | 0.27% |
| Food retail | €2,910,000 | €29,100 | €87,300 | 0.16% |
| Other brands | €680,000 | €6,800 | €20,400 | 0.71% |
- 6 of the 100 largest Dutch franchise chains reply to a Google review within 24 hours; the average response time is 6.8 days and 90% has no demonstrable review management process.
- Only 40% of the 500 Google Business Profiles examined is fully completed.
- In the measurement one review was viewed around 15,000 times on average: an unanswered complaint stays visible to thousands of people.
- 42% of consumers would rather not do business with a company that never replies to reviews (BrightLocal 2026).
Sources: NFV Franchise Statistics, reference year 2025 (34,937 locations, €50.5 billion revenue); Local SEO Franchise Benchmark 2026 (100 largest chains, 500 profiles); sector model on franchiseseo.nl (in Dutch). The percentages are scenarios you choose, not a measurement or a promise. We do not promise rankings or revenue.
Questions about online advertising for franchise chains
Do I pay the advertising budget to you or to the platform?
Can each location have its own advertising budget?
Why do you also advertise in Microsoft Ads alongside Google Ads?
How do you prevent locations from bidding against each other?
Can franchisees adjust the ad copy themselves?
Which metrics will I see from my advertising campaigns?
Do you use AI in managing adverts?
Is advertising worthwhile if my locations already rank well in Google Maps?
How quickly will I see results from new campaigns?
Can you take over the franchise brand's existing ad accounts?
Sources
Gijs Bodenstaff
Franchise marketer, local SEO and GEO specialist, author
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