Independence, interests and review
The honest answer first: this site is not fully independent, because the founder works in the field himself. What we do is keep that influence as small as possible and disclose every tie openly.
Our rules
- The founder and his own brands are not ranked, not even as a measuring party.
- No paid placement, no adverts, no affiliate links and no lead fee from parties that could appear in the ranking.
- Every tie between the editorial team and an assessed specialist is shown with that specialist’s score: former colleague, partner, client or competitor, with the year.
- Anyone with a tie to a specialist does not call that specialist’s clients and does not calculate that specialist’s score.
- The method is fixed in advance for each edition and is public. Changes are listed in the corrections log.
- A specialist sees their scorecard five working days in advance and can report factual errors.
Who reviews the method?
The method and the scoring rules are reviewed by LocalSEOLab.nl and Stichting LODAK. Neither is independent of the founder: LocalSEOLab.nl is the test environment that Gijs Bodenstaff set up, and Stichting LODAK is the foundation of Stanley Leijnse, with whom Gijs worked at Franchiseseo.nl until September 2026.
That is why they review the method and the calculation, never an individual score. A reviewer never assesses anything that involves themselves, a partner or a client. We are still looking for a third reviewer with no tie to the editorial team: a researcher, someone from the trade press or a trade association. Interested? Get in touch with the editorial team.
How the site makes money
Not through the assessed specialists. The site is currently paid for by the founder. Should a source of income be added later, for example sponsorship by a party outside the category or paid access to raw data for researchers, we will disclose it here first.
Frequently asked questions
Is this site fully independent?
No, not fully: the founder works in the field himself. That is why we have rules that limit his influence, and why we disclose every tie openly. See also: 10 questions for your agency.
Why is the founder not in the list?
Because a publisher who competes in his own ranking is assessing himself. We do not do that, not even as a measuring party.
Who are the reviewers?
LocalSEOLab.nl and Stichting LODAK. Both have ties to the founder; that is why they review the method and the scoring rules, and never an individual score. See also: Zero click: why website traffic is no longer a good KPI.
What if an assessed specialist is a former colleague?
Then that tie is shown with their score, with the year. The score is calculated in the same way. See also: Local GEO: how a local business becomes visible in AI.
Can a specialist advertise on the site?
No. No adverts, sponsorships or affiliate links from parties that could appear in the ranking.
How do you disclose interests?
Per specialist, directly with the score, in plain words: former colleague, partner, client, competitor.
What if I think a tie has not been disclosed?
Report it via the contact page. We investigate and record the outcome in the corrections log.
Are you still looking for a reviewer without ties?
Yes. A researcher, someone from the trade press or a trade association that does not offer GEO services is welcome.
Are the scoring rules public?
Yes, on the LSAI method page. They are fixed in advance for each edition.
Why are you so open about this?
Because a ranking is only worth something if you can see who makes it and with what interest.