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This article was originally published on Adformatie.nl
At 113 suicide prevention, everything revolves around reach. When someone in crisis calls the 113 helpline or starts a chat, it can quite literally be a matter between life or death. However, finding appropriate ways to grow that reach in this sensitive space is far from simple.
‘We work in one of the most sensitive contexts imaginable,’ says Jochum Veerman, marketing and communications manager at 113. ‘We know that people who have suicidal thoughts often look for information online. In those crucial moments, we want to be there for them. We want to be instantly visible — but never in a way that feels unsafe or intrusive to the one who is seeking help.’
This calls for a marketing approach that walks a very delicate line between visibility, privacy, and ethics. And for the past thirteen years, digital agency iO has been helping 113 strike that balance.
Banned keywords
Google — and platforms like TikTok — don’t allow advertising on terms such as “suicide” or “suicidal”. ‘With commercial clients, you can use SEA to shoot straight to the top of search results. Not here,’ explains Nadifa Jama, marketing team lead at iO Amsterdam. ‘So we had to find different ways to make 113.nl visible to the people who are actively looking for help.’
That means being exceptionally good at being found organically. That’s why iO supports 113 in areas like SEO, SEA, CRO, and data — with an approach that isn’t about clicks or conversions, but about giving people the right entry point at exactly the right moment.
Rakesh Chinnoe, webmaster at 113, highlights the impact of that specific approach: ‘It’s not our goal to generate traffic for traffic’s sake. We want the people who truly need help to find their way to the right support effortlessly. That means paying attention to every detail, from how people look for help online to making pages accessible for anonymous visitors, even in the middle of the night.’
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Small but meaningful details
The partnership between 113 and iO started over ten years ago with search engine optimisation. Today, it has grown into a fully developed digital partnership, built on continuous testing, learning, and fine-tuning.
Chinnoe: ‘Together, we’ve completely overhauled the website, keeping the user in mind at all times. Every detail counts, from speed and accessibility to a calm, uncluttered design and clear calls-to-action like “Call 113” or “Chat with us.” And throughout the process, we’ve always asked ourselves: would this feel safe for someone in crisis?’
Tone of voice is absolutely crucial in this context. 'You simply can't use words like "suicide" or "despair" in advertisements or metadata, but we must be aware that people are indeed searching for these terms,' explains Jama. 'So we conducted research into the language people actually use when seeking help. Words that aren't directly triggering. We've then translated this insight into a strategy that operates within platform guidelines whilst maintaining an empathetic approach.'
The results speak for themselves: 113.nl has grown to become one of the Netherlands' most visited support websites, attracting more than 1.6 million visits annually. Which illustrates just how vital this resource has become.
Reaching a wider community
113 recognises that when someone is struggling with suicidal thoughts, they're not alone in their pain. Their loved ones are often searching for ways to help too. That’s why 113's campaigns and content increasingly focus on reaching those who care about someone in crisis.
'For people seeking help for themselves, we've created supportive assessments that guide them towards the next step, whether that's connecting with a helpline or finding online therapy that feels right for them. But we also know that parents, friends, colleagues, and teachers often feel helpless when they're worried about someone,’ says Veerman. ‘That's why we developed our free online VraagMaar suicide prevention training. It gives people the confidence to spot the signs and, crucially, know how to have those difficult but life-changing conversations. Of course, speaking to someone who's concerned about a loved one requires a completely different approach in our online campaigns.'
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Privacy? Not negotiable.
Data plays a vital role in 113’s work, but always within the strictest boundaries. 'Privacy is absolutely non-negotiable for us,' Veerman emphasises. 'We work with anonymised data only. This means we never know someone’s identity, but we can understand how they navigate through the site as a visitor. This allows us to see, for example, whether people can easily find the chat function, or identify points where they might be struggling to find what they need. These insights are invaluable in helping us continually improve the user experience.'
‘For iO, this represents a unique approach to data-driven work,’ Jama reflects. 'Typically, you want to know as much as possible about users to optimise campaigns effectively. Here, we need to achieve quite the opposite: knowing as little as possible whilst still optimising performance and effectiveness. And that demands both creativity and a strong ethical compass.'
A concrete example lies in how 113 approaches A/B testing and conversion rate optimisation (CRO). Chinnoe explains: 'We only test elements that are genuinely functional and relevant. For instance, we might explore whether shorter text on the chat button encourages people to take action more quickly. The goal is always to guide people towards the right support faster, without being manipulative.'
Veerman sees this balance as fundamental to their marketing philosophy: 'We want to grow our reach, but never at the expense of trust.
13 years of trust
The partnership between 113 and iO exemplifies how a long-term collaboration can truly evolve and flourish. 'We work together as one unified team,' says Jama. 'We're constantly talking, sharing ideas, and genuinely trusting each other. The team at 113 has such a clear vision of the difference they want to make, and we've learned how to bring that to life online whilst staying true to everything they stand for.'
Veerman adds: 'We really know each other now. The iO team understands how carefully we need to handle these sensitive topics. But they also get that lives are at stake, that there's real urgency behind what we do. They've found this balance of being both innovative and thoughtful. It means we can try new things together with confidence, like finding better ways to reach young people or making our support feel even more accessible to those who need it.'
All that trust and teamwork have paid off: in 2022, 113 and iO were honoured with a Silver European Search Award. That’s a recognition of how they've managed to push boundaries and try new things, all while keeping the people they're trying to help at the heart of everything they do.
Responsibility as strategy
The partnership is set to become even more significant in the coming years. From 2026, suicide prevention will become mandatory municipal policy, further expanding 113's vital role. 'This means we'll be collaborating with even more organisations,' explains Veerman. 'Our digital platform needs to remain both scalable and accessible, especially as we reach new communities. iO will continue as our strategic partner, not just technically, but in helping us communicate our message responsibly to everyone who needs it.'
For Jama, this work carries deep personal meaning. 'We're not just building a website. Everything we create has real impact on people's lives. That brings a different energy to the team. The stakes are higher, but so is the sense of fulfilment.'
SEO can save lives
Most of the time, SEO is all about the bottom line: companies fighting to get noticed first so they can win more customers. Veerman sees the irony in this. '113 is playing exactly the same game, trying to be the first result people see. But the big difference is we're not here to sell anything. We're there because somewhere, someone is searching in their darkest moment, and we want to make sure we're the ones who show up for them when they need help most.'