Updated: 24/09/2024
SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways to get organic traffic in the Arab world for search engine optimization in Arabic. Creating a long-term and sustainable organic traffic is important in every marketing strategy. In the region of the Middle East, there are more than 169 million people online who actively use the internet to buy local products and services. There is a fair amount of competition for the English language, however, SEO for the Arabic language is still in its beginnings.
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Here are some tips on how to start with Arabic SEO and use it for your website.
First and foremost, as with everything with marketing, you need to understand your target group. Many businesses fall behind in this and the Middle East region is no different. Users in the Middle East are unique due to their consumer behaviour which is impacted by culture and region, which makes it different than the western world in Europe and North America.
After that, you can start with separating the market region into different sections depending on where you focus your business. This requires optimizing content and keywords to get the idea of what are relevant topics and keywords.
Don't forget about the competition as well. Make extensive research for your local competitors and provide SEO analysis for their authority of the domain, competition level, keyword ranking and backlinks.
Keep in mind local culture and traditions, especially cultural impact and implication of your marketing activities. Focus on optimizing websites with trends, slang, local language and relevant marketing messages.
Related: SEO guide for Arabic world: here's how to start
Starting with the local domain, it plays a big role in achieving a higher rank in local SERP. Choose a local domain name for your Arabic site (.com.eg,.ae etc.) to optimize for local search in the region.
Do not translate any Meta Data from your native language to local Arab language, rather pay for native SEO copywriter. Do the basics of on-page optimization - create native titles with meta descriptions, use your properly localized keywords for HTML content and meta tags. Use proper alt descriptions for all your images and videos to properly show for SERP results in Google Images Search and Videos.
Be sure you use proper language tags if you have a multilingual website. You don't need to translate your URLs into the local language, but make sure you avoid duplicate content. Make an audit of your website and focus on broken sitemap and broken links to avoid redirections in foreign content.
If you are in eCommerce, don't forget to localize your product-related content with the use of Arabic keywords. This includes product descriptions, images, videos, shopping cart, FAQ etc.
Related: Let Quality SEO Boost Your Business
Use what you can, when you can. Basics include setting up Google Analytics, Google Search Console and Google My Business is a must. Plus, use proper SEO tools for keyword research and domain analysis.
Every business needs a good plan. SEO is no exception. Start with creating content for targeted keywords. To improve your keywords ranking, you need a long-term content strategy. Doing only localization of landing pages to support ranking growth is simply not enough.
A simple way to rank higher is to optimize content for search queries. Answering relevant questions which are commonly used in search queries is the way to go.
Related: 8 Useful SEO Considerations For Local Businesses To Rank High At Google
The good thing is that there are some major plus factors contributing to making search engine optimization in Arabic stand out and giving your website a lot more identity compared to SEO in the English language.
In many industries, the competition for Arabic keywords is significantly lower. While things are slowly changing, many Arabic-speaking users still prefer searching in English. This is often because there are fewer Arabic websites available, or they don’t seem as trustworthy. This low competition creates a great opportunity for those who focus on search engine optimization in Arabic to rank higher with less effort.
Most of the companies just translate their websites into Arabic without having much idea about the ins and outs of the process of Arabic search engine optimization. This leads to poorly optimized pages which miss out on organic traffic considerably. If you can tailor your content specifically for Arabic-speaking audiences, you'll have a significant edge.
One big plus is the scarcity of PPC ads in Arabic. This means that organic search results take up more space on the page. If your site is well-optimized, you’re more likely to appear at the top, attracting more clicks and traffic without the high costs associated with ads.
Most companies in this region wants quick, short-term results rather than investing in long-term SEO strategies. This often leads to excessive risks that could cause penalties from Google. A long-term approach to Arabic search engine optimization can build a resilient online presence successfully in the white-hat way.
There’s a shortage of experienced digital marketers who are fluent in Arabic. This gap means that businesses often struggle to find skilled professionals who understand SEO in Arabic. For those willing to invest in proper training, this presents a unique opportunity to lead the market.
When it comes to SEO for websites in Arab, focusing your efforts on the right regions can make all the difference. Here are three key areas where your SEO efforts can truly pay off:
The Gulf region is one of the hotbeds for online activities due to its wealth endowed by the production of oil. Arabs from the Gulf are comfortable shopping online; they mostly want quality products from around the world.
This makes SEO for Arabic websites particularly valuable here, as there are likely untapped opportunities in industries like apparel, beauty, and electronics.
The Levant, which includes Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Iraq, has faced challenges over the years, but it’s also a region poised for growth. Lebanon and Jordan, in particular, have strong educational systems, producing a skilled workforce.
As countries like Iraq, Syria, and Palestine rebuild, there’s significant potential for SEO for websites in Arab targeting high-end products and services.
North Africa, especially Egypt, is the most populous Arabic-speaking region. With over 100 million people in Egypt alone, the region offers a vast market for affordable products. However, even high-end products can find a market here, as there are millions of wealthy individuals across the region.
Keep in mind that dialect differences are pronounced, and incorporating French in your SEO for websites in Arab might be beneficial, especially in Algeria and Morocco.
Focusing your SEO for Arabic websites on these regions can help you reach the right audience and maximize your impact in the Arab world.
Conclusion
To start with SEO in the Middle East, you first need to understand the market. To do that, you can either try on your own, or you can find a local marketing agency to help you with your advertising efforts. Let us help you with an SEO marketing strategy in the Middle East. Contact us today, and let’s make something happen together.
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