How to Conduct Keyword Research for Arabic Content

Why Arabic Keyword Research Matters

In a region where Arabic is the lingua franca for more than 400 million speakers, getting your keyword research right may make or break your online visibility. Targeting Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, or beyond, Arabic content has a particular twist, like dialects, cultural nuances, and even how people type their searches without those pesky diacritics.

Keyword research is the foundation of a good SEO strategy. It will help you understand what your audience is really searching for so that you can create content that resonates and ranks.

Now, in the Middle East, where mobile searches are at the top and voice queries are increasing every day, nailing this for Arabic content is crucial.

Think about it: billions of searches are processed daily through Google, and a huge chunk in our region is in Arabic. Here’s the kicker, though: standard English-focused tactics don’t always translate. That is why I am going to walk you through this one step at a time, as if we’re brainstorming together.

By the end of this guide, you will know exactly how to find those golden keywords that will help drive traffic and conversions. If you need a hand with the bigger picture, check out our SEO services at Biodigy to supercharge your efforts.

Summary

• Know your audience and their regional/dialect differences before researching anything.
• Do keyword brainstorming directly in Arabic, including dialects and spelling variations.
• Use SEO tools to expand and validate keywords (Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush).
• Match keywords to the correct search intent (informational vs. transactional).
• Prioritize keywords with the best mix of relevance, volume, and low/medium competition.
• Consider Arabic-specific challenges: dialects, diacritics, and cultural nuances.
• Use long-tail, conversational keywords, especially for mobile and voice searches.

Step 1: Start with Your Audience and Business Goals

Let’s get personal!

Before you even touch a tool, you have to zoom in on who you’re talking to and what you want to achieve. You could be selling e-commerce products as a marketer in Riyadh or building a blog on lifestyle tips as a content creator in Cairo.

Your target audience in the Middle East is not monolithic; people in the Gulf may look for things differently than those in the Levant because of dialects and preferences.

Ask yourself: Who is my ideal reader? (for example, young professionals in the UAE, or families in Egypt?), What problems are they trying to solve? E.g., “best budget smartphones” in Arabic would be phrased as “أفضل هواتف ذكية رخيصة “.

Then think about your goals: more traffic, leads, or sales?

Pro tip: You need to create buyer personas, and you should. 

Let’s imagine Ahmed from Jeddah, who loves tech gadgets and browses on his phone during commutes. That would put you in the right mindset to start brainstorming relevant topics.

Remember – when doing keyword research in the Middle East, cultural sensitivity will save you. Avoid keywords that may conflict with local values. Those could be keywords related to religious or social taboos. Once you have this basic foundation, you are ready to generate ideas.

Step 2: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Let’s get creative!

Seed keywords are a starting point; these are broad terms related to your niche. Take a notebook or open your favorite note-taking app and brainstorm ideas based on what you understand about your target audience.

Here’s how to do it:

Think in Arabic from the start. Use Modern Standard Arabic as a foundation while keeping dialects in mind. For instance, in MSA, “car” would be “سيارة”, while Egyptians might say “عربية”.

List 10-20 core terms. In fashion, a good place to start is “ملابس نسائية” or “أزياء رجالية”.

Tap into your own experience: What questions do clients ask you? What trends are hot in the Middle East right now, like Ramadan shopping or Eid deals?

Don’t worry about perfection yet; this is just brainstorming – tools will refine this later.

Moreover, remember that in Arabic, people often omit diacritics when performing searches, so consider variations like “كتاب” versus “كِتَاب”. In addition, spelling inconsistencies abound due to regional differences.

Step 3: Dive into Keyword Research Tools

Let’s tool up!

Tools make this process more efficient, especially in Arabic, where data can be more challenging to come by. However, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because many popular tools now support Arabic queries, though search volume accuracy in the Middle East can vary due to lower data granularity compared to English.

Here’s a step-by-step on using them:

1. Set up your tool: Start with free ones, such as Google Keyword Planner.
2. Log in to Google Ads, select “Discover new keywords”, and change the language to Arabic and location to your target countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia, UAE).
3. Input your seeds: Insert the brainstormed terms here. For “سيارة”, you could get “سيارات مستعملة للبيع” (used cars for sale)

If you want a more in-depth analysis at this point, explore other options, such as paid tools:

• Ahrefs and SEMrush are both great tools; they support Arabic well and offer many metrics, such as volume and keyword difficulty.
• KWFinder is very user-friendly for beginners, with an Arabic language option.
• Keywordtool.io excels at long-tail ideas, pulling from Google Autocomplete.

Now, coming back to our topic, here’s a quick hack: leverage Google Trends to compare keyword popularity across Middle Eastern countries. See if “تسوق عبر الإنترنت” spikes during sales seasons.

Step 4: Analyze Key Metrics and Search Intent

Let’s start analyzing!

A) Search Volume: How many people are searching.

You want to strike a balance: high-volume terms like “هواتف” may be too competitive, while niche terms such as “هواتف سامسونج في السعودية” could be gold.

B) Keyword Difficulty/Competition: Tools like Ahrefs grade this on a scale. In Arabic, competition is generally lower than in English, but this is gradually changing in e-commerce centers such as Dubai.

C) Search Intent: This is the user informational (كيف أختار سيارة” – how to choose a car), navigational, or transactional query intent, and it is a big deal (شراء سيارة عبر الإنترنت). Match your content to it. That is mandatory.

D) Cost-Per-Click (CPC): If you’re into ads, a higher CPC means valuable commercial intent.

E) Filter your list: Select keywords that have decent volume, say, 100+ monthly searches, along with low to medium difficulty and aligned intent. Voice search in the Middle East is booming, so focus on conversational phrases such as “ما هي أفضل السيارات للعائلة؟”

Step 5: Account for Arabic-Specific Challenges

Let’s get to accounting, but not like that!

Arabic isn’t like English SEO. There are several hurdles in the way that make navigating this landscape a much more difficult task than it first seems. It’s also why local SEO is quite the challenge.

• Dialects Matter: MSA is formal and widely understood, whereas locals search for dialects. For Egypt, use “عربيات” instead of “سيارات”. Tools such as SEMrush can help spot these variations.
• Diacritics and spelling: Most searches skip tashkeel, so research both with and without. Variations like “قرآن” vs. “قران” are common.
• Cultural and Regional Nuances: Keywords related to Islamic holidays work well, such as “هدايا رمضان”. Avoid insensitive terms.
• RTL Script: Make sure your site treats right-to-left text appropriately, but that’s more for on-page SEO.

Test with real users: ask colleagues or conduct small surveys in your target countries to validate.

Step 6: Expand with Long-Tail Keywords and Related Terms

Let’s get expansive!

Long-tail keywords involve three or more words that ultimately tend to convert well and face less competition. They are perfect for Arabic content, where the queries are often detailed.

• Look at competitors: Enter their URLs into Ahrefs and see what keywords they rank for.
• Include questions: Tools like AlsoAsked or AnswerThePublic, in Arabic, come up with ideas like, “كيف أبدأ مشروع صغير في الإمارات؟”
• Cluster keywords into topics to build content pillars: This helps to increase your site’s authority on particular subjects in Google’s eyes.

Step 7: Validate, Prioritize, and Implement

Let’s get to validating!

Export your list to a spreadsheet. Now, score each keyword based on criteria such as volume, difficulty, intent, and relevance. This might be a 1-10 scale.

Try it yourself. Go and search for those keywords on Google yourself; in incognito mode, you’ll see the top results. Focus on 5-10 per piece of content. Start with quick wins: low competition and high intent. Track performance via Google Search Console once the material is published.

Remember, keyword research is not one-and-done; you should revisit it quarterly, especially with seasonal trends in the Middle East around Hajj or back-to-school.

Recommended Tools for Arabic Keyword Research

To make your life easier, here is a quick roundup of the top tools I’ve mentioned, tailored for our region:

Tool	Key Features for Arabic	Pricing	Best For
Google Keyword Planner	Free search volume data, Arabic support, location targeting (e.g., KSA)	Free	Beginners, broad research
Ahrefs	In-depth analysis, backlinks, Arabic keywords with accurate metrics	Paid (starts ~$99/month)	Competitive analysis
SEMrush	Keyword magic tool, trends, supports dialects	Paid (starts ~$119/month)	Comprehensive SEO
KWFinder	Easy interface, long-tail focus, Arabic-friendly	Paid (starts ~$29/month)	Niche keywords
Keywordtool.io	Autocomplete suggestions, voice search ideas	Free/Paid	Long-tail generation

Extra Tips for Success in the Middle East Market

• Mobile Optimization: 49% of MENA internet users searched for information via mobile.
• Localize content: Use geo-modifiers targeting specific countries, such as “في دبي” for UAE-targeted searches.
• Avoid Common Pitfalls: Poor translations kill SEO. Native speakers are a must. Additionally, create local backlinks from Arabic websites to enhance credibility.
• Voice Search Rise: With Siri and Google Assistant in Arabic, optimize for natural language.
• Cultural Fit: Respect tradition; keywords include family, hospitality, and innovation.

Wrapping It Up: Your Next Steps

From brainstorming seeds to analyzing intent and tackling Arabic quirks, you now have a foolproof guide to keyword research for your content. By following these steps, you will ensure you connect authentically and effectively with Middle Eastern audiences, driving traffic and engagement.

However, if all of this seems like a lot or if you would like some help from a professional to take your SEO to the next level, our team at Biodigy is here to help.

Head on over to our SEO services page and get started today: https://biodigy.com/our-services/seo/