Arabic SEO: How to Rank in Arabic and English

Many websites in Bahrain have an Arabic version that nobody finds. Usually the problem is not the language itself, but how the two versions are built.

The most common mistakes

• Machine translation. Google and readers can tell, and it rarely matches how people actually search.
• One URL for both languages, switched with JavaScript. Google may only ever see one version.
• No hreflang tags, so Google does not know which version to show to which user.
• Translating keywords literally instead of researching what Arabic speakers really type.

How to do bilingual SEO properly

1. Give each language its own URLs, for example /en/ and /ar/, or separate pages for each.
2. Add hreflang tags linking each page to its other-language version.
3. Research Arabic keywords separately. Gulf users often search in a mix of standard Arabic and dialect, and sometimes in Arabic written with Latin letters.
4. Write natively. Use writers who think in Arabic, not translators working word by word.
5. Design right-to-left properly, including menus, forms and icons.
6. Localise titles and descriptions for each language. Never reuse the English ones.

Why it is worth it

Arabic searches in Bahrain are often under-served. In many categories there are far fewer well-optimised Arabic pages than English ones, so a good Arabic page can rank quickly. It also builds trust: many customers in Bahrain prefer to read about prices, services and policies in Arabic before they contact a business.

Arabic keyword research tips

• Search the way customers talk. Try Gulf dialect terms as well as standard Arabic, and note which ones Google suggests.
• Check spelling variants. Arabic words can be typed in several ways, with or without certain letters, and Google does not always treat them the same.
• Include Arabic written in Latin letters where your audience uses it, especially on social media.
• Look at who ranks. If the top Arabic results are weak or translated, that is your opportunity.

Checklist before you launch the Arabic version

1. Every Arabic page has its own URL and an Arabic title and description.
2. Hreflang tags are in place on both language versions.
3. The layout reads right-to-left, including forms and buttons.
4. Phone numbers, prices and addresses display correctly.
5. The language switcher links to the matching page, not the home page.

Treat Arabic and English as two markets that share one brand.

Our SEO team includes native Arabic writers who research and write bilingual content that ranks.