Keyword research is the foundation of any effective local SEO strategy. In Saudi Arabia, it's more complex than in most markets because your customers search in Arabic, in English, and often in a mix of both. Getting this right means your business shows up when it matters most.
What Are Local Keywords?
Local keywords are search terms that include a geographic modifier โ a city, neighborhood, or region โ combined with a service or product. Examples include "ู ุญุงู ู ุงูุฑูุงุถ" (lawyer Riyadh), "AC repair Jeddah," or "ู ุทุนู ุจุฑุฌุฑ ุงูุฎุจุฑ." These terms signal clear local intent, meaning the person searching is looking for a business they can actually visit or call.
Start With What Your Customers Actually Type
The biggest mistake Saudi businesses make in keyword research is assuming they know what their customers search for. In reality, a plumber might assume customers search "plumber Riyadh" when many actually type "ุณุจุงู ูุฑูุจ ู ูู" (plumber near me) or "ุณุจุงู ุญู ุงูุนููุง." Arabic searches often use informal, conversational language โ especially on mobile.
Talk to your existing customers. Ask them: "How did you find us?" and "What would you have typed into Google to find a business like ours?" Their answers are your most valuable keyword data.
Use Google Autocomplete
Open Google in a private/incognito window and start typing your main service in Arabic. Google will autocomplete with popular search terms. Try it in English too. Do this for multiple services and multiple Saudi cities. Screenshot or copy every suggestion โ these are real searches people are performing.
Use Google Keyword Planner
Google's free Keyword Planner (accessed through Google Ads) shows you monthly search volumes for keywords in Saudi Arabia. Set the location to Saudi Arabia and the language to Arabic. Enter your core services and let the tool suggest related keywords with volume data.
Pay attention to: keywords with clear local intent, keywords with moderate competition (not too high, not too low), and Arabic keywords with high local search volume.
Analyze Your Competitors on Google Maps
Search for your main service in your city on Google Maps. Look at the top-ranking businesses. Visit their websites and look at: their page titles and headings (in both languages), their meta descriptions, and the keywords they seem to target in their content. This tells you what's working in your specific market.
Target Neighborhood-Level Keywords
In major Saudi cities like Riyadh and Jeddah, neighborhoods matter. Someone in Al Olaya doesn't just search "coffee shop Riyadh" โ they might search "ูููุฉ ุญู ุงูุนููุง" or "coffee shop Al Olaya Riyadh." Identify the districts your business serves and build keyword lists around them.
Build a Bilingual Keyword Map
For each service you offer, create a list of 3โ5 Arabic keywords and 3โ5 English keywords. Then map each keyword set to a specific page on your website or your GBP description. Don't try to target every keyword on a single page โ spread them across your service pages and location pages.
Integrate Keywords Naturally
Once you have your keywords, use them naturally in: your Google Business Profile description, your website page titles and headers, your image alt text, and your GBP posts. Forcing keywords in awkward ways hurts more than it helps โ write for your Saudi customers first, and let the keywords follow naturally.
Understanding local keywords is one part of a broader local SEO strategy for Saudi businesses. Once you've identified your keywords, the next step is making sure they appear in all the right places โ on your website, in your GBP, and in your local citations.