Keyword Research for Saudi Arabia: A Step-by-Step Method for Finding Arabic and English Search Terms

Keyword research for Saudi Arabia starts with one fact: your customers do not all search the same way. Some type in formal Arabic, some use the Saudi dialect, some write in English, and some type Arabic words in Latin letters. If your keyword list covers only one of these, you miss part of your market.

This guide gives you a simple process for keyword research for Saudi Arabia. You will learn how to build a bilingual keyword list, which free tools to use, and how to choose the terms worth writing about.

Why Keyword Research for Saudi Arabia Is Different

You cannot translate an English keyword list into Arabic and call it done. Arabic keyword research has more layers than most English markets. Strong keyword research for Saudi Arabia treats each layer as its own list.

• Modern Standard Arabic (MSA): the formal written Arabic. Common in news, government and institutional searches.
• Saudi dialect: the everyday spoken Arabic. People often type it the way they speak.
• English: widely used for business, technology and brand names.
• Transliteration: Arabic words typed in Latin letters, such as “shisha” next to the Arabic spelling.

According to an article in Campaign Middle East, people searching in Arabic often use short, general terms of one or two words. The same piece notes that Saudi consumers care a lot about how relatable Arabic content feels. So the words you pick matter as much as the volume behind them.

Here are a few examples of how one idea can appear in different forms. Always check dialect words with a native Saudi speaker before you use them.

Step-by-Step Keyword Research for Saudi Arabia

Step 1: List your core topics

Write five to ten topics that match what you sell. A cafe might list coffee, desserts, breakfast, meeting spots and delivery. Each topic becomes a seed for keyword research for Saudi Arabia.

Step 2: Build a bilingual seed list

For each topic, write the term in four ways: English, formal Arabic, Saudi dialect and Latin-letter spelling. Ask a native Arabic speaker to review it. This one habit separates good keyword research for Saudi Arabia from a basic translation.

Step 3: Expand with Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is free to use once your Google Ads account is set up. According to the Google Ads Help Center, you can set the location and the language, then see ideas, search volume trends and a breakdown by location.

• Set the location to Saudi Arabia, or to Riyadh for local businesses.
• Run the tool twice: once with Arabic and once with English.
• Use the date range to spot seasonal terms, such as Ramadan or Riyadh Season.

Treat the volume numbers as estimates, not exact counts.

Step 4: Mine free suggestion sources

Type your seed terms into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions, the “People also ask” box and the related searches at the bottom. Repeat on YouTube, where DataReportal shows about 27.5 million users in Saudi Arabia in late 2025. Do each search in Arabic and English.

Step 5: Check the queries you already rank for

If your site is already live, open Google Search Console. The Performance report lists the queries that led to your site and lets you group results by country. Filter for Saudi Arabia and look for terms with many impressions but few clicks. These are quick wins.

Step 6: Study competitors

Search your main terms and open the top results. Note which words they use in titles and headings, and in which language. Look for topics they miss.

Step 7: Group keywords by search intent

Sort every keyword by what the searcher wants. This tells you which page to build.

Step 8: Pick the keywords worth targeting

Score each term on four things: search interest, competition, intent and business value. In keyword research for Saudi Arabia, a term with modest volume and strong buying intent often beats a popular term that attracts only browsers. For a new site, start with long-tail terms of three or more words.

Local Keyword Research for Riyadh Businesses

Local keyword research for Saudi Arabia works the same way, with a place name added. If you serve customers in one city, add it to your terms. Riyadh has many districts, so use neighbourhood names such as Al Olaya or Al Malqa where they fit your business. Add “near me” style terms too, in English and in Arabic.

Group these local terms on pages that carry your address, hours and a map. This is the same groundwork that supports Google Maps visibility.

Free and Paid Tools for Keyword Research

These tools cover most keyword research for Saudi Arabia projects.

If you pay for a tool, test its Arabic data on three or four terms you already know before you commit.

Mistakes in Keyword Research for Saudi Arabia

Most weak keyword research for Saudi Arabia fails in the same few ways.

FAQs

What is keyword research for Saudi Arabia?

It is the process of finding the Arabic, dialect and English terms that people in Saudi Arabia type into search engines, so you can build content that matches them.

Do I need separate keywords for Arabic and English?

Yes. Arabic and English searchers use different words, and a direct translation often misses real search wording. Research each language on its own.

Which free tool is best for keyword research in Saudi Arabia?

Start with Google Keyword Planner for ideas and Search Console for data from your own site. Add Google Trends for seasonal topics.

How often should I update my keyword research for Saudi Arabia?

Review it every three months, and before big seasons such as Ramadan or Riyadh Season.

Conclusion

Good keyword research for Saudi Arabia means searching the way your customers search, in Arabic, dialect, English and transliteration. Remember three things: build a bilingual list with native review, group terms by intent, and update the list every quarter.

If you want help with your keyword plan, I work as a freelance digital marketing expert in Riyadh and can run keyword research for Saudi Arabia that fits your business and your customers.