Websites must speak the region’s language
Search marketing in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is growing at an increasingly fast pace. Millions use the internet daily to communicate, shop, and interact. This has created unlimited opportunities for people who want to do business online.
At the same time, search marketing in Arabic faces a significant challenge because most information on this vital topic is created in English. We recently conducted a detailed study on the use of Arabic language online in an effort to solve the digital challenges faced by businesses.
Studies show that around 88 per cent of online shoppers prefer to buy products using their native language, so it’s crucial for businesses to provide a native language experience for their customers. The past decade has seen a monumental rise in the numbers of Arabic-speaking people getting online.
Egypt alone represents 20 per cent of the online Arabic audience, while Saudi Arabia holds 12 per cent, and the GCC countries together make up 22 per cent. With the ubiquity of smartphones and with Google dominating 97 per cent of the market share in Arab countries, it is essential for brands to create an effective digital marketing campaign in Arabic.
Even though Arabic is the fourth-most used language online, there is less than 1 per cent content in Arabic online. There is no better time to capture the native market and bring the undoubted clout of digital marketing to the screens. Arabic has some unique requirements that need to be considered when used online.
Domain names, web server configurations, URL structure, page layout and the translation of content by a native Arabic speaker are a few areas to name that need careful consideration when developing an Arabic version of a website. Never use auto-translation tools. Poor quality translation leads to high bounce rates, making it essential for native Arabic speakers to translate content.
Spaces need to be included between the coordination and the word so that search engines consider this as a new word.
As with any other language, it is important to watch out for words that carry the same meaning in Arabic as this will influence the size of the audience you reach. Words with “hamza” need to be carefully considered in paid campaigns. Arabic speakers don’t include hamza when searching online; highlighting the importance of the use of both variations.
Use an online Arabic spoken language like Arabizi when targeting the specific audience, especially the youth. Arabizi allows people to type Arabic words using Latin letters and because there are Arabic words that don’t have counterparts in the Roman alphabet, users started to use numbers instead. Targeting people using Arabizi can be an extremely smart strategy, as there is little to no competition in this area.
Selecting words that have a high monthly search volume can make a significant difference in the number of people you can expect to reach. For example, keyword research for a Saudi e-commerce site was conducted and showed that by changing the words used in the navigation, the potential audience was expanded by 375 per cent.