Translating your English keywords into Arabic and calling it Arabic SEO is one of the most common mistakes on bilingual Kuwait sites — because a literal translation often isn't how anyone actually searches. Arabic search behavior has its own patterns: formal Modern Standard Arabic mixed with Gulf dialect terms, Arabic script mixed with Arabizi (Arabic written in Latin letters and numbers, like "3ajeeb"), and brand or product names often searched in English even on an otherwise Arabic query. Real Arabic keyword research accounts for all of this; a translated keyword list usually doesn't.
Why direct translation falls short
A literal translation carries over English sentence structure and word choice that may not match how a Kuwaiti or Gulf Arabic speaker actually phrases a search. Formal Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic, used in writing and official contexts) and the spoken Gulf dialect diverge more than most English dialects do — a search query typed the way someone speaks is often closer to dialect than to formal Arabic, especially for informal, local, or commercial searches.
There's also the mixed-script reality of Gulf search behavior: many searchers switch between Arabic script, English, and Arabizi within the same session, and sometimes within the same query, particularly for younger, mobile-first users. A keyword strategy built only around "pure" formal Arabic terms misses a meaningful share of actual search volume.
Where to actually find Arabic search terms
Google's autocomplete and "People also ask" — typing a seed term in Arabic into Google (using a Kuwait/Gulf location and language setting) surfaces genuine autocomplete suggestions and related questions, reflecting real query patterns rather than a translator's phrasing.
Google Keyword Planner — set to Arabic language and Kuwait location, this shows actual search volume data for Arabic terms, and often surfaces variant phrasings with meaningfully different volumes for what looks like the "same" concept in translation.
Google Trends — comparing relative interest between Arabic phrasing variants over time, and by region within the Gulf, since search behavior isn't identical across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE despite shared language.
Competitor Arabic pages — reviewing which Arabic terms competitors' pages are actually built around (visible in their page titles, headings and URL structure) gives a practical read on what's working, without needing to copy their content.
Your own Search Console Queries report — filtered to Arabic-script queries, this shows exactly what real searchers already typed to find your site, including dialect and mixed-script variants no keyword tool would surface, since it's actual query data rather than a prediction.
Customer language, directly — actual customer messages (WhatsApp inquiries, comments, reviews) often contain the exact phrasing people use, dialect and all, which is a more authentic source than any keyword tool.
Building a bilingual keyword strategy that isn't just two separate lists
The strongest approach treats English and Arabic keyword research as related but separate exercises, not a translation task. A term with high English search volume might have low Arabic equivalent volume if that segment of the Kuwait market searches in English (common for tech products, for instance) — and the reverse is true for terms tied to local services, government processes, or culturally specific products. Map both independently, then build content plans for each language based on what that language's actual searchers are typing, rather than mirroring an English content calendar into Arabic word-for-word.
In practice, this means running keyword research twice, not once-and-translate: build the English list from English-language tools and competitor pages, build the Arabic list independently from Arabic autocomplete, Arabic competitor pages, and Search Console's Arabic query data, then compare the two lists to see where they genuinely overlap versus where one language has demand the other doesn't.
Common mistakes in Arabic keyword research
- Relying solely on machine translation of an English keyword list
- Ignoring dialect and Arabizi variants entirely in favor of only formal Arabic
- Assuming Arabic search volume mirrors English search volume for the "same" concept
- Building Arabic content around keywords with genuinely low search volume just because they translate cleanly from a successful English term
Frequently asked questions
Should I target formal Arabic or Gulf dialect keywords?
Both, informed by what keyword research actually shows for your specific terms — commercial and informational searches often lean toward how people actually speak, while some categories (medical, legal, government-related) skew more formal. Check the data rather than assuming either direction.
Is Arabizi (Arabic written in Latin letters) worth targeting?
For some demographics and product categories, yes — but it depends heavily on your specific audience. Checking actual customer messages and reviews for Arabizi patterns is more reliable than assuming it matters uniformly.
Can I use the same SEO tools for Arabic that I use for English?
Most major tools (Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Search Console) support Arabic, but always confirm the language and location filters are actually set correctly — a tool defaulting to a different Arabic-speaking country's data will skew results away from Kuwait-specific search behavior.
How is this different from just hiring a translator for my site?
A translator makes existing English content readable in Arabic. Arabic keyword research determines what content should exist in the first place, based on what Arabic searchers are actually looking for — the two are complementary, not substitutes for each other.
Do I need separate Arabic and English content strategies?
Related, but yes — treating them as one strategy mechanically ported between languages misses the real differences in search volume and phrasing between the two audiences.
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Written by Adnan Basra
Senior Web Developer & E-Commerce Manager based in Kuwait, with 13+ years building websites and driving organic growth for businesses. Get in touch →
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