These slides are from the talk at AstroLabs Middle East, which will help you learn how to boost your online visibility in the MENA region through Digital strategies from top brands in the Middle East. You will learn more about MENA’s digital transition, Internet user behavior & and local characteristics to consider for your Digital campaign: • How to stand out from the digital competition in MENA? • What are the key things to consider for Mobile visibility? • What are the latest updates about Local Search (Google My Business Dashboards and Knowledge Graphs)? • What are the key things to consider when localizing content?

3. MEET BASMA ABOU ASSAF
BASMA ABOU ASSAF
SENIOR ARABIC SEO SPECIALIST @ RBBI
WWW.RBBIDEAS.COM
Basma is currently managing multiple SEO projects for top Middle East brands in
various sectors including Qatar Airways and Jumeirah Group. She has
successfully developed International SEO strategies to reach an international
audience by targeting multiples countries and languages.

4. MEET AMMAR BADR
AMMAR BADR
SENIOR ARABIC SEO SPECIALIST @ RBBI
WWW.RBBIDEAS.COM
Ammar joined RBBI in 2013 as an Arabic SEO expert. He is currently managing
SEO projects for highly competitive industries like Health, Automotive & Real
Estate. He recently contributed to the successful Arabic site launch for multiple
brands like Emaar & Al-Futtaim Automotive.

6. MEET RAWAN HAMED
RAWAN HAMED
CLIENT PARTNER MENA @ FACELIFT BRAND
BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES
WWW.FACELIFT-BBT.COM
Rawan has worked in Social Media in the region for 5 years, helping leading brands develop and
implement successful social media strategies. Currently Client Partner - MENA, she works closely with
top brands in the region to adopt the necessary technologies that help them implement their social media
strategies.

7. Summary
• Global Internet Stats
• Local Search targeting
• Content localization
• International SEO targeting
• Mobile Websites
• App Indexing
• Social Media

8. Global Internet Stats
Source: Internet Live Stats

9. How to Stand Out from Digital Competition in MENA
Go Local!
Go Mobile!
GoSocial!

18. LOCAL SEARCH RANKING FACTORS

19. Content is the 1st point of contact between
the users and your website
Go Local!

20. Understand Customers Behaviors
Can’t read, Won’t buy…
• 72.4% of people prefer buying a product provide information in their native
language
• 72.1% prefer visiting websites using their native language.
• 56.2% of internet users prefer to use their mother language to get information
Source: Google Event

21. Go Localize!
Engage your customers!

22. Go Localize!
Write your content for the
users in the
market you are targeting

23. Go Localize!
Understand how people
that you are targeting
search for a product or service.
Phrase Search Volume Language
‫نمط‬‫حياة‬ 110 Arabic
‫اليف‬‫ستايل‬ 3,600
English/Arabic
characters

24. Go Localize!
Don’t rely on the translations only!

25. Arabic Localization!
• Arabic is the 4th most used language in the web
• there are more than 136 million Arabic-speaking internet users
globally
• By 2017, over half of the Arab world [nearly 366 million] will have
access to the internet, an increase from the 32% that were online in
2012
• About 97% of users in Saudi Arabia and Egypt are searching and
prefer to browse content in Arabic according to the statistics
Source: Google Event

26. Arabic Localization!
Beware of auto translating tools

27. Go Localize!
Translator
Fresh salad = ‫جديدة‬ ‫سلطة‬
Arabic native
Fresh salad = ‫طازجة‬ ‫سلطة‬

28. Go Localize!
Arabic localization
=
Localize the Arabic
search terms so users can
search by using their accent
How to say Tomato?!
‫طماطم‬
‫بندورة‬ ‫أوطة‬
‫مطيشة‬

29. INTERNATIONAL SEO TARGETING

30. Go Mobile!
Numberofusers(Millions)
Source: www.smartinsights.com

31. Go Mobile!
• 74% say they are likely to return it is a mobile-friendly site.
• 52% are less likely to engage with a company that has no mobile
website.
• 42% of researchers use a mobile device during their purchasing
process.
• Mobile users spend more money per purchase than desktops
customers.
Source: SearchEngineLand & Google

32. Go Mobile!
Mobile Health Check:
• Does it load in less than 3 seconds?
• Is the content easy to read?
• Is it easy to recognize the call to action and you key
selling points?
• Does it provide a good user experience?

33. “Ensure your mobile content
Is accessible not only on
Mobile website
But in Mobile App as well”