Arabic and English Keywords for Gulf Google Ads Campaigns
In the Gulf, the same buyer may search for the same product in Arabic on Monday and in English on Tuesday, or mix both in one query. A single keyword list translated word for word will miss part of that demand and waste money on the rest. The decision is how to structure language, not just which words to add.
Why direct translation fails
Arabic search behaviour is not an Arabic copy of English search. People use different words for the same product, spell brand names in Latin or Arabic script, and write in Modern Standard Arabic or in dialect depending on the product. A translated list captures the formal version and can miss how your customers actually type.
Also, volume and intent differ. An English query for a technical product may signal a more specific buyer, while an Arabic query may be broader. Do not assume; look at your own search terms.
A language planning model
Plan along three axes before you build anything.
Which language does the buyer use?
Check search terms, customer messages and product pages. Do not guess from the country.
How is the product named?
Arabic name, English name, brand in Latin script, brand in Arabic script, common misspellings.
What is the intent?
Product, category, comparison, problem. Intent often matters more than language.
- Language
- Script
- Intent
Separate or combined campaigns
Separating Arabic and English into their own campaigns gives you separate budgets, ad text and reporting. Combining them is simpler but hides which language performs. A reasonable default for a store with a real Arabic audience is to keep them apart in separate ad groups at least, so each has matching ad copy and a matching landing page.
An important caution: Google's language targeting setting has been described as changing for Search campaigns, with ads matched by the ad's language and user signals instead of a manual setting. Dates and details vary, so check your account and the current documentation rather than relying on this article.
Keyword forms
Arabic: Standard and dialect, with spelling variants
English: Product names, brand and generic terms
Ad copy
Arabic: Written natively, not translated
English: Written natively, not translated
Landing page
Arabic: Arabic page, right-to-left layout
English: English page
Review
Arabic: Search terms report by language
English: Search terms report by language
Translating a list word for word
Arabic: Misses how people type
English: Misses how people type
Match types and negatives
Language adds noise. A broad match keyword in one language can trigger queries in another. Review the search terms regularly and add negatives. The routine is in Google Ads Search Terms Report Routine, and match type behaviour is in Google Search Ads Match Types and Negatives.
Illustrative example, not real results
A store gets 200 clicks across both languages in a week: 120 in Arabic and 80 in English. It records 6 orders from Arabic and 5 from English.
- Arabic conversion rate: 6 ÷ 120 = 5.0%.
- English conversion rate: 5 ÷ 80 = 6.25%.
The English rate is higher, but with so few orders the difference may be luck. The right action is to keep collecting data, not to cut Arabic. Decisions on a handful of orders are weak evidence.
Trade-offs and when this changes
- Small budgets. Splitting into many campaigns can starve each of data. Start with one structure and split when volume allows.
- Brand terms. Treat brand queries separately, as covered in Brand vs Non-Brand Campaigns.
- Other platforms. Arabic copy on TikTok follows different rules; see TikTok Ads Gulf Arabic Copy and Audience.
Mixed-language queries
Many shoppers type a brand in Latin letters and the product type in Arabic, or the other way round. These mixed queries will not sit neatly in either list. Let the search terms report show you which combinations actually appear, and add the productive ones deliberately to the right ad group instead of guessing them in advance.
Keep the landing page consistent with the query. Someone who searched in Arabic and lands on an English-only page is likely to leave, and that loss will look like a keyword problem when it is a page problem.
Implementation steps
- List how customers name your products in both languages, from real messages and search terms.
- Group by intent, then by language.
- Write ad copy natively in each language and point to a matching page.
- Check the current language setting options in your account.
- Review search terms weekly at first and add negatives.
- Compare languages on contribution, not just clicks.
What you cannot know from the data
Search term reports show only terms with enough volume, and Google hides some. You cannot see the full demand in each language. Treat results as a sample.
Next action
If you want the structure reviewed, an ads management engagement can start from your search terms.