How do Middle Eastern companies view Search Engine Optimization as a vehicle to improve Sales?

Companies in the Middle East do what works best and reaches people (or is reachable to people). Search isn’t that (yet) in the Middle East, when it comes to exploring e-commerce outlets.

 

There are several reasons for the slow advancement of SEO & online digital marketing in the Middle East:

 

1. Arabic is not a popular internet language of commerce and information

Yes, it ranks7th in the top-10 internet languages, but the "net indexed harvest" of what the internet contains of Arabic words is really limited tp general information, Wikipedia pages and lots of user-generated content in forums and social media, but very little websites dedicated to a business or a company. Most of these websites do not have dynamic content (blogs) and are poorly designed and serach engine optimized.

 

2. The Middle Eastern buying behavior of target audiences is NOT search-centered

Whether it relates to searching for general info or product info with the intent of buying, people in the Middle East are yet to adapt to giving their full trust to the internet for making a responsible purchase behavior. They are more used to practices such as "bargaining a price" and "checking out the good with their hands", than to "fixed prices" and "product displays and comparisons" and "online payments". They believe what they see in a shop and view other alternatives with some suspicion.  

 

3. The level of penetration of e-commerce in houses which is still immature.  

While we see big name e-commerce brands establishing themselves, like Souq.com & Namshi.com, people know these websites from the TV-ads or from social media endorsements by friends or followers and not from conducting a search query on Google. So, e-commerce companies seem to be aware of the poor use of search engine for random buying decisions and relent to TV-ads and more high ROI media to achieve big and instant exposure.

 

4. TV is still very big in the Middle East

TV works in the Middle East more than in other regions and offers competition to online marketing or print marketing because of high rates of home-sitters overrepresented by females (the typical indirect purchase decision takers) and children (high birth-rate and young population region), next to low levels of readership and home-internet penetration rates in many areas.

 

5. E-commerce success is reserved for the big ones

In the world of e-commerce of the Middle East you have to be big to be seen and successful, while in other parts of the world there is a flourishing SME, small business and digital home business branch with ordinary people selling goods online via web shops. Serach engine is a typical advertising medium (SEO & SEM) for small & medium size business; since they are not many in the Middle East, there is not much utilization of it for commerce. Big business can always afford mass media advertising like TV with quick ROI, resulting in less attention to SEO.

 

agreed with mr.hashmi

Thanks for providing your insights on how SEO works or how to use it.  However, I would want to know how companies view it or what do the Middle Eastern companies think about SEO.

7 Ways That SEO Is Uniquely Important

• 1. Reputation management is essential
• 2. Keyword research is the most strategic way to get inside the minds of your target market.
• 3. Organic traffic increases are a big indicator of future growth
• 4. Competitive gamesmanship is a basic element of any SEO campaign
• 5. Social media marketing has become intertwined with SEO
• 6. Trust is an important factor in online success, especially for startups that haven’t yet established a recognizable brand name
• 7. Long-term brand equity should be the goal for any entrepreneur, and SEO is the most strategic long-term investment for a brand’s online marketing initiative

I do not have any idea regarding this

use of right key words.

Key words customers often use

Determining the business title 

Using Metadiscription.

 

SEO is the basic part and one of the most important in Digital Marketing. Results from SEO will give you positive impact but will take time for it. But Onpage SEO will help in your paid ads as it will support Paid Marketing channels.

Good Day!!!

Your observation is correct Nila........ The main hurdle is language i think........ Search behavior in the Middle East varies greatly compared to search behavior in other regions of the world.  Though not all Arabs search this way many still do because they feel they may get better results with an English search than an Arabic one.

COMPANIES NEED TO DEVELOP SEO BOTH ARABIC AND ENGLISH...... thats how new customers can reach to them easily.

There is 3 strategies should companies do one of its Cost leadership : cost leadership is establishing a competitive advantage by having the lowest cost of operation in the industry. . Differentition : company fous in some thing superior frome competitors such as ( customers services , and quality of goods or services) Target market: company fouces in specific target market And some of factores Foucs in opprtunities by company strength And dont forgate improve weekness to be strength