Running an e-commerce store in two languages, one of them right-to-left, brings SEO problems you won't hit on a single-language site. Here's the checklist I use for Shopify stores targeting Saudi Arabia.
1. Set up hreflang correctly
Each page needs to point to its English and Arabic versions so Google serves the right one. Use hreflang="en-sa" for English and hreflang="ar-sa" for Arabic, each pointing to the matching page URL. Use the country-specific codes (not just en / ar) if you want to target Saudi Arabia.
2. Don't rely on auto-translated titles
Arabic search behavior differs from English. People search "قلاية هوائية" (air fryer) or "مدفأة كربون" (carbon heater), not a literal translation of your English title. Do keyword research in Arabic separately.
3. Write unique meta titles and descriptions
Generic titles like "Quality Products | Brand" waste your best ranking signal. Put the main keyword and location first.
4. Check RTL layout and Core Web Vitals
Mixed-direction text (Arabic with English model numbers) often breaks layouts. Test on mobile, since most Saudi traffic is mobile.
5. Add Product schema
Price, availability, and reviews in JSON-LD help products appear as rich results.
6. Handle out-of-stock pages
Don't let sold-out products return errors or lose their rankings. Keep the page live, show "sold out", and link to similar products.
7. Offer local payment options
Cash on delivery is a major conversion factor in KSA. Stores like Sanford KSA show it in the announcement bar next to the free-shipping threshold, which is a good pattern to copy.
Wrap up
Treat each language as its own SEO project rather than a translation layer. What other bilingual SEO issues have you run into?
Disclosure: I work with Sanford KSA.
Top comments (0)