Running Google Ads in Riyadh: Tips from a Local Marketing Agency

Riyadh Moves Fast. Is Your Google Ads Strategy Keeping Up?

If you’ve lived or worked in Riyadh for any time at all, you know this city doesn’t sleep (ولا يهدى). New cafés open weekly, tech startups are scaling fast, and every business—from car rentals to clinics—is fighting for visibility.

So here’s the big question: When someone in Riyadh Googles what you offer… do they find you?

At Arbaaa Marketing, we’ve worked with dozens of Riyadh-based brands—local gems and big names alike—and we've seen firsthand what makes Google Ads campaigns win in this city. Spoiler: it’s not just about budget; it’s about local relevance.

Here’s what every Riyadh business should know before launching their next campaign.

1. Use Riyadh-Specific Language in Your Ad Copy

Your customer isn’t just searching for “car rental” — they’re typing “تأجير سيارة في حي الياسمين” or “short-term car rental near King Fahad Road.”

Generic ads don’t perform well here. Our advice? Localize every piece of your copy. Mention Riyadh neighborhoods, landmarks (like "near Riyadh Front"), and even use colloquial Arabic (when appropriate) in your ad extensions or display URLs.

👀 Pro Tip: We helped a local dental clinic triple their ad CTR just by changing “best dentist” to “أفضل دكتور أسنان في حي النرجس”.

Want to learn how language influences ad performance? Check out our post: The Psychology of Arabic Marketing Copy

2. Don't Ignore Mobile—It’s Everything in Riyadh

Most Riyadhis search on the go—scrolling while waiting for their qahwa (قهوة) or in the back of a Careem. This means your ads must be mobile-optimized.

We’ve seen campaigns tank just because the landing page wasn’t responsive. High bounce rate = wasted budget.

Make sure:

• Your landing page loads fast on 4G.
• Buttons are tap-friendly.
• Location pins open directly in Google Maps.

And if you’re using Call Extensions, ensure someone is available to pick up—especially during peak times (like Thursday nights or Sunday mornings).

3. Use Hyperlocal Targeting—Go Beyond City-Level Ads

Here’s a mistake we see way too often: targeting all of Riyadh as one big area.

Riyadh is massive. Someone in Al-Malaz may not be willing to drive to Al-Narjis for a haircut.

That’s why we recommend creating ad sets by district. For one of our clients—a home cleaning service—we launched separate campaigns for:

• North Riyadh (especially compounds in Al-Malqa and Hittin)
• Downtown (Olaya, Sulimaniyah)
• East Riyadh (Ishbiliyah, Al-Rimal)

Each campaign used different messaging, different offers, and even different working hours. The result? A 43% increase in conversion rate across the board.

4. Take Advantage of Google’s Arabic-Friendly Tools

Good news: Google Ads is now much better at handling Arabic language keywords and variations. But you still need to do your homework.

Use tools like:

• Keyword Planner with Arabic settings
• Dynamic Keyword Insertion to adapt your ad titles
• Responsive Search Ads that mix Arabic and English (especially for bilingual clients)

At Arbaaa, we’ve developed our own Riyadh-specific keyword sets—especially for popular industries like F&B, healthcare, real estate, and tourism.

For tourism-focused businesses, you’ll also want to read: Marketing Travel Experiences in Al Madinah: What Works

5. Track What Matters—Not Just Clicks

Click-through rate (CTR) is great, but what really matters is leads. In Riyadh, that might mean:

• A WhatsApp inquiry (رقم الواتساب في البايو)
• A phone call booking
• A Google Maps direction request

Set up conversion tracking to monitor these real actions—not just impressions and clicks.

We once worked with a Riyadh-based skincare brand that thought their campaign was failing. Turns out, they were getting over 80 WhatsApp inquiries per week… but no one was tracking it. 😅

After connecting their Google Ads to WhatsApp Business via a Zapier integration, we helped them prove ROI and scale their budget with confidence.

Ready to Win Riyadh with Google Ads?

Riyadh is a unique market—fast-moving, mobile-first, and deeply local. And Google Ads, when done right, can deliver incredible results here.

But doing it right means more than setting a daily budget. It’s about speaking the language (literally), understanding Riyadh’s geography, and staying on top of digital trends (الترندات).

At Arbaaa Marketing, we specialize in building localized, conversion-focused Google Ads campaigns for Riyadh businesses that want real results—not vanity metrics.

💬 Let’s Talk

Curious about how Google Ads could work for your business?
Reach out to our team here or book a free strategy session with us.

Your city. Your story. Your strategy.
Let’s grow your brand, the Riyadh way.