Local SEO in the Middle East: Google Business Profile

When someone in Erbil, Baghdad, Dubai or Riyadh looks for a clinic, a shop or a repair service, Google can show nearby businesses on a map. A verified Google Business Profile is how yours appears there, and it is the base of local SEO. This guide to local SEO in the Middle East is for owners and managers with a shop, an office or a team that travels to customers.

You will learn what Google allows in a name, an address and a service area, and what to do when your street has no number. We read Google's official help pages on 30 October 2026. These rules change, so open the linked pages before you act.

Who can have a profile

Google says a business qualifies if it has a physical location that customers can visit, or if it travels to customers. Keep one profile per business, because duplicates can cause display problems. Some setups are not accepted:

A P.O. box, or a mailbox at a remote location, cannot be your address.
A virtual office, which is a rented mailing address where you do not operate, is not eligible.
A co-working office needs clear signage, customers during business hours and your own staff on site.
Google's policy overview also lists lead generation companies and online-only brands as ineligible.

Write the business name the way Google asks

Google wants the real-world name you use consistently on your storefront, website and stationery. According to its guidelines, the name must not include:

marketing taglines or store codes
fully capitalized words
business hours, phone numbers or website addresses
product or service descriptions, or location details such as a nearby landmark
legal terms such as LLC or LTD, unless real-world proof such as signage or invoices shows they are part of your name

One rule matters for Arabic and Kurdish brands. Google lists "repeating the same business name in multiple scripts or languages" as not allowed, and its example shows a Latin name followed by the same name in Japanese. In plain terms, do not type your English and Arabic names together in the name field. The help page does not say which language to choose, so use the one your sign and website show. Our guide to Arabic and English on one store covers the website side.

Fix the address, especially when the street is informal

Google asks for the precise, real-world address, with building, suite and floor numbers. Put a suite or mailbox number on line 2, and never put URLs or keywords in address lines. Landmarks and cross-streets are allowed only where the official address does not pinpoint the location, and Google says to avoid vague directions, such as saying you are across from a landmark.

Drop a pin when there is no street number

If your address has no street number, or Google cannot find it, place the pin yourself. At the time of writing: open your profile, choose Edit profile, then Location, then Edit next to Business location, select Adjust, move the map until the pin sits on your business, and select Done and Save. The address on your profile is public. Changes usually appear in about 10 minutes, but can take up to 30 days.

Use Plus Codes beside the pin

Plus Codes are free, open-source short addresses for places that lack a street address. A code comes from latitude and longitude, uses a set of 20 characters and works offline. According to the Open Location Code documentation, a full code such as 6GCRPR6C+24 covers an area of 14 by 14 meters.

On 13 April 2022, Google's MENA blog announced a Plus Codes feature on Google Maps in 18 countries across the region, including the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The Business Profile pages we read do not describe a Plus Code field in the address form. So use the pin for Google, and publish the Plus Code on your website, invoices and delivery messages.

Know the official systems in the UAE and Saudi Arabia

Dubai Municipality describes Makani as Dubai's official addressing system. A Makani number has 10 digits and identifies a building entrance with an accuracy of 1 meter. The Municipality says it is also used in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah.

In Saudi Arabia, Saudi Post (SPL) describes the National Address. Its short form has 4 letters and 4 numbers. The full address lists a 4-digit building number, the street, a 4-digit secondary number, the district, a 5-digit postal code and the city. Because Google asks for official address information and no keywords, we would keep these identifiers on your website, invoices and delivery messages.

Service-area businesses

If you visit or deliver to customers and do not serve them at your address, Google asks for one profile with a service area and your address hidden. Its service-area page sets these limits:

Up to 20 service areas.
Define them by city, postal code or other area types. A radius is not allowed.
The overall area should stay within about 2 hours of driving time from your base.

A hybrid business serves customers at its address and also visits them. Google says it needs permanent on-site signage to count as a storefront, and it must be staffed during the stated hours.

Category, hours, phone and verification

Category, hours and phone

Category. Choose the most specific primary category. Google's example is a nail salon choosing the specific category over the general salon one. You cannot create your own, and you should add only a few more. Google says categories affect local ranking.
Hours. Give regular hours and use special hours for holidays. Google says businesses with varied hours or appointment-only operations should not provide hours.
Phone. Use a local number instead of a central call-center number where you can. The business must control the number directly.

Verification: what to expect

Google picks the methods you can use, based on your business type, public information, region and hours. You cannot choose. The options include a phone call or text, email, a video recording, a live video call and a postcard. A live video call needs you at your business, showing outside signs, your products or equipment, and proof that you manage the place.

Postcards have specific rules. Most codes arrive within 14 days, the code has 5 digits and it expires after 30 days. While you wait, do not edit your name, address or category, and do not request a new code, because that cancels the one in the mail. An automated phone menu (an IVR system) cannot receive the code.

Reviews and ranking

Google names three main local ranking factors: relevance, distance and prominence, which means how well known a business is. Prominence draws on factors such as links from other websites and the number of reviews. Google states that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

You can ask customers for reviews with a link or QR code. Google's review policy says do not:

offer payment, discounts or free goods or services for a review, or for changing or removing one
ask only happy customers for reviews, or discourage negative ones
pressure customers to review while they are on your premises
ask staff to collect a set number of reviews

Serious or repeated violations can lead to suspended privileges or account termination.

Add LocalBusiness markup to your website

Structured data can help Google show details such as opening hours, though Google does not guarantee rich results. Google's LocalBusiness page requires name and address, and recommends:

geo, with latitude and longitude to at least five decimal places
telephone, with the country code and area code
openingHoursSpecification, where a business open past midnight, such as 18:00 to 03:00, uses a single entry
priceRange, under 100 characters

Use the most specific subtype, such as Restaurant or HealthClub, and place the markup on your business information page. Test it with the Rich Results Test, and keep the name, phone number and hours identical to your profile and sign.

Local profile checklist

Confirm you qualify: no P.O. box and no virtual office.
Write the name as your sign and website show it, in one language only.
Enter the full official address, and place the pin on your business if there is no street number.
Choose to show the address, or hide it and set up to 20 service areas.
Pick one specific primary category and only a few extras.
Set regular hours and special hours for public holidays and Eid.
Add a local phone number you control, then verify. Change nothing while a postcard is in the mail.
Write a description with no links, prices or promotions.
Add LocalBusiness markup with the same details.
Ask for reviews with a link or QR code, and reply.

Mistakes to avoid

Typing both the Arabic and the English name into the name field.
Adding keywords, a tagline or location details to the name.
Showing a home address when you only visit customers.
Editing the profile or requesting a second code while a postcard is on its way.
Paying or rewarding customers for reviews.

Questions owners ask

Can I have a profile if I work from home or have no shop?

Yes, if you travel to customers or deliver to them and do not serve them at your address. Google asks for one service-area profile with your address hidden. If you also receive customers at home, the hybrid rules apply.

How long do changes and verification take?

Google says profile changes usually show in about 10 minutes, but can take up to 30 days. Service-area edits may take up to 48 hours, and a verification review up to 5 business days.

Can I remove a bad review?

You can reply to it, and flag it if you think it breaks Google's content policies. You cannot offer payment, discounts or free goods in return for a review being changed or removed, because Google's content policy prohibits it.

Need a hand?

If you want a second pair of eyes on your site's technical SEO and structured data, read about our SEO and growth service or send a short brief on the contact page. For search habits by country, read SEO in the Middle East and Arabic SEO basics.

Local SEO in the Middle East: Google Business Profile, maps and addresses