Local SEO in Qatar: How Doha Businesses Rank in Google Maps

Qatar has one of the world's highest rates of smartphone and Google Maps usage relative to population. When a business professional in West Bay searches for 'accountant near me', when a family in Al Wakra looks for 'dentist Doha', when a hotel concierge recommends 'best restaurant in The Pearl' — they are using Google Maps. Local search visibility in Qatar is not optional for service businesses; it is where purchase decisions happen.

The local pack — the three business listings that appear above organic results with a map — gets the majority of clicks for local intent searches. Getting there requires a specific set of actions centred on Google Business Profile. This article explains what moves local rankings in Qatar and what most businesses get wrong.

The Qatar Local Search Context: Two Audiences, One Map

Qatar's local search has a structural complexity that generic local SEO guides miss: your buyers search in both Arabic and English, often for the same business. A Qatari national searching for a clinic will use Arabic; a British expat will use English. For both searches to return your business in the local pack, your Google Business Profile needs to be optimised for both languages.

The GBP description field supports up to 750 characters. Write it in English with specific service terms and neighbourhood mentions. Then add the Arabic equivalent in a separate paragraph within the same description field — Google accepts bilingual descriptions and will surface the profile for searches in each language when relevant terms appear.

Review language matters similarly. Reviews left in Arabic signal Arabic-language relevance. Reviews in English signal English-language relevance. Actively encouraging reviews from both Qatari customers and expat customers, and responding in the customer's language, builds relevance signals for both search audiences simultaneously.

Primary Category: The Highest-Leverage GBP Decision

Your Google Business Profile primary category determines which searches Google considers your business eligible to appear for. 'Restaurant' will appear for restaurant searches. 'Fine Dining Restaurant' will appear for more specific high-intent searches and outrank generic 'Restaurant' profiles for those queries. The more specific, accurate category that describes your core offering is almost always the better choice.

In Qatar's competitive categories — healthcare, legal, real estate, hospitality — the primary category is often the deciding factor between appearing in the local pack and being excluded entirely. A medical clinic listing itself as 'Health Consultant' instead of 'Medical Clinic' misses the majority of relevant searches. Review your primary category against what your target customers actually type into Google.