The Badil
End-to-end SEO audit and optimization for The Badil, a Beirut-based think tank and media outlet, to increase visibility of their bilingual investigative and policy content.
SEO strategy & optimization for The Badil
The Badil is a Beirut-based alternative policy institute and media outlet. It offers deeply researched reporting and commentary on Lebanon and the wider Middle East. With a strong emphasis on bilingual publishing, The Badil delivers long-form analysis, infographics, videos, and investigative content in both English and Arabic. Its core topics include financial reform, security, and governance.
Their goal was clear. Improve visibility in search engines without compromising editorial voice. They wanted their work, especially infographics and long-form reports, to be easier to discover and more accessible to the audiences who needed it most.
Our SEO approach
We began with a deep technical audit of the site. We reviewed everything from URL structure and load speeds to metadata consistency and crawlability. It became clear that the platform’s rich content wasn’t being indexed or surfaced effectively, especially the Arabic side of the site.
We restructured content paths for clarity. Content was grouped into logical, indexable sections like analysis, commentary, and visuals. With The Badil’s bilingual focus, we also introduced language tags and metadata to support multilingual SEO best practices.
Our keyword research focused on the regional and policy-specific issues The Badil covers. Topics included “banking secrecy law Lebanon”, “Hezbollah disarmament”, and “deposit recovery plans”. We mapped these keywords to high-potential existing pages and rewrote titles, descriptions, and headings to improve both relevance and click-through.
To support infographics and media content, we implemented image alt text and schema markup. We also improved internal linking to build stronger topical relevance. Finally, we built dashboards in Google Search Console and Analytics to help their team measure progress and adapt quickly.
Results
Without sharing specific traffic metrics, we can confidently say that the changes led to a meaningful lift in search visibility, especially for Arabic-language content. Users were able to find relevant infographics, analysis, and reports more easily. The editorial team gained new insight into which content resonated with search audiences and how to improve discovery without compromising depth or nuance.
Why The Badil chose HOW
The Badil didn’t want shortcuts or generic advice. They wanted a partner who understood how to balance policy-driven publishing with digital strategy. This was especially important in a bilingual, regionally sensitive context. Our team brought a thoughtful, structured approach to both the technical and editorial sides of SEO. We worked closely with their editors and designers to make meaningful improvements.
📝 Client testimonial
HOW’s SEO overhaul transformed our reach. We saw a real increase in both English and Arabic readership, especially for our deeper analyses and infographics. Their structured, transparent process made for a smooth engagement.
The Badil Editorial & Digital Media Team
🧠 Lessons learned
SEO isn’t just about traffic. It’s about helping the right people find meaningful content. This project reminded us how powerful it can be when search strategy supports impactful storytelling. Working with The Badil showed us that even the most thoughtful content needs a bit of technical support to shine.
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