Things I build
My side project, CoolTrails, is an India-first platform for Himalayan treks. I call myself non-technical, and I build it anyway. It keeps me honest about what developers deal with when an SEO asks for one small change.
Open to senior SEO leadership roles, remote or in Dubai.
مرحبا Marhaba, I'm
Rahul Pal SEO expert and team leader in Dubai
I lead SEO for competitive markets. Twelve years in, my work covers multi-GEO iGaming, international and technical SEO, link-building operations and the teams that run them.
RP
12+ years in SEO
10+ GEOs
Digital Habibi
https://digitalhabibi.com
Certified SEO Expert in Dubai | SEO Consultant | SEO Dubai
Rahul Pal is an SEO expert and team leader in Dubai: 12 years in SEO across 10+ GEOs in Asia and the West, from…
- years in SEO
- 12+
- GEOs, Asia and the West
- 10+
- clients served
- 50+
- industries
- 22+
Two ways to work with me
You are hiring for SEO leadership
I have run multi-GEO SEO for iGaming brands, managed link-building budgets and mentored the people doing the work. I am looking for a senior role where that experience moves the numbers.
- Head of SEO, SEO lead or senior manager roles
- Remote, or based in Dubai
- iGaming, affiliate and international businesses
Your business needs SEO in the UAE
I take on a small number of consulting projects: audits, strategy, technical fixes and international or bilingual SEO for companies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and beyond.
- Audit and 90-day plan
- Technical, local and multilingual SEO
- Hands-on, or guiding your in-house team
What compounding SEO looks like
Good SEO rarely looks dramatic in the first month. Fix what blocks crawling and indexing, publish what people actually search for, then earn links. Each step makes the next one pay more.
- Fix the foundations. Crawl errors, slow templates, duplicate pages.
- Build the content. One strong page for each search intent.
- Earn authority. Links and mentions that a reviewer would be happy to see.
Average CTR
3%
Monthly clicks, first to last
+426%
The usual shape of organic growth: technical fixes first, then content, then links that compound.
Show the numbers
| Month | Clicks | Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 820 | 31,000 |
| Feb | 860 | 32,500 |
| Mar | 910 | 34,800 |
| Apr | 1,040 | 39,100 |
| May | 1,300 | 46,200 |
| Jun | 1,720 | 58,800 |
| Jul | 2,150 | 71,500 |
| Aug | 2,480 | 80,900 |
| Sep | 2,900 | 93,400 |
| Oct | 3,420 | 108,700 |
| Nov | 3,860 | 121,300 |
| Dec | 4,310 | 134,900 |
What I am good at
Five areas where I have done the work at scale, each with a guide if you want to see how I think about it.
- iGaming SEO
- Casino and sports betting SEO in regulated markets: money pages, comparison content and compliance-aware copy. Read the iGaming guide
- International and multilingual SEO
- Launching and growing sites in several languages at once across 10+ GEOs, with hreflang, local keyword research and native content. International SEO guide
- Link-building operations
- Sourcing, vetting and budgeting links across markets, with quality checks that keep risky domains out. Link building for iGaming
- Technical SEO
- Crawl and index control, site speed, migrations and structured data, including this site. Technical SEO guide
- Leading SEO teams
- Setting priorities, splitting budgets between content and links, and mentoring writers and specialists so the team improves, not only the rankings.
Twelve years, briefly
- 2014
Started in SEO
Hands-on work in on-page, technical SEO and link building for agency and in-house clients.
- Independent
Digital Habibi
SEO consulting for 50+ clients across 22+ industries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, India and beyond.
- 2023 to 2026
Senior SEO Manager, Clickout Media (formerly Finixio)
Multi-GEO iGaming SEO across 10+ GEOs in Asia and the West, including the UK, Japan, Vietnam, France and Italy: strategy, link-building operations, budget allocation and team mentoring.
- Now
Open to new roles
Open to senior SEO leadership roles, remote or in Dubai.
Search, technology, ideas, and everything in between.
Digital Habibi is where I write about all of it. SEO is the day job, but I am just as interested in how things get built, why some ideas work and others do not, and what the internet looks like from Dubai.
How I like to work
Small, measurable bets over big promises. I write down what worked and what did not, and I use AI as a power tool, not an autopilot: it drafts, I decide.
Behind the scenes
Notes on what really happens behind the rankings: the rebuilds, the mistakes and the small wins. Starting with how I rebuilt this very site.
Fresh from the blog
I share what is working in SEO, iGaming and search in the UAE, mostly on LinkedIn.
Gamification in SEO 2025: Boosting Engagement and Search Rankings with AI
Search looks very different now than it did a few years ago. Keywords, backlinks and information are no longer the only things that decide rankings. Instead, engagement signs…
Start with a guide
- SEO in the UAEArabic content, local search and what works in Dubai.
- iGaming SEOCasino and betting SEO across regulated markets.
- AI searchGEO, AEO and ranking in AI answers.
- Local SEOGoogle Business Profile, citations and local pages.
- International SEOhreflang, market targeting and multilingual content.
- Link buildingEarning and buying links without the risk.
- On-page SEOTitles, headings, content and internal links.
- SEO trendsWhat changed this year and what to do about it.
Questions people ask me
Are you looking for a full-time role?
Yes. I am open to senior SEO leadership roles, remote or based in Dubai, and especially in iGaming. The experience page has the detail, and the contact form reaches me directly.
Do you still take consulting work?
Yes, for a small number of clients at a time. Most engagements start with an audit and a 90-day plan, then I either run the work or guide your team through it.
Which markets have you worked in?
More than 10 GEOs across Asia and the West for iGaming, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Vietnam, France and Italy, plus the UAE and India for local and ecommerce clients. Multi-language SEO and hreflang are a big part of that work.
How long does SEO take to show results?
Technical fixes can move rankings in weeks. Content and links usually take three to six months to show a clear trend, and longer in competitive niches like iGaming.
Yalla, let's talk.
Hiring for SEO leadership, or need help with your site? Send a short note and I reply within two working days.