Geo targeting

Geo targeting' in geomarketing and internet marketing is the method of determining the geolocation of a website visitor and delivering different content to that visitor based on his or her location, such as country, region/state, city, metro code/zip code, organization, IP address, ISP or other criteria. A common usage of geo targeting is found in online advertising, as well as internet television with sites such as iPlayer and Hulu, which restrict content to users geolocated in specific countries; this approach serves as a means of implementing digital rights management. Use of proxy servers and virtual private networks may give a false location.

In geo targeting with geolocation software, the geolocation is based on geographical and other personal information that is provided by the visitor or others.

A typical example for different content by choice in geo targeting is the Fedex website or UPS website, where users have the choice to select their country location first and are then presented with different site or article content depending on their selection.

In internet marketing and geomarketing, the delivery of different content based on the geographical geolocation and other personal information is automated. A good example is the Ace Hardware website at www.acehardware.com. The company utilizes geolocation software to power the “My Local Ace” section of its website. Based on a site visitor’s location, the website's online locator service can show the visitor how many stores are in their area, as well as a city-level locator map to help the customer find the store closest to their address.

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Wikipedia