What is a Geo IP?
Each device within a data network has an IP address. The IP address can be used to uniquely identify the device. When a web page is accessed from a computer, the IP address of the device is also transmitted to the web server. This is the only way the web server can transmit the desired data to the PC (web browser). The abbreviation IP stands for Internet Protocol and is used for the exchange of information on the Internet and networks.
A Geo IP is created when the IP address is assigned to the geographical location of a connection. The assignment enables advertisements to be placed in conjunction with geotargeting and the origin of visitors can be determined.
How accurate is a Geo IP?
Geo IP is just one of many ways to find out the location of a user or IP address. As soon as the location of a user is to be determined more precisely, other methods and techniques are added. GPS data from mobile devices as well as WLAN data provide further information. User locations can be determined even more precisely via the browser using HTML5.
Who is interested in Geo IP?
Companies that place great emphasis on web analytics, usability and location-based advertising use Geo IP. Advertising programs such as Google AdWords can use Geo IP to serve location-based advertising. For example, Google can deliver search queries based on Geo IP location.
Benefits of a Geo IP
100 percent accuracy can never be achieved with IP-based location determination. Accordingly, projects that are based on a user’s location and fall back on it can be prone to errors. By using proxy servers, the actual location of the device (its IP) can be replaced by other locations. The same problem occurs when users use a provider that has its main server located in another country.
Web Analysis with Geo IP
It makes sense for companies to use Geo IP for their web analyses. Visitors can be assigned to a specific country, region or city. This allows geotargeting and regional advertising.