After managing WordPress sites for over 15 years, I‘ve seen firsthand how geolocation targeting can help businesses boost conversions and create better user experiences.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share insider tips to implement effective location-based targeting in WordPress.
Let‘s dive in!
Contents
What is Geolocation Targeting and Why Use It?
Geolocation targeting allows you to customize website content and functionality based on a visitor‘s geographic location.
For example, an ecommerce store can dynamically display:
- Local pricing in the user‘s currency
- Estimated shipping times and costs
- Location-specific promotions and recommendations
This helps provide a tailored experience for every visitor.
Here are 5 key reasons businesses use geotargeting:
1. Increase Relevance
Showing location-specific content makes the site more interesting and useful to visitors. A travel site can highlight nearby destinations while a sports site pushes local team news.
According to a Studendata survey, 70% of consumers prefer personalized location-based recommendations over generic suggestions.
2. Boost Conversions
Convenience increases conversions. Allowing users to easily see localized pricing, optimal shipping, and special offers prompts more purchases.
In one test, a Shopify merchant increased revenue by 5.1% with geotargeted checkout content for 6 major markets.
3. Expand Globally
Geotargeting enables expanding into new international markets by translating content and localizing the site experience.
For example, adhering to GDPR data regulations in the EU is easier by targeting consent notices and policies specifically to European visitors.
4. Personalize Experiences
Precise location data allows for hyper-personalization, like serving up custom recommendations for nearby points of interest.
Proximity targeting is also popular, such as triggering location-based promotions when users are within a certain radius of a store location.
5. Improve Marketing
Geotargeting allows focusing ad campaigns only on high-value locations. Conversions can also be attributed back to specific regions.
In one test, geo-targeted mobile ads increased conversion rates by 6X compared to broader targeting.
As you can see, there are many benefits to catering your website experience around user location. Now let‘s look at how to actually implement it.
How to Track Website Visitor Locations
Before targeting by location, you need to track and store geographic data on visitors. Here are two common ways to do this:
Option 1: Google Analytics
Google Analytics makes it easy to view basic location reports. Just enable the geo reports to start collecting data.
Pros:
- Free and easy setup
- Built-in location reports
- Integrates across Google products
Cons:
- Less precise than dedicated options
- Requires Google Analytics site integration
How to Connect Google Analytics:
- Sign up for a free Google Analytics account
- Install the MonsterInsights plugin
- Connect your WordPress site to your Google Analytics property
- Navigate to Audience > Geo > Location to view visitor stats
Alternatively, view reports directly in your Google Analytics dashboard.
Option 2: Dedicated Geolocation Plugin
Dedicated geolocation plugins offer more advanced location tracking capabilities. Many leverage GPS, IP lookups, and other sources to pinpoint coordinates.
Pros:
- Maximum accuracy down to coordinates
- Flexible integration options
- Developer-friendly APIs
Cons:
- Added plugin required
- Potential performance impact
Examples include MaxMind Geolocation and IP Geolocation.
WordPress geo plugins start around $50/year for accurate worldwide tracking. It‘s worth testing a few to find one that meets your needs without slowing down the site.
How to Display Location-Specific Content
Once you‘re tracking visitor locations, it‘s time to target your content.
Use a Page Builder Plugin
Visual page builders like Beaver Builder and Elementor provide easy options for location-based content targeting without code.
For example, the GeoTargeting for Elementor addon lets you create conditional content blocks based on visitor location.
Show specific promotions or alerts only to users from designated cities or regions.
Pros
- Quick setup in a visual interface
- Rules handle targeting for you
- No coding required
Cons
- Features limited compared to custom code
- Dependent on page builder platform
Simply install the addon, create a content block, and set a location-based display rule. The block will selectively show for targeted visitors.
Use Custom Code Snippets
For unlimited customization and advanced functionality, use custom PHP and JavaScript to target based on location.
- Use your geolocation plugin to detect visitor coordinates on the frontend.
- Write conditional logic based on latitude and longitude to serve different content.
For example:
if (visitorLat > 20 && visitorLat < 30 && visitorLng > -60 && visitorLng < -50) {
// Display content for the Caribbean
}You can also target cities, countries, zip code radii, proximity ranges, or any geographic data you have on the user.
While this approach requires coding knowledge, the possibilities are endless for custom interactions. Developers can build robust targeting logic.
GeoTargeting Options for eCommerce
If you use WooCommerce, there are built-in options to dynamically show location-specific content:
Local Pricing and Taxes
- Enable geolocation detection in WooCommerce settings
- Configure tax rates and shipping zones for each region
- Users will see automatically converted pricing and estimated taxes
Location-Based Promotions
Create coupons, discounts, or sales in WooCommerce restricted to certain locations:
- Cities or regions
- Countries
- Zip code radii
- User proximity range
Compliance Notices
Use conditional logic to selectively show disclaimers, policies, consent notices, etc. for specific locations. Useful for regulations like GDPR.
For example:
if (visitorCountry == ‘Germany‘) {
showGDPRNotice();
}How to Integrate Geotargeting with Marketing Platforms
To maximize impact, integrate your WordPress site with your main advertising and marketing platforms. This allows you to:
- Geo-focus ad campaigns on high-value locations
- Track and optimize location-based conversions
- Attribute sales back to geotargeted campaigns
Here are some tips for top platforms:
Google Ads
- Enable location targeting in campaign settings
- Only show ads to people in your target countries, regions, etc.
- Install MonsterInsights to connect Google Ads and WordPress
- View location-based conversion tracking and attribution
Facebook Ads
- Target locations down to a 1 mile radius
- Exclude regions you don‘t want to advertise in
- Use Facebook pixel to attribute conversions
- WP Facebook Pixel integrates with WordPress
Email Marketing
- Segment subscriber lists by location
- Create geotargeted automations and campaigns
- Pass location data from signups to email platform
- Track and optimize based on geotargeting
Geolocation Targeting Tips and Best Practices
Here are some pro tips to ensure your geotargeting efforts are successful:
Accuracy Troubleshooting
Issues like VPNs and proxies can affect accuracy. Combine multiple location signals for best results:
- IP address lookups
- GPS coordinates
- Browser/device language
- WiFi network (if available)
Test different providers to find the optimal balance of accuracy and performance.
Avoid Inconsistent Experiences
Don‘t let inaccurate or missing location data cause a confusing user experience. Set fallback defaults to maintain consistency.
For example, default to broader region pricing if city-level targeting fails.
Location Data Privacy
Always inform users and comply with local privacy laws surrounding geo data collection and use. Clearly explain how the data improves their experience.
Start Conservative
Avoid hypertargeting every piece of content right away. Take a measured approach to ensure you enhance the experience without getting too granular.
Continuously Optimize
Analyze performance by location and optimize accordingly. Run A/B tests of content variations by geo-segment.
Improving location-based targeting is an ongoing process as you gather visitor data and iterate.
Top Geolocation Targeting Tools for WordPress
Here is an overview of some of the top geolocation targeting solutions for WordPress:
| Tool | Description | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| MaxMind | Comprehensive and accurate geolocation data services with WordPress plugins available. | $50-200/year for basic packages |
| OptinMonster | Growth toolkit for marketers including geotargeting, personalization, and more. | $29+/month |
| WPForms Geolocation Addon | Easily collect location data with forms which can then be used for targeting. | $99/year |
| MonsterInsights | Popular Google Analytics plugin for WordPress with built-in geo reports. | Free or $99+/year for Premium |
| IP Geolocation | Specialized IP detection and geotargeting plugin using a combination of techniques for accuracy. | $39+/year |
| GeoTarget | Content delivery network (CDN) that handles geotargeting and localization of WordPress sites. | $20+/month |
There are certainly other solutions, but these tend to be among the most popular and full-featured specifically for WordPress users.
Wrapping Up
I hope this guide provided you with a comprehensive overview of geolocation targeting and how to implement it in WordPress.
The key takeaways:
- Geotargeting allows you to customize the user experience based on location data
- Track visitor locations using Google Analytics or dedicated geo plugins
- Target content with page builder tools, custom code, or built-in ecommerce options
- Integrate with marketing platforms for geofocused campaigns and attribution
- Follow best practices around accuracy, privacy, testing, and optimization
Please let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to help you brainstorm ideas and solutions for your specific use case.
