Geo-targeting

Geo-Targeting is targeting based on a visitor's geographical location, and is in the same family as Location Based Services. Typically, a combination of cookies and IP Address resolution/lookups are used to determine (or best estimate) a given visitor's geographic location.

Specifications

• W3C -- Geolocation API Specification: http://dev.w3.org/geo/api/spec-source.html
• Basic Geo (WGS84 lat/long) RDF Vocabulary: http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/

Tools

Mailing Address

• Geocoding Addresses: http://vterrain.org/Culture/geocoding.html (many libraries and tools for turning Postal Address into Lat/Lon coordinates, or, physical address/location)

CanadaPost

• Find (PostalCode) By City (Address): http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/fpc/personal/findByCity
• Find An Address (by PostalCode): http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/fpc/personal/findAnAddress

Example POST request:

 POST http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/fpc/personal/findAnAddress
 Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
 POST body:
 postalCode=A8A+8A8&fpcFindAnAddress%3AreverseSearch%3Afpc_psn_common_fa_find.x=22&fpcFindAnAddress%3AreverseSearch%3Afpc_psn_common_fa_find.y=11&autoScroll=0%2C0&fpcFindAnAddress%3AreverseSearch%3A_link_hidden_=&fpcFindAnAddress%3AreverseSearch%3A_idcl=&fpcFindAnAddress%3AreverseSearch_SUBMIT=1&javax.faces.ViewState=v1Dxx9hSieZwMVPzZZHAPSkIfrSZM1jbO4mNTTN2U0GpxoAFjzFhwBfq8TSsy8FpYyUiHf4E5tIMuqNSqP%2BdRXlnUu5pPC6ZorcMnR6eUbwBfVsEfhJYRBewHFHleWOFgmTmtqpxws1JfGmss6QW%2B%2FvQVbtsXJDfUaujf70g1Ed9bRAF

• CanadaPost API: https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/business/productsservices/developers/services/gettingstarted.jsf

ZipCodes

• USPS Zip Code Lookup: https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action
• Esri - Demographics ZIP lookup/map: http://www.esri.com/data/esri_data/ziptapestry
• ZipCode Lookup: http://www.zip-codes.com/free-zip-code-tools.asp | Products/Pricing
• Yahoo! Small Business ZipCode lookup: https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/business-tools/zipcode-lookup

Global Mailing Addresses

• Loqate -- Global Address verification, autocomplete, geolocation, etc: https://www.loqate.com/en-us/ | API (Loqate merged with "PostCodeAnywhere")

Geo-Location

W3C geo-location API

• geo-location-javascript -- javascript geo location framework for the mobile web: http://code.google.com/p/geo-location-javascript/

Yahoo

• YQL geolocation API (great backup when W3C HTML5 geo-location not supported): http://isithackday.com/hacks/geo/yql-geo-library/ EXAMPLE - GeoCode zipcode 90210
• IP InfoDB: http://www.ipinfodb.com/ (used by YQL)

Google

• Google AJAX API: google.loader.ClientLocation: http://code.google.com/apis/ajax/documentation/#ClientLocation | [Main Street, Moncton NB | EXAMPLE - GeoCoding API] (to get Lat/Lon & confirm Address location/validity)

Microsoft

• Geo-Targeting Best Practices: http://advertising.microsoft.com/GeoTargeting

Geocoder

• GeoCoder.ca -- Find the address from Latitude/Longitude within Canada (reverse geo-coding): http://geocoder.ca | EXAMPLE
• Geocoder.us -- Find the latitude & longitude of any US address - for free (and more): http://geocoder.us/
• iBegin Geocoder Documentation: http://geocoder.ibegin.com/documentation.php

GeoIP

• GIP - Internet Protocol Calculator (on FreshMeat): http://unix.freshmeat.net/projects/gip
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) - IP finder: http://checkip.amazonaws.com (simple one-line text-based response)
• IPify API: http://api.ipify.org/ (alternative simple one-line response)

MaxMind

The most popular IP address-based lookup provider.

• MaxMind GeoIP Project: http://sourceforge.net/projects/geoip/ | EXAMPLE - IP lookup to determine location/ISP
• MaxMind - Java API: http://www.maxmind.com/app/java
• MaxMind - Java PHP: http://www.maxmind.com/app/php
• MaxMind DB Apache Module http://maxmind.github.io/mod_maxminddb/ | SRC

WebServiceX - GeoIP

• GeoIP Web Service: http://www.webservicex.net/ws/WSDetails.aspx?WSID=64&CATID=12 | WSDL
• Using a GeoIP WebService in VB.net: http://www.geekpedia.com/tutorial75_Using-a-Geo-IP-Web-Service.html

Other MaxMind-powered GeoIP

• IPinfo: http://ipinfo.io/ (GeoIP tool with API, powered by MaxMind)
• Telize: http://www.telize.com/ | DOWNLOAD (full GeoDNS + GeoIP service in JSONp, nginx GeoIP part powered by MaxMind)
• GeoIP by DMW Technologies: http://geoip.dmwtechnologies.com/
• PHPClasses - GeoIP API Connector: http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/package/4516.html
• Get Country and City from IP for "FREE!": http://rochakchauhan.com/blog/2008/04/18/get-country-and-city-from-ip-for-free/
• JAVASCRIPT IP GEO LOCATION API: http://iplocationtools.com/api.html#b
• Smart-IP: http://smart-ip.net/en/ (AJAX-based weather lookup service with GeoIP location resolution | API

Neustar

• Geo IP Address & Geolocation Lookup Tool: http://www.neustar.biz/resources/tools/ip-geolocation-lookup-tool

Digital Elements

• Digital Elements' GeoIP lookup service: http://www.digitalelement.com/

GeoComply

• GeoComply: http://www.geocomply.com/

Vessel Tracking

• FlightRadar24: https://www.flightradar24.com/ | EXAMPLE (tracks all planes in the air and at airports/airfields as they're landing, they then fall off map when at rest)
• MarineTracker: https://www.marinetraffic.com | EXAMPLE (tracks all boats in the water and at ports/docks)

Resources

• wikipedia: Canadian postal code | EXAMPLE - List of NB (E) Postal Codes
• wikipedia: Postcodes in the United Kingdom
• wikipedia: List of ZIP code prefixes
• wikipedia: Postal codes in Japan
• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Standards: http://www.opengeospatial.org/docs/is/
• USPS -- Street Types - suffix abbreviations: https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/28apc_002.htm
• Canada Post -- Symbols & Abbreviations Recognized - Street Types: https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGaddress-e.asp#1441964
• Java IP (InetAddress) Locator: https://sourceforge.net/projects/javainetlocator/
• Open-Source Geo-Targeting: http://contentdeveloper.com/2007/06/open-source-geo-targeting/
• Free Geo Spatial database (all major US cities and Lat/Long coordinates): http://www.phpro.org/index.php?route=projects/geodb
• APIs for GeoIP Products: http://www.maxmind.com/app/api | MaxMind GeoIP - Country database: http://www.maxmind.com/app/country
• Geo-Targeting PHP Script: http://www.netnagel.com/2008/08/geo-targeting-php-script.html
• Free Zip Code Database: http://www.zipcodeguy.com/blog/free-zip-code-database/
• Detect Visitors' Country of Origin with PHP MySQL: http://www.jameslittle.me.uk/detect-visitors-country-with-php-mysql/
• Partially hide an IP address in forum like pages: http://www.weberdev.com/get_example-4788.html
• Geocompare Report - a comparison of public and commercial Geolocation databases (2011): http://www.caida.org/publications/papers/2011/geocompare-tr/geocompare-tr.pdf

Tutorials

• HTML5 Apps -- Positioning with Geolocation: http://mobile.tutsplus.com/tutorials/mobile-web-apps/html5-geolocation/
• IsItHackDay -- Geo-location hacks: http://isithackday.com/hacks/geo/
• Getting location from IP and W3C Geo API: http://isithackday.com/hacks/geo/distance.php

• HTML5 geolocation API to measure speed and heading of your car: http://www.smartjava.org/content/html5-geolocation-api-measure-speed-and-heading-your-car
• Getting IP address of client: http://stackoverflow.com/a/21529994/335867
• How to get client Ip Address in Java: http://www.mkyong.com/java/how-to-get-client-ip-address-in-java/
• GeoDNS BIND patch: http://www.caraytech.com/geodns/ (server-based, using MaxMind's C libraries)
• How to add (use) GeoIP within Wireshark: https://wiki.wireshark.org/HowToUseGeoIP (depends on MaxMind downloadable database)
• How to look up the geographic location of an IP address from the command line: http://xmodulo.com/geographic-location-ip-address-command-line.html
• How To Find The Geolocation Of An IP Address From Commandline: https://www.ostechnix.com/find-geolocation-ip-address-commandline/
• Create Place Auto Complete Address Form With Google Maps API: https://infinitricks.com/common-post/create-place-auto-complete-address-form-with-google-maps-api/
• Store Locator using Java: http://theoryapp.com/store-locator-using-java/

External Links

• wikipedia: Geotargeting
• wikipedia: Geocoding
• wikipedia: Geotagging
• wikipedia: Geolocation
• Wikipedia: Geolocation software
• wikipedia: Geo-fence (Geo-Fencing)
• wikipedia: Postal code
• wikipedia: Zip code
• GeoBios -- Geo Enabled And Better Internet Oriented Services: http://www.geabios.com/
• Centrl: http://centrl.com/
• WordPress Now Knows Where You Are: http://mashable.com/2009/11/12/wordpress-location/
• How Location-Aware Browsing Works (in Firefox): http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/geolocation/
• How to convert a street address to longitude and latitude (geocoding) via web services: http://jamesewelch.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/how-to-convert-a-street-address-to-longitude-and-latitude-geocoding-via-web-services/
• Yahoo! Maps Web Services - Geocoding API: http://developer.yahoo.com/maps/rest/V1/geocode | EXAMPLE
• Copenhagen Tracks Tourists: http://ideasspotter.com/2011/03/copenhagen-tracks-tourists/
• Who Has the Most Accurate IP Geolocation Data?: http://blog.maxmind.com/2014/01/31/who-has-the-most-accurate-ip-geolocation-data/
• Geolocation & marketing - how mobile is changing everything: http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/22/geolocation-marketing-how-mobile-is-changing-everything/
• Troubleshooting Akamai -- How to geolocate an IP Address: https://rothmanshore.com/2011/02/25/troubleshooting-akamai-how-to-geolocate-an-ip-address/
• How To Clean Up Incorrect Geolocation Information?: https://ask.slashdot.org/story/08/06/18/2242251/How-To-Clean-Up-Incorrect-Geolocation-Information
• Tracing the location of a mobile IP from an email: https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/122507/tracing-the-location-of-a-mobile-ip-from-an-email
• How do I get the remote address of a client in Servlet?: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4678797/how-do-i-get-the-remote-address-of-a-client-in-servlet
• Get real client IP in a Servlet: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16163874/get-real-client-ip-in-a-servlet
• How to get client's IP address using JavaScript only?: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/391979/how-to-get-clients-ip-address-using-javascript-only
• How to get IP address using Javascript or jQuery?: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19953328/how-to-get-ip-address-using-javascript-or-jquery
• How Quicker Refreshes of IP Geolocation Data Improve the Customer Experience: https://www.security.neustar/blog/quicker-refreshes-ip-geolocation-improve-customer-experience
• Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/28/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers-as-americas-largest-generation/

See Also

IP | HTML5 | Geolocation | BT | LBS | Web Service