Geo Target Functionality

**Lee_Owen** · 09-02-06

Which network will become waste management leaders and be the first to integrate a geo-target link functionality? Perhaps we could all chip in with a suitable prize for the winning network?

**sgpratley** · 09-02-06

I think you can already do that on the merchant's side with Directtrack. I guess that would make Ocean Affiliates the winner?

**Lee_Owen** · 09-02-06

Really? Oh well, talking about waste management... haha

I don't think I was approved on ocean so didn't know that. That's a lot of networks left behind then.

**Lee_Owen** · 09-02-06

Still, you'd think the worldwide three would have it in place as they have the most to lose. TD, CJ and Zanox.

**pricethat** · 09-02-06

Zanox most likely, in fact i probably can say i know so. Simply because they are probably the most in need of it themselves.

**Andy_Lativio** · 11-02-06

We have been using GEOIP for over 6 months now and we have noticed a 50% increase in non-us sales... is fantastic, we use it for displaying prices and also the local flag in with the design.

I would suggest everybody to use this development.

**morleymouse** · 11-02-06

how good can geo targetting get these days? Last i looked into it closest you could get was country specific which was right some of the time. I vary from being USA to UK due to having AOL I presume.

If geo targetting could get down to regions, counties or even cities then that I think could be the end to private classifieds in newspapers for a start and a huge boost for online marketting as a whole.

yeah its good to have geo targetting to countries, as said you can display a nice little flag and a $ instead of a £. But lets face it you could just set up a US and UK site to deal with this. If we could pi na visitor down to a location in say the UK, well, anyone with some imagination should be able to see all the possibilities.

I dont even know if its possible, just a nice thought maybe?

Be interesting to hear from the networks on this as well, see if any were actually already working on this or if its just been seen ad they've thought "oh yeah thats a good idea lets start work on it"

for one id have thought AF would/should be looking into this as there moving off into other countries. And id have thought POR would have, just because they seem to think about stuff

**giveasyouget** · 12-02-06

I'm pretty sure some of the more expensive IP databases not only give u aol users as their correct country but will also give you city, borough and sometimes organisation. Maxmind springs to mind.

Course this is what they advertise - I haven't put it into practice!

**Lee_Owen** · 12-02-06

There are of course wider aspects but my initial reasoning is shutting down the malpractice by vermin merchants who hold databases for numerous other countries but only pay out on leads/sign ups for the UK, regardless of us sending them traffic from 60 different regions in the world.

And also for me as an affiliate to benefit from showing the correct banner ads which should result in higher sales.

If a network can't do either then they should be telling merchants "you can only show what you're paying for" So all these merchants with multiple programs or one program and 200 countries need to narrow their forms and only include the UK, do specific landing pages that only show the UK - if they're going to be this uncooperative and be this underhand then they need sorting out.

But so far all of this lands on deaf ears at support desks in various networks "wah wah we can't do it, we're hopeless" yes you bloody can, stop the merchant advertising the other countries, simple as, then they may get their wallet out and pay for the other traffic! Or give us the ability to stop non UK visitors getting to their site in the first place!

War? Yeah you bet!

**morleymouse** · 12-02-06

Just had a go on Maximind (cheers giveasyouget) and it got my country right! Yes im in the UK, puts me just north of skipton, which to be fair isnt that far off probably about 40/50 miles but least they dont have me in the US.

Also gets your ISP - could be very useful for people with broadand sites.

Lee I do think merchants should pay for all sales sent to them be affiliates, as its still a sale. Couldn't you perhaps look int oa way of filtering off your traffic at your end so that only traffic they are going to pay for goes to them, i msure if the merchant saw this happeneing they may change their mind on what they pay commission on.

It would be nice if networks could make demand on merchants to only show certain content etc, and it would benefit them as they would make more on override etc (as I presume if affiliates dont make commission on these other countries that your on about then the network wont make its override either) but with the number of networks around I dont think theres any way they can do this as the merchant could just jump ship and join another network.

Dont thin kits the networks trying to screw you over, as you have to remember they make their money fro mwhat affiliates make. So a merchant not paying out to an affiliate means they arnt paying out to the network either, appart from monthy fees etc. It would also benefit networks if they forced merchants to not show phone numbers to visitors coming via affiliate links (easy enough to do technically) but unless every network agreed on this then its not going to happen as there will always be one who takes them on.

Best thing I would have thought would be talk to the merchant about it, if nothing can be sorted that way let them know you intend to filter off traffic they arnt paying for. Even if you just have to stick some flags on your page so visitors choose what content to see.

**Azam.net** · 12-02-06

Well said Dan and LOL Lee. We've been using flags on our sites, but we need proper geotargeting.

I've given up on waiting for the networks to take action. Affiliates have to set up their own geo-targeting facilities.

There's a fascinating interview with the wonderful Mal Cowley (Buy.at) in the archives of WebmasterRadio.fm in which he encourages American affiliates to monitize their UK traffic by using Buy.at. But he says affiliates need to split the traffic themselves (though buy.at will help with landing pages etc.)

Have been trying to set up phpAdsNew/Max Media Manager with automated geotargetting for ages, but can't get it going. If anybody can help, please PM.

Also, if anybody has tried adpeeps(.com), which has geotargetting, please let us all know what you thought of it.

**Supercod** · 12-02-06

Didn’t want to jump in too early as I was interested in how the voting would go, and see if people would take in to account who has been innovating and developing of late

anyways without jumping the gun I can say Paid On Results are currently looking at what Geo-Targeting features to offer and should have a few neat features for Affiliates very soon and not just banners

**KGP** · 12-02-06

a quick solution into this could be all of us -the affiliates- on a specific thread which is going to be open for this reason, post for which countries each merchant has honored (or not) the affiliates sales for.

Merchants and networks could post as well the same info.

For me especially this is a big issue as i currently serve through different channels many countries and have seen many variations.

although the only (UK) network i have seen specifically having appropriate info/field on each merchant they represent, this one is webgains and their field is called "Geo-targeting" (where each merchant states appropriatelly the country(ies) or places a "non" for all countries). although on one case (visitbritain) it was not accurate (they accept only UK leads) but i believe it was just a mistake from the merchant and has nothing to do with WG.

Zanox offers appropriate info as well.

From other networks i have seen only a handfull of merchants stating on their info page appropriatelly, but even then cases like hotels.com (UK) where on CJ says only UK traffic is allowed and on TD no mention about it.

i believe we can start at least in the beggining as proposed above (similarly what happened with the merchants who offer datafeed) and using services like maxmind serve accordingly and wait/put pressure on networks to work and offer such a feauture in the near future.