Geo-targeted Banner

Introduction

The Geo-Targeted Banner Ads plugin allows eDirectory site managers to display banner advertisements based on a visitor's geographic location. This makes it possible to provide more relevant advertisements to visitors and allows sponsors to target audiences within specific geographic areas.

Before configuring the Geo-Targeted Banner Ads plugin, your eDirectory site must have the required Google Maps and Nearby Results API integrations configured. These integrations provide the location functionality required by the plugin.

Once the required APIs are configured, you can set the geographic range for the plugin and assign specific locations to individual banners.

Instructions for Implementing Geo-Targeted Banners

1. Configure the Google APIs

Before setting up the Geo-Targeted Banner Ads plugin, make sure your eDirectory site has the required Google integrations configured.

The plugin requires:

• Google Maps API
• Google Nearby Results API

These integrations provide the location-related functionality needed for the plugin to determine the visitor's location and calculate the distance between the visitor and a banner's configured location.

To configure the required Google integrations, follow the instructions in the following articles:

How to Activate Google Maps

How to Activate Google Nearby Results API

2. Configure Visitor Location Detection

The Geo-Targeted Banner functionality relies on the visitor's location.

When a visitor accesses a page where geo-targeted banners are available, the browser can request permission to access the visitor's location. If the visitor grants permission, eDirectory can use the detected location for location-based functionality.

To configure visitor location detection, go to Settings → Language & Geography → Location Settings

Make sure location functionality and Visitor Location Detection are enabled as needed for your site.

The visitor's location is obtained through the location services provided by the Google integration when the visitor grants the necessary permission.

3. Configure the Geo-Targeted Banner Plugin

After the required Google integrations and location functionality have been configured, navigate to Settings → General Settings → Plugins

Locate the Geo-Targeted Banner plugin settings.

Here, you can configure the standard geographic distance used to determine whether visitors are within the range of location-specific banners.

You can select the preferred unit of measurement:

• Miles
• Kilometers

This distance is used when determining whether a visitor is within the applicable geographic range of a banner.

4. Add or Edit a Banner with Geographic Targeting

To create or edit a banner, navigate to Content → Banners

Click Add banner to create a new banner, or edit an existing banner.

When configuring the banner, you can specify the geographic location where the banner should be targeted.

You can also configure the banner's limit area to determine how far from the configured location the banner can be displayed.

Each banner can have one geographic location.

If you need to target multiple locations, create separate banners for each location.

For example, if an advertiser wants to target both New York and San Francisco, you would create separate banners for those two locations.

5. Configure Category Targeting

A banner can also be associated with a specific category.

When a banner has both geographic targeting and category targeting, both conditions must be fulfilled for the banner to be displayed.

The visitor must:

1. Be within the banner's configured geographic range; and
2. Be viewing the applicable category.

For example, suppose a banner is configured for:

• Location: New York City
• Category: Beauty and Fitness
• Geographic range: 25 miles

The banner will only be displayed when the visitor is within the configured geographic range and is viewing the Restaurants category.

If the visitor is in New York but is viewing another category, the banner will not be displayed.

Likewise, if the visitor is viewing the Restaurants category but is outside the banner's geographic range, the banner will not be displayed.

6. Create Banners Without Geographic Targeting

Geographic targeting is optional.

You can create banners without assigning a geographic location. These banners are not restricted to a specific geographic range.

Non-geo-targeted banners can rotate together with geo-targeted banners.

For example, a site could have:

• Banner A: New York — geo-targeted
• Banner B: San Francisco — geo-targeted
• Banner C: No geographic targeting

A visitor within the New York target area can be eligible for Banner A and Banner C.

A visitor within the San Francisco target area can be eligible for Banner B and Banner C.

This allows site managers to combine general advertising with location-specific advertising.

How Banner Targeting Works

Once the plugin is configured, the system evaluates the available banners based on the visitor's location and the targeting settings assigned to each banner.

Geo-targeted banners

For a geo-targeted banner to be eligible, the visitor must be within the banner's configured geographic range.

The system calculates the distance between the visitor's detected location and the banner's configured location.

Geo-targeted banners with categories

If the banner also has a category configured, the visitor must satisfy both requirements:

• The visitor is within the geographic range.
• The visitor is viewing the corresponding category.

Banners without geographic targeting

Banners without a geographic location can still be displayed regardless of the visitor's geographic location.

They can also rotate together with eligible geo-targeted banners.

What Happens If the Visitor Does Not Share Their Location?

The plugin relies on the visitor's location being available through the site's location functionality.

If the visitor declines the browser's location request, their location cannot be used to determine eligibility for geo-targeted banners.

In this situation:

• Banners without geographic targeting can still be displayed.
• Geo-targeted banners cannot be selected based on a detected visitor location.
• If all available banners are geo-targeted, no banners will be displayed for that visitor.

The plugin does not use an IP-based fallback for determining the visitor's location.

What Happens If the Visitor Is Outside Every Geo-Targeted Banner's Range?

If the visitor's location is successfully detected but the visitor is outside the configured geographic range of all geo-targeted banners, banners without geographic targeting can still be displayed.

For example:

Scenario 1 — General banner available

• Visitor is outside all geo-targeted areas.
• There is at least one banner without geographic targeting.

Result: The non-geo-targeted banner can be displayed.

Scenario 2 — All banners are geo-targeted

• Visitor is outside all configured geographic ranges.
• Every available banner has geographic targeting.

Result: No banners will be displayed.

Example of Banner Eligibility

This allows you to combine highly targeted advertisements with general banners on the same site.

Understanding Location Permission

Because the plugin uses the visitor's location, the visitor may receive a browser prompt requesting permission to share their location.

If the visitor accepts:

1. Their location can be obtained through the site's configured location services.
2. The system determines which geo-targeted banners are within range.
3. Category targeting is evaluated when applicable.
4. Eligible banners can participate in the banner rotation.

If the visitor declines:

1. Their location cannot be used for geo-targeting.
2. Geo-targeted banners are not eligible based on their location.
3. Non-geo-targeted banners can still be displayed.

Important Configuration Notes

Before testing the plugin, verify that:

• The required Google Maps API is configured.
• The required Google Nearby Results API is configured.
• Visitor Location Detection is configured as needed.
• The Geo-Targeted Banner plugin is installed.
• The plugin's geographic settings have been configured.
• Each geo-targeted banner has its intended location and geographic range.
• Category targeting is configured correctly when applicable.

Conclusion

The Geo-Targeted Banner Ads plugin allows eDirectory site managers to combine geographic and category-based targeting while maintaining the flexibility to display general banners to all visitors.

The key points to remember are:

• Configure the required Google APIs before setting up the plugin.
• Visitor location is obtained through the site's location functionality when the visitor grants permission.
• Each banner can have one geographic location.
• A banner's geographic range determines whether the visitor is close enough to be eligible.
• When geographic and category targeting are both configured, both conditions must be fulfilled.
• Banners without geographic targeting can rotate together with geo-targeted banners.
• Visitors who do not share their location can still see banners without geographic targeting.
• Visitors outside all geo-targeted ranges can still see non-geo-targeted banners.
• If all available banners are geo-targeted and the visitor's location is unavailable or outside every configured range, no banners will be displayed.
• The plugin does not use an IP-based fallback for visitor location.