Using IP geolocation data to determine users’ physical locations is a powerful tool for marketers to enhance user experiences and boost returns on investment (ROIs) on PPC campaigns, digital ads, website traffic and e-commerce transactions. It can also be used to strengthen cybersecurity measures like multi-factor authentication and suspicious login detection — if a customer logs in from an unusual location, the system could flag their request and require additional steps for verification.

However, geolocate IPs and check risk is a key factor to consider when selecting a data source. The accuracy of geolocation information can vary between providers and databases, and can differ at the country, state and city level. Ideally, services should be verified, audited and vetted to ensure that they provide accurate data.

• Instant Proxy or VPN IP Test to Identify Anonymous Traffic

Inaccurate IP geolocation results can be costly for many different industries. For example, online retailers may deliver irrelevant content or use the wrong language or currency based on misreported geographic locations. For fraudsters, inaccurate location information can restrict their access to region-specific content and limit their opportunities for committing fraudulent activity. It can also impact manual review during the fraud detection process, as analysts examine data associated with a transaction to assess its risk. This can be particularly challenging for fraud analysts working in a multi-national environment where it’s common for VPN and proxy services to obscure user locations.