Ranking higher in search engines is the ultimate goal of website owners and developers. Although ranking algorithms are quite complex, we know that user experience (UX) also plays a significant role in them. Google and other search engines mainly want users to be happy or at the very least, satisfied, which not only entails giving them what they are searching for but also ensuring they have a positive experience.

UX as a ranking factor was confirmed in 2017 when low-quality websites that were laden with ads dipped in search ranking. Web pages that don’t give users what they need despite high rankings in the past may see a decline if their content quality drops.

For this reason, web content personalization has been gaining importance. In this post, we primarily focus on how tools like IP Geolocation API can help site owners personalize content to improve UX.

How Does Web Content Personalization Improve UX?

Static websites are a thing of the past, as they don’t translate to positive UX. Site visitors expect to quickly find what they’re searching for when they choose to click on a link instead of having to go through various tabs and menus. If they don’t immediately see what they need, they are most likely to go to another site. The result? A higher bounce rate that lowers that site’s ranking.

When site developers personalize content, they essentially provide meaningful experiences to visitors. Web content personalization utilizes user data (location, age, gender, and other demographic details) and behaviors (ads clicked, pages visited, and purchases made).

IP Geolocation API as a Tool to Implement Web Content Personalization

Location data is one factor that can drive web content personalization. And when used with other user data, it makes the content relevant, engaging, and, therefore, compelling. IP Geolocation API allows site owners and developers to accurately determine their visitors’ geographical locations by using the following details:

• Latitude and longitude
• Time zone
• Country, region, and city
• Postal code
• Internet service provider (ISP)
• Autonomous System Number (ASN) and other details

Content Localization

With the details given by IP Geolocation API, site operators can segment visitors by location and personalize their content accordingly. Site owners can set up geo redirects, so visitors from a specific location are automatically taken to a preset page with localized content. Here are some ways to localize a website:

• Country-specific Content: Site owners can offer different types of content for visitors from different countries or regions or show location-specific promotions. For example, ongoing promotions for a branch when IP Geolocation API detects that the visitor is located near it can be displayed on the page. This strategy helps drive more foot traffic and sales conversions to brick-and-mortar stores.
• Language: Automatically displaying web content using the visitor’s language is an effective geotargeting strategy. It gives a more personal touch, particularly to those who can only understand their local language.
• Product availability: Due to laws governing taxes, trademarks, copyrights, patents, shipping, and other factors, some products may not be legally sold in some countries. IP geolocation is therefore helpful as it tells e-commerce sites where visitors are from, allowing them to show or hide products, if necessary.
• Currency: E-commerce site owners would want to display product prices in the visitors’ currency as well. Using the location data from IP Geolocation API, they can create location rules, which include setting the currency to display to any visitor coming from a specific location.
• Payment options: Site owners can simplify the checkout process by displaying the payment options available by country. This enhancement lessens the burden of looking for ways to pay for purchases on the consumers’ part.

Experience Optimization through Fast Page Response

Location data from IP Geolocation API, particularly the visitors’ ISPs, give site owners an idea of their Internet connection quality. With this knowledge, web developers can adjust the site content so that visitors with slow Internet connections can still load and see pages qucker.

Faster page loading contributes to the overall UX. In fact, 40% of visitors leave a page that takes more than three seconds to load. Moreover, a one-second response delay results in a 7% decline in conversion. Maintaining a fast website not only allows owners to rank well in search engines, but it also increases conversion.

Site owners and developers can use the location data provided by IP Geolocation API to implement web content personalization and a better UX overall. Personalized web content minimizes negative experience elements such as having to click through several menu options just to display a visitor’s preferred language or currency. Ranking well on search engine results pages (SERP) may not be easy, but offering personalized web content helps a lot. It tells search engine operators that you are adhering to their goal — satisfying their website visitors.