Geolocation refers to the technology used to identify and estimate the real-world geographic location of an internet-connected device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, or computer. It relies on GPS, Wi-Fi networks, cell tower triangulation, and IP addresses.
In digital marketing, geolocation is the backbone of Local SEO and location-based advertising. When a user searches for 'plumber near me', Google uses the user's geolocation to serve the most relevant local businesses in the Map Pack. Advertisers use geofencing to serve ads only to people physically located within a specific radius of their brick-and-mortar store.