Geofencing
Last updated September 2026
Geofencing draws a virtual perimeter around a physical location, such as a competitor's store or an event venue, and serves ads to mobile devices that enter it. It lets advertisers target people by where they physically are or recently were, rather than by demographic or online behavior alone.
Geofencing sets a GPS-defined boundary around a real-world location, anywhere from a single storefront to an entire neighborhood, and triggers ad delivery to mobile devices that cross into it. The location is virtual, but the targeting is entirely physical: presence, not profile, decides who sees the ad.
01
How it works
A campaign defines one or more polygons on a map, often around a client's own locations, a competitor's, a venue hosting a relevant event, or a service-area boundary. Mobile devices that enter the fence, having granted location permission to an app in their ad exchange's data pool, become eligible for the campaign's ads, which can then follow that device for a set window after the visit.
02
Where it earns its keep
Geofencing works best for businesses with a physical footprint and a competitive alternative nearby: retail, restaurants, healthcare, automotive, home services. Fencing a competitor's parking lot and serving an offer to that foot traffic is a specific, aggressive tactic that performs well precisely because it reaches people already in a buying mindset for that category.
- 01
Competitor conquesting
target foot traffic at a rival location.
- 02
Event targeting
reach attendees at a trade show, game, or local event.
- 03
Service-area enforcement
hold ads to an exact boundary instead of a zip code.
- 04
Visit attribution
measure whether an ad exposure preceded a real-world visit.
03
The attribution question
Geofencing's real value shows up when a fenced impression can be tied to a follow-up visit or call, not just an impression count. Conduit pairs geofencing with Conversion Clarity-tracked numbers and location-based conversion tracking so an agency can report actual store visits or calls attributable to the fence, not just reach.
The tactic works best paired with a clear physical trigger, a competitor's parking lot, an industry event, a service area boundary, rather than a broad radius around a business address that captures mostly irrelevant traffic, and it pairs naturally with an OTT buy for full-funnel reach.
Where this applies
