Location data can help advertisers create more relevant and personalized ads and messaging. According to a new Thinknear study, engagement rates can increase up to 30% when accurate location data is used to customize ad creative.

Location enables marketers to target consumers based on real-world behavior or real-time location. In addition to reaching specific audiences, location can support ad creative that is more immediate and personalized. As the study and other data show, such ads are more engaging and effective.

Simply having location-specific imagery/text featuring city, neighborhood or other local information can boost ad performance and response rates. Contextual information (weather, local events, local news, etc.) can also be used for improved relevance.

Beyond ad creative, location data is critical to accurate mobile targeting and attribution. As part of its study, Thinknear analyzed over a billion ad impressions and ran location accuracy tests on close to 500,000 ads. It concluded that data quality has declined overall, with the company’s “Location Score Index” showing the lowest aggregate total since 2014: 45 on a 100-point scale.