I’ve been messing around with Singles Ads for a small dating project, and I keep wondering if anyone else struggles with GEO targeting as much as I do. It sounded simple at first. Just pick the right countries or cities and let the traffic roll in, right? Turns out, it’s not that clean.
My main issue was wasting budget. I’d launch a campaign worldwide thinking “more reach is better,” but most of the clicks came from places where people never actually signed up. Lots of traffic, almost zero results. It felt like throwing money into the void. I started doubting whether Singles Ads even worked for smaller brands like mine.
So I tried breaking things down. Instead of going broad, I tested one or two regions at a time. I checked where past conversions came from and focused only on similar locations. I also adjusted bids based on time zones, because I noticed evenings performed better than mornings. Nothing fancy, just small tweaks. Weirdly enough, that’s when things started improving. Fewer clicks, but better quality. My costs dropped and sign-ups slowly went up.
What didn’t work for me was copying “top GEO lists” I found online. Every audience is different. What works for someone in the US might flop for me in Tier 2 or Tier 3 regions. I learned the hard way that guessing burns cash fast.
If I had to give one piece of advice, it’s this: treat GEO targeting like testing, not a one-time setup. Start small, watch the numbers, then scale only what proves itself. It’s slower, but way less stressful.
Curious if others here had similar experiences or found smarter ways to handle it.
