When it comes to PPC advertising, every dollar counts.
You don’t want to waste budget showing ads when your audience isn’t active, or to people who are unlikely to buy.
Enter two powerful tactics: Dayparting and Geo-Targeting.
These strategies help you tighten your focus, cut waste, and boost ROI by making sure your ads appear at the right time and in the right place.
Let’s dive into what they are, why they matter, and how to use them like a pro.
What Is Dayparting?
Dayparting (also known as ad scheduling) means setting your ads to only run during specific times of the day or certain days of the week.
Instead of running your ads 24/7, you strategically choose time windows when your audience is most likely to engage or convert.
Example:
If you’re a B2B software company, you might run ads only during business hours (9 AM – 6 PM) Monday through Friday.
What Is Geo-Targeting?
Geo-targeting allows you to show your ads only to users in specific:
Countries
States
Cities
ZIP codes
Neighborhoods
Radius around a location (e.g., 10 miles around your store)
Example:
A local restaurant can target ads only to people within a 5-mile radius around their location.
Why Dayparting and Geo-Targeting Matter
Both tactics help you:
Spend more efficiently:
Focus budget on high-performing times and locations.Improve conversion rates:
Reach people when and where they’re most likely to act.Increase relevance:
Tailor your messaging based on location and time.Reduce wasted impressions:
Avoid showing ads to people unlikely to convert.
How to Set Up Dayparting
1. Analyze Your Data First Look at your account’s performance by:
Hour of the day
Day of the week
In Google Ads and Facebook Ads, you can segment reports this way easily.
2. Identify High-Performing Times Focus on when you get:
Highest CTR
Highest conversion rates
Lowest CPA
3. Set Your Schedule In your ad platform:
Choose the days and hours you want ads to run
Adjust bids for specific times (e.g., increase bids during peak hours)
Pro Tip:
Use bid adjustments rather than turning off ads completely—especially if you’re unsure.
How to Set Up Geo-Targeting
1. Understand Your Audience’s Geography Where do your best customers live or work?
2. Set Target Locations In your ad platform, specify:
Regions (e.g., New York City only)
Radius targeting (e.g., 20 miles around your store)
ZIP codes
3. Customize Your Messaging Use location-specific ads to increase relevance.
Example:
Instead of saying “Find a fitness studio near you,” you could say “Top-Rated Fitness Studio in Downtown Seattle.”
Pro Tip:
Use location exclusions too!
Exclude areas where you know you don’t want your ads showing.
Smart Strategies for Maximum Impact
Combine Dayparting + Geo-Targeting
Run ads only during prime hours in prime locations.
Example:
Show ads to Los Angeles residents only from 10 AM to 8 PM.
Adjust Bids by Time and Location
Bid higher when/where your audience is more valuable. Example:
20% higher bids for Manhattan at lunchtime.
Test and Optimize
Don’t “set and forget.”
Run experiments to test new dayparts or regions over time.
How to Measure Success
Track metrics like:
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Conversion Rate
CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)
Look for:
Lower cost per conversion
Higher engagement rates
Improved ROI
If certain times or locations consistently underperform, cut them or lower bids.
Final Thoughts
If you’re running ads without controlling when and where they show, you’re likely leaving money on the table.
By using dayparting and geo-targeting together, you can: ✅ Spend smarter
✅ Improve performance
✅ Maximize your PPC impact
