Sports
Dynamic Radius Targeting: States to a 15-Mile Pin
Google Ads
15mi
pin on the home city
The challenge
A pro football client needed to sell tickets for a time-bound home game window. A single, fixed target area doesn't match how ticket buyers behave. Weeks out, interest is regional. In the final stretch, the fans still buying are close to the stadium and ready to act.
Static targeting gets both stages wrong. It reaches too many low-intent people late in the campaign, and it gives the bidding algorithms poor data to learn from. The campaign needed its target area to move with the calendar.
Our approach
We applied dynamic radius targeting: a phased geo-targeting method that starts broad and tightens as the event date approaches.
Broad phase (awareness). The home state and surrounding states, with a 2.9M-3.5M est. audience size.
Mid phase (consideration). A 200mi radius around the stadium, as intent sharpened.
Final phase (conversion). A 15mi pin on the home city, to reach local fans near the venue.
Alongside the radius, three other parts of the method moved with each phase:
Bidding. Manual CPC early, then a shift to Enhanced CPC, Target ROAS or Max Conversion Value later, once there was enough data.
Creative. Ads evolved from broad hype to venue urgency, with negative keywords filtering out noise.
Optimization. Weekly tweaks, with conversion tracking through Google tags.
The results
The campaign moved through three audience stages on Google Ads:
Broad phase: home state and surrounding states, 2.9M-3.5M est. audience size.
Mid phase: a 200mi radius around the stadium.
Final phase: a 15mi pin on the home city.
Moving through those phases drove ROAS from 0.05 to 20.98 in 27 days.
What it shows
Where a buyer lives matters more as the date gets closer. Narrowing the target area in step with the calendar keeps early phases broad enough to gather clean data, and puts the final phase in front of the fans most likely to buy. The same approach fits other time-bound, location-bound campaigns: sports events, concerts, festivals and fan activations. It isn't built for evergreen ecommerce, national brand campaigns without a geographic tie, or virtual events.
Read more in our Insight on dynamic radius targeting, and see our sports work and event ticketing.
FAQ
What is dynamic radius targeting?
A phased geo-targeting method for time-bound events. It starts broad and tightens around the venue as the date approaches, with bidding and creative moving with each phase.
What radius did this campaign end on?
A 15mi pin on the home city, after a broad phase across the home state and surrounding states and a mid phase at a 200mi radius around the stadium.
How did the campaign progress?
It moved from a 2.9M-3.5M est. audience size across the home and surrounding states, to a 200mi radius around the stadium, to a 15mi pin on the home city, driving ROAS from 0.05 to 20.98 in 27 days.
How did bidding change across the phases?
Manual CPC early, then a shift to Enhanced CPC, Target ROAS or Max Conversion Value once there was enough data.
Does this work outside sports?
It fits any time-bound, location-bound campaign, such as concerts, festivals and fan activations. It doesn't suit evergreen ecommerce, national brand campaigns or virtual events.
Planning a time-bound event?
Let's map the radius phases for your next event. Book a call
Related: Dynamic radius targeting · Sports · Case studies