Turning Availability Data into Geo-Bidding Signals
I shared a post about Concept Drift—the idea that systems trained on past data can lose accuracy when real-world conditions change. As promised, here’s a practical example of how I handled this for a client.
The Case
The client offers tutoring services across the Netherlands. Parents and students can sign up on their platform, but there isn’t always a tutor available in every city or town.
To make things more complicated, availability keeps changing. One day, there might be several tutors in Utrecht. The next day, there could be none.
Meanwhile, Google’s algorithm continues bidding based on historical data, not current availability. That causes problems.
The Solution
To address this, I created a script connected to a Google Spreadsheet that automatically:
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Enables locations in campaigns with low tROAS when tutor availability is strong
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Excludes locations when availability drops
The spreadsheet updates daily through SFTP. Locations are mapped using Google Geo Codes—unique IDs that Google uses for targeting and exclusions.
Dealing with Smaller Towns
We also noticed that targeting only small towns directly was too limited. Tutors were often willing to travel to nearby areas.
So instead of using fixed city Geo Codes, I used coordinates plus radius targeting.
This was done using:
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The Google Maps API
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A custom script in Google Sheets
This allowed us to target areas based on distance, not just fixed town names.
Built with AI and Learning
A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to build this. Thanks to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and a scripting course from Nils Rooijmans, I’ve learned how to create and improve these kinds of solutions myself.
Results and What’s Next
It’s still early to draw final conclusions, but I expect this approach will improve lead quality and match rates.
Next, we’re working on topic-based exclusions—for example, automatically pausing ads for “math tutoring” in areas where no math tutors are currently available.
If you’re working on dynamic geo-targeting or automation in Google Ads, feel free to connect—I am always happy to share ideas.
