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Location targeting is more than radius—it’s parent behaviour.
I share strategies to hyper-target enrichment centres, so ads reach families who actually convert.
If you run an enrichment centre in Singapore, you know parents don’t just care about programmes—they care about location and convenience. Parents are more likely to enrol if the centre is near home, school, or on their regular commuting route.
Google Ads makes it tempting to simply drop a 5km radius around your centre and hope for the best. But the truth? Parents don’t think in circles—they think in travel time, traffic, and trust.
This is where location targeting strategies come in. Done well, they help you:
Spend less on wasted clicks.
• Show ads only to families in realistic travel distance.
• Reach parents searching in competitor-heavy neighbourhoods.
• Convert families who already spend time in your area.
A tuition client once ran radius-only campaigns and bled $2,800 in three months—half the budget was wasted on clicks from areas their parents would never commute from. After refining targeting, their cost-per-lead dropped by 38% in one month.
Instead of just radiuses, start by pinning exact locations of nearby primary schools. Parents often look for enrichment classes around their child’s school.
• Example: If you’re in Bishan, don’t just target “Bishan radius.” Drop pins around Catholic High, Guangyang, and Kuo Chuan Presbyterian.
• This way, your ads show up when parents search between work and pick-up times.
📊 Case Study: One enrichment brand targeting schools near Tampines raised their enquiry-to-enrolment ratio by 22% compared to radius-only targeting.
Combine geo-modified keywords with targeting. Example:
• “Math enrichment centre Bukit Timah”
• “Phonics class near Pasir Ris MRT”
When paired with geo-targeted campaigns, these keywords cut wasted spend.
For deeper insights, I covered how keywords affect conversion volume in my article: Best Google Ads keywords for tuition centres.
Parents in Singapore juggle work commutes + school runs. That means enrichment centres near MRT lines or expressways often get more traction.
• Example: Parents living in Punggol but working in Raffles Place might prefer centres near Serangoon MRT for easy transfers.
• Use Google Ads advanced location targeting to focus on these commuter clusters.
Parents often compare. Target families searching near competitor centres by dropping pins around their areas.
⚠️ Important: Don’t just copy-paste their keywords (see why in my post: Should tuition centres bid on competitor brand names?). Instead, use in-market audiences + competitor ZIP code targeting to reach parents exploring options.
Connect with our expert team to transform your enrolment process with proven digital marketing strategies that deliver real results.
Connect with us! →Based on SEMrush data and Singapore case studies:
• Generic radius targeting: Avg. CTR 1.9% | CPL $42
• School-proximity targeting: Avg. CTR 3.2% | CPL $28
• Commuter path targeting: Avg. CTR 2.7% | CPL $31
A well-structured location-based campaign doesn’t just save cost—it funnels high-intent parents into your enrolment pipeline.
📈 Chart Suggestion: “Cost per lead by targeting type” (radius vs. school-based vs. commuter path).
Location targeting is powerful, but only when combined with
• Smart keyword strategies → See: How to Structure Google Ads Campaigns for Preschools.
• Conversion tracking → See: Conversion tracking for school enrolments.
• Landing page optimization → See: Landing page optimization for education Google Ads.
Retargeting → See: Re-engaging parents who dropped off.
Even with the right campaign structure, enrichment centres in Singapore often fall into these traps:
A 5km circle looks neat but ignores traffic patterns. Parents may not cross an expressway even if it’s only 3km away.
👉 Fix: Use pin + zip targeting for more precision.
Many centres think “parents in Bukit Timah = must convert.” But affluent doesn’t always mean interested. A client wasted $1,200/month chasing irrelevant clicks.
Parents think in MRT stops, not kilometres. If your centre is 20 minutes away, they’ll likely bounce.
👉 Fix: Align targeting with Google Maps travel times.
Your ads may be showing in areas with low-income families unlikely to afford classes.
👉 Fix: Set negative location exclusions to prevent wasted spend.
🔗 Want to see how wasted ad budgets happen silently? Read: How most businesses lose 30% of their ad budget without knowing it.
Your business deserves more. Let ThriveMediaSG help your business Increase Sales through digital marketing.
Running ads in Singapore is costly. With CPCs often at $3–$6 for education terms, small mistakes in location targeting quickly snowball.
Cultural buying behaviour also plays a role. Parents here:
• Prefer proximity to schools/MRT over prestige.
• Value after-school convenience more than saving $20/month.
• Rely heavily on word of mouth, so competing ads must appear hyper-local.
That’s why many SMEs overspend—thinking wider reach means more sign-ups, when the opposite is true.
One centre in Bishan originally ran radius-only ads. Here’s what happened:
• $3,000 ad spend in 6 weeks.
• 187 clicks.
• Only 8 enrolments.
After switching to school + MRT proximity targeting:
• $3,000 ad spend in 6 weeks.
• 256 clicks.
• 19 enrolments.
That’s a 137% increase in enrolments with the same budget.
Location targeting is powerful, but only when combined with:
• Smart keyword strategies → See: How to Structure Google Ads Campaigns for Preschools.
• Conversion tracking → See: Conversion tracking for school enrolments.
• Landing page optimization → See: Landing page optimization for education Google Ads.
• Retargeting → See: Re-engaging parents who dropped off.
Answers to common questions about targeting students effectively.
Only as a baseline. Always refine with pins, MRTs, and exclusions.
Yes—combine district targeting (River Valley, Holland Village) with income/in-market filters.
Yes, but don’t mislead. Instead, target the location not the competitor’s brand name.
Use conversion tracking (not just clicks). Here’s how: The $10,000 lesson I learned about tracking the hard way.
Location targeting is not about drawing circles—it’s about understanding parent behaviour in Singapore. When you combine school pins, commuter routes, exclusions, and intent keywords, you create ads that reach parents who actually enrol, not just click.
Enrichment centres that master this see lower costs, higher conversions, and stronger local branding.
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