Anyone figured out dating traffic sources?

So I’ve been playing around with ads in the dating niche and one thing I keep circling back to is traffic. I used to think traffic was just about “more is better,” but the deeper I got, the more I realized not every click is equal. Some traffic looks busy on the surface but doesn’t convert, while other sources might bring fewer people but with way better intent. That’s been my personal rabbit hole lately—trying to figure out which dating traffic sources actually make sense for campaigns.

When I first dipped my toes into this, I honestly just chased numbers. If a network promised volume, I was in. I’d look at dashboards showing thousands of clicks and feel like I was onto something. But then I’d check signups or engagement on the landing page and it was a ghost town. People were either bouncing right away or just not interested in what I was offering. That was the first time it hit me that traffic itself can be super misleading.

A big challenge for me was not knowing what to measure. Like, do I just track CTR and hope for the best? Or should I go deeper into post-click behavior? I wasted weeks obsessing over top-of-funnel metrics, only to realize that the real story happens after the click. If people are signing up, chatting, or at least sticking around, then that’s traffic worth keeping. If not, it’s just noise.

One thing I tried early on was spreading my budget across only one network because it felt easier to manage. Big mistake. It’s like putting all your chips on one table without knowing if the dealer is even fair. I had one campaign where the traffic looked good on paper, but the conversions were almost nonexistent. I finally tested another source and saw way better user quality, even though the volume was lower. That was a wake-up call that diversifying early is smarter.

Something else I noticed: intent is everything in dating traffic. Some sources are more casual, like people looking to browse profiles with no serious commitment. Others attract users who are ready to sign up for something specific. When the intent doesn’t line up with what you’re promoting, no matter how slick your ad copy is, it just flops. That’s why I started paying more attention to where the audience was coming from and what mood they were likely in.

What helped me most was actually tracking the funnel instead of just watching clicks. For example, I’d check how many users went from the ad to the landing page, then to the signup form, and finally into actual activity. Once you start comparing networks with that kind of lens, the patterns show up quick. Some traffic might get a lot of cheap clicks but barely anyone sticks. Another source might cost more upfront but brings people who follow through.

I’m not saying I’ve cracked the code—I’m still figuring it out—but I’ve gotten better results just by starting small, testing multiple sources, and not getting hung up on vanity metrics. If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be this: don’t assume traffic quality until you see what happens after the click.

There’s actually a post I came across that lays this out in a simple way, and it helped me think through my own campaigns. If you’re stuck like I was, you might want to check this out: Dating Traffic Sources for Ad Campaigns. It’s not some magic formula, but it breaks things down in a way that’s easy to follow.

At the end of the day, dating traffic is tricky because it’s not just about numbers—it’s about people and what they’re looking for in that moment. I’m curious if others here have had similar experiences. Do you stick with one trusted network or spread it out? Do you go by gut feel, metrics, or a mix of both? I’m still learning, so hearing different approaches would definitely help.