Which countries should I target, and when does it make sense to expand geo?

Geographic expansion question asked across all experience levels — wrong geo choices waste budget early

For most English-language stores launching for the first time, the default starting point is either the US alone or the "Big 5" English-speaking markets (US, UK, CA, AU, NZ). Here's the logic and when to deviate from it:

US-only: Highest CPMs, but the deepest buyer pool and the most competition data available. If your product has proven US market demand (competitors running on Meta Ads Library), the US is where you get clean, comparable data fastest. Best if your budget is under $100/day — the audience is large enough not to saturate.
Big 5 combined: Reduces average CPM compared to US-only because UK, CA, AU, and NZ CPMs are lower. Meta can allocate budget toward cheaper impressions while still reaching English-language buyers. Useful when US CPMs are running high or your budget is $150+/day.
EU expansion: Start by targeting all EU countries with English ads to identify which markets convert. Once you have conversion data from 3–4 EU countries, consider localizing (language, currency) for your top performers. Don't localize before you have data — it's expensive to build out before you know what converts.
When to expand geo: After you have a profitable campaign in your primary market — not before. Geo expansion is a scaling move, not a testing move. A product that doesn't convert in the US won't be saved by running it in Germany.
Countries to avoid when starting: India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America often deliver very low CPMs but produce low-quality traffic with high abandonment rates for English-language stores targeting Western price points. Their inclusion inflates click metrics while destroying CVR data.

See this in practice: Pick Your Ad Angles →

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