This came up in conversation recently and I realized I don't actually know the answer. The trick is being upfront in your bio. Nobody wants to waste time guessing what you're after.
Premium features on most sites are genuinely not worth it unless you're in a very active metro area. The paid sites at least weed out some of the tire kickers. Free sites tend to attract more bots.
Video call before you meet — it's the fastest way to confirm someone is who they say they are.