Loneliness?

Hey all, I know you probably get a lot of threads like this but I guess I'm just looking for some advice. I've been feeling really lonely lately, and I'm not really sure what to do about it. I'm 24, live in a fairly rural area (US), never been in any kind of relationship and the few friends I had all moved away. I have tried online dating and even started talking to a handful of people, but the conversations always end up dying off and I never hear from them again. I'm not the best at keeping a conversation going so that's probably why, haha. Sometimes I think I'm just meant to be alone, and that's how life is gonna be. :/ Sorry if this comes across as self-centered and whiny, I know a lot of people have it a lot worse than I do... but if anyone else has been in a similar situation or has any advice, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.