Subiksha Gopalakrishnan

Is your Google Ads Quality Score driving your campaign or holding it back?

Google Ads Quality Score is a critical metric that determines your ad performance and cost-per-click (CPC). A higher quality score signals to Google that your ad is relevant, engaging, and provides a good user experience. So, by lowering the CPC, Google rewards you with reduced ad spend and ensures your ad reaches the ideal customer profile (ICP) by increasing your ad rank.

In this article, we’ll explore the key elements—ad relevance, landing page experience, and click-through rate (CTR)—that contribute to a higher quality score and see how to improve each element to achieve a higher Quality Score in Google Ads.

TL; DR

• Google Ads Quality Score measures ad relevance, user experience, and engagement, directly impacting ad performance and costs.
• Higher Quality Scores lead to lower CPC, improved ad rankings, and increased visibility to target audiences.
• There are different types of Quality Scores: Account level, Ad Group level, Keyword level, Ad Level, Landing Page, and Display Network Quality Scores, each providing insights into different campaign elements.
• Key factors affecting Quality Score are expected click-through rate (CTR), ad relevance, landing page experience, and historical account performance.
• Improving Quality Score involves conducting thorough keyword research, optimizing ad relevance, increasing expected CTR, and enhancing the landing page experience.
• Checking the Quality Score in your Google Ads account requires accessing the campaign settings and modifying columns to include relevant metrics like Quality Score, Landing Page Experience, and Expected CTR.

What is a Quality Score in Google Ads?

The Quality Score in Google Ads indicates how well your ad resonates with your audience. It functions like a tool that compares your ad against the competitors who appear on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), targeting the same keywords and assessing your ad quality. It is calculated based on the quality and relevance of your ad, keywords, and landing page experience to users searching for specific keywords.

Quality Score is measured on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. If your Quality Score is low, say a 3/10, it signals to Google that your ad, keywords, or landing page may not be relevant or valuable for users. This means you can have a lower ad rank and high cost-per-click (CPC). Conversely, a high-quality score of 9/10 shows Google that your ad is highly relevant, allowing you to benefit from better placements and lower costs. This increases your visibility to the ICP decision-makers searching for solutions like yours. 

Want to know the benefits of Google Ads? Check this article, which covers everything from the type of Google Ads to the benefits. 

Types of Quality Score

There are multiple types of Quality Scores, and each score is important to know more about your ad performance and areas for improvement. The different types of Quality Score are:

1. Account-Level Quality Score

Account-Level Quality Score is a metric that reveals your Google Ads account's overall performance. It evaluates the historical performance of all ads, keywords, and landing pages. You get a high score if your ads consistently deliver value to users and meet Google’s quality standards.

2. Ad Group Quality Score

Ad group Quality Score shows how well your keywords and ads work together within an ad group. A low score means a lack of relevance between keywords and ads, which are less useful to your ICP audience and decrease your user experience.

3. Ad-Level Quality Score

The ad-level quality score is measured for individual ads. It measures the relevance of the ad copy to keywords, expected CTR, and landing page experience. Improving the Ad-level Quality Score means you get better ad ranks and lower CPCs as the ads are aligned with user expectations.

4. Keyword-Level Quality Score

Each keyword in your account is rated between 1 and 10 based on its relevance to ads, landing pages, and expected CTR. A high score means the keyword will likely trigger relevant ads aligning with users’ search intent.

5. Landing Page Quality Score

The landing page Quality Score measures your landing page's relevance and user experience. Content originality, business transparency, and ease of navigation affect the Score. A high score shows that your page has a good user experience.

6. Display Network Quality Score

This score applies to ads on Google’s Display Network. It rates the relevance and effectiveness of ads and landing pages based on the Display Network sites (YouTube, Gmail, etc) where the ads appear. A high score enhances ad placement and visibility within the Display Network.

Why is Quality Score in Google Ads Important?

As an advertiser, getting a higher Quality Score in Google Ads is essential for the following reasons:

1. Higher Ad Rank

Quality Score is directly proportional to ad rankings, increasing visibility in search results. With a higher ad rank, more ICP users see and click your ads, driving more traffic to your landing page and improving conversion rates.

2. Reduced CPC

Who wouldn’t want a lesser CPC for their ads? A high Quality Score signals to Google that your ads are relevant and valuable to users, which can lower your cost-per-click (CPC) and reduce your ad budget.

3. Increased CTR

Relevant and engaging ads are more likely to attract clicks, driving more qualified traffic to your landing page leading to higher click-through rates (CTR). 

4. Higher Conversion Rates

Ad relevance and landing page experience increase Quality Scores. A relevant ad-to-landing page journey leads to better engagement, higher conversion rates, and improved ROI on ad spends.

Factors Affecting Quality Scores in Google Ads

The key factors affecting your Google Ad’s Quality Score are:

1. Expected CTR

CTR, or Click-Through Rate, is a metric that indicates how likely your ads are to be clicked when shown on SERP. Google estimates CTR based on historical performance data and your competitor ads. When the target audience finds the ads relevant, more users click on them, increasing the CTRs and boosting the Quality Score.

For instance, you’re running Google Ads for a SaaS business targeting visitor identification software keywords. The page's headline is, ‘Track Website Visitors in Real-Time.’ Your CTR will be high if users find the headline compelling and click through frequently. Google sees this high CTR as a positive indicator of relevance, which can boost your Quality Score.

However, if the ad headline was less relevant, like ‘Monitor Your Online Traffic,’ it might not grab as much attention from businesses looking for visitor identification software, resulting in a lower CTR and Quality Score.

2. Ad Relevance

Ad Relevance means how much your ad matches the user intent behind the search query. The target keywords should be highly relevant to the ad copy. This ensures that users can find your ads helpful and aligned with what they’re searching for. If your ad closely matches the search keyword you’re targeting, your Quality Score increases.

Suppose you are running an ad for the keyword visitor identification software. The ad copy headline is, ‘Identify Who is Visiting Your Website.’ This matches the search intent and provides a relevant solution to users actively searching for visitor identification.

On the other hand, if the ad copy headline is generic, such as ‘Best Software for Website Management,’ it becomes irrelevant to users searching around website visitor identification. So, a lower relevance means a lower Quality Score.

3. Landing Page Experience

Factors affecting landing page experience are page load speed, mobile-friendliness, easy navigation, and content relevance. A landing page that aligns well with the ad and provides value to the visitor will increase the Quality Score.

For example, a potential customer searches for ‘visitor identification software’ and clicks your ad. The page is slow to load, difficult to navigate, or lacks clear information about visitor tracking features. This is a poor landing page experience; the user may drop off the page. Google interprets this as a bad user experience, lowering your Quality Score.

But if your ad landing page loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and provides relevant content on visitor identification solutions for marketers, users are more likely to stay on the page and engage, improving your Quality Score.

4. Historical Account Performance

If your Google Ads account has a history of high-performing campaigns that consistently deliver relevant, high-quality ads, Google is more likely to reward your new ads with a higher Quality Score from the start.

But if your account has a history of poor performance, such as ads with low CTRs or ads that frequently lead to irrelevant landing pages, the Quality Score of new ads is negatively impacted. This is because Google perceives your ads as having lower relevance or engagement quality.

How to Improve Quality Score in Google Ads?

You can improve your Quality Score in Google Ads by focusing on the critical areas like:

1. Keyword Research

1.1 Staying Updated on Latest Trends

Regular keyword research helps you stay updated on the latest trends and allows you to optimize for the most relevant keywords. This signals to Google that your landing page is fresh and relevant, increasing the quality score.

1.2 Identify High-Intent Keywords

Identify high-intent keywords and appropriate keyword match types and optimize for them. This significantly increases your chances of displaying your ads in front of the ICP audience. It improves the CTR and ad relevance, which increases your Quality Score.

1.3 Filter Negative Keywords

Your ads might get triggered for specific irrelevant keywords, called negative keywords. Adding these as negative keywords to your ads account prevents irrelevant impressions and ensures your ads appear only for relevant queries, enhancing your Quality Score.

2. Optimizing For Ad Relevance

When your ad is highly relevant, it is more likely to engage the audience, improve CTR, and signal Google that your ad meets users’ needs, boosting your Quality Score.

2.1 Align Your Keywords to Ad Copy

Your ad copy should include all the keywords relevant to the user's search intent. Use the target keywords in the headline and description to show users that your ad addresses their needs.

2.2 Refine Ad Group Structure

Group similar keywords together so that ads can be tailored to specific themes. For instance, create separate ad groups for product features and user needs to increase relevance.

Imagine you're running a campaign for B2B visitor identification software. During keyword research, you identify high-intent keywords like best visitor identification software and visitor tracking software for B2B.

To optimize for ad relevance, you should:

1. Create ad groups focused on specific themes (e.g., visitor identification software and visitor tracking for B2B) rather than grouping all keywords together.
2. Customize ad copy for each ad group to match the keyword intent.

3. Increasing Expected CTR

A high expected CTR signals to Google that users find your ad useful, which boosts your Quality Score and can reduce your CPC

3.1 Writing Compelling Ad Copy

Compelling headings and descriptions highlighting the benefits, unique selling points, discounts, or free trials can make your ad more click-worthy.

3.2 A/B Testing

Run A/B tests on ad copies to see which versions get the most clicks. Small changes like the Call-To-Action (CTA) or headline structure can improve CTR.

3.3 Using Ad Extensions

Using ad extensions like sitelinks, such as Features, Customer Success Stories, or Pricing, gives users more context and ways to engage, making your ad more informative and clickable.

For example, you’re running ads for keyword B2B visitor identification software. You can increase expected CTR by crafting a compelling ad highlighting a unique value proposition and encouraging action. Instead of a generic headline like ‘Visitor Identification Software for B2B’, use a headline that addresses a direct benefit: ‘Identify Anonymous Website Visitors – Convert Leads Faster!’ Rather than ‘Learn More,’ a targeted CTA could be ‘Book Your Demo Today,’ which can improve CTR.

4. Enhancing Landing Page Experience

When the landing page is aligned with the ad’s message, loads quickly, and offers clear navigation, it provides a better user experience, boosting Quality Score.

4.1 Match the Page Content With Ad’s Message

When a user clicks on the ad and reaches the landing page, the copy on the page should continue the ad’s message on the SERP. For example, if the ad promotes a feature, the landing page should detail that feature. This improves user experience.

4.2 Improve Load Speed and Mobile Optimization

Users expect a fast and smooth experience; for this, improving the load speed of the page becomes critical. If the page is too slow to load, it leads to high bounce rates. Higher bounce rates mean lesser user engagement, thereby decreasing your quality score. Since users may access the page on various devices, make sure it’s mobile-friendly.

4.3 Provide clear CTA and Navigation

The landing page should be easy to navigate and have a clear CTA guiding users to the next steps. To enhance usability, provide clear navigation options, such as links to Features, Pricing, and Customer Success Stories.

For example, imagine your ad promoting a B2B visitor identification software. A user sees the meta title ‘Identify Anonymous Website Visitors – Convert Leads Faster’ and clicks on it. Then, your landing page should showcase the software's visitor identification features, highlight how it can boost lead conversion, and include clear CTAs like signing up for a free demo or trial. It enhances the user experience and encourages action. This relevance and ease of use improve the chances of conversion and signal to Google that your landing page is valuable, which can positively impact your Quality Score.

4.4 Improve User Engagement Signals

Google considers user engagement signals when deciding if your content is useful. These signals are bounce rate and time spent on the page. Improve them by offering interactive elements like video or interactive demos to help boost Quality Scores.

How do You Check the Quality Score on a Google Ads Account?

Here is a step-by-step process to check the Quality Score on your Google Ads account.

1. Log in to your Google Ads account and select the Campaigns icon.
2. Expand the Audiences, keywords, and content dropdown in the menu.
3. Choose Search keywords from the options.
4. Click on the columns icon located in the upper right corner of the table.
5. In the Modify columns for keywords section, find and open the Quality Score category.
6. To view your current Quality Score along with its components, add the following columns to your statistics table: Quality Score, Landing Page Experience, Expected CTR and Ad Relevance.
7. For historical data on Quality Score for the selected reporting period, include these metrics: Quality Score (hist.), Landing Page Experience (hist.), Ad Relevance (hist.) and Expected CTR (hist.)
8. Click Apply to implement your changes.

Improving Google Ads Quality Score for Better Performance

Google Ads Quality Score influences your ad performance and CPC. A higher score indicates that your ad is relevant and offers a positive user experience, leading to lower CPC and better ad rankings. Key elements affecting Quality Score include ad relevance, landing page experience, and expected click-through rate (CTR).

There are various types of Quality Scores, such as Account level, Ad Group, Ad level, keyword level, Landing Page, and Display Network Quality Scores, each providing insights into specific areas of performance.

Improving your Quality Score involves focused strategies, including thorough keyword research, enhancing ad relevance, and optimizing landing page experience. These efforts lead to increased visibility, reduced costs, and improved conversion rates. Checking your Quality Score is straightforward through your Google Ads account, enabling you to monitor and enhance campaign performance effectively.

Check this out: Guide to Google Ads management.

FAQs on Google Ads Quality Score

What is a good Quality Score for Google Ads?

A good Quality Score for Google Ads typically ranges from 7 to 10, indicating that your ads are relevant and provide a positive user experience. Higher scores can lead to lower costs and better ad placements.

How to calculate Google Ads Quality Score?

Google Ads calculates Quality Score based on three key factors: expected click-through rate (CTR), ad relevance, and landing page experience. Each factor is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, and the overall Quality Score reflects their combined performance.

Why is my Quality Score so low on Google Ads?

A low Quality Score may result from poor ad relevance, low expected click-through rates, or a subpar landing page experience. This indicates that your ads may need to be aligned with user search intent or provide a satisfactory user experience.

What is the expected CTR in Quality Score?

Expected CTR is a prediction based on historical data of how likely users are to click on your ad when it appears for a given keyword. A higher expected CTR indicates that users find your ad relevant, positively impacting your Quality Score.

How to increase Quality Score?

To increase the Quality Score, focus on improving ad relevance, enhancing landing page experience, and increasing expected click-through rates (CTR). Conduct thorough keyword research and optimize your ads to align closely with user intent.

What is the Quality Score formula?

There is no specific formula for calculating Quality Score, as it is a proprietary metric used by Google. However, it is influenced by factors such as expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience, which determine the score assigned to each ad.