What is Quality Score?
Quality Score is a diagnostic metric in Google Ads that rates the quality and relevance of your keywords and ads on a scale of 1 to 10. It is calculated at the keyword level and is based on the combined performance of three core components.
While Quality Score itself is not used directly in the ad auction, the underlying factors it measures — ad relevance, expected CTR, and landing page experience — are key inputs in determining your Ad Rank and actual cost per click.
The Three Components of Quality Score
1. Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)
This measures how likely users are to click your ad when it appears for a given keyword. Google compares your expected CTR against the average performance of all advertisers for that keyword. Each keyword receives one of three ratings:
- Above Average: Your ads are more likely to be clicked than the typical ad for this keyword
- Average: Your CTR performance is in line with competitors
- Below Average: Your ads are underperforming — ad copy likely needs improvement
How to improve: Write more compelling ad copy, include keywords in headlines, use strong calls to action, and test multiple ad variations.
2. Ad Relevance
This component evaluates how closely your ad copy matches the intent behind the keyword. If someone searches for "organic dog food delivery" and your ad is about general pet supplies, ad relevance will suffer.
- Above Average: Your ad is highly relevant to the keyword
- Average: Ad relevance is acceptable
- Below Average: Your ad does not match the keyword well enough — restructure ad groups
How to improve: Create tightly themed ad groups with 10-20 closely related keywords, include the keyword in your ad headlines and descriptions, and avoid mixing unrelated keywords in the same ad group.
3. Landing Page Experience
Google evaluates the quality and relevance of the page users land on after clicking your ad. This includes content relevance, page load speed, mobile-friendliness, navigation ease, and transparency.
- Above Average: Your landing page provides an excellent, relevant experience
- Average: The page is acceptable but has room for improvement
- Below Average: The page is slow, irrelevant, or provides a poor user experience
How to improve: Create dedicated landing pages for each ad group, ensure fast load times (under 3 seconds), optimize for mobile, include relevant content that matches the ad, and make it easy for users to find what they need.
How Quality Score Affects Your Campaigns
| Quality Score | CPC Impact | Ad Position Impact | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9-10 | Pay up to 50% less | Top positions at low cost | Maintain and protect |
| 7-8 | Pay roughly average CPC | Competitive positions | Minor optimizations |
| 5-6 | Pay average to slightly above | Mid-range positions | Focus on weakest component |
| 3-4 | Pay 25-50% more | Lower positions, limited reach | Significant restructuring needed |
| 1-2 | Pay up to 400% more | Ads may not show at all | Rebuild keyword, ad, and landing page |
Step-by-Step Quality Score Improvement Plan
Phase 1: Diagnose (Week 1)
- Enable the Quality Score column and its three sub-components in your Google Ads keyword view
- Sort keywords by Quality Score to identify the lowest-scoring terms
- For each low-scoring keyword, note which component is "Below Average"
- Group your findings: is the problem primarily CTR, relevance, or landing page?
Phase 2: Restructure Ad Groups (Weeks 2-3)
- Break large ad groups into smaller, tightly themed groups of 10-20 related keywords
- Ensure every keyword in an ad group shares the same core theme
- Write ad copy specific to each ad group's theme
- Include the primary keyword in at least 2 headline variations
Phase 3: Improve Ad Copy (Weeks 3-4)
- Write at least 3 responsive search ads per ad group
- Include the keyword naturally in headlines and descriptions
- Add compelling calls to action and unique selling points
- Use ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets) to improve CTR
- Pin important headlines to ensure they always show
Phase 4: Optimize Landing Pages (Weeks 4-6)
- Create or update landing pages for each ad group
- Match landing page headlines and content to ad group keywords
- Improve page speed to under 3 seconds
- Ensure full mobile responsiveness
- Add relevant content, trust signals, and clear CTAs
Phase 5: Monitor and Iterate (Ongoing)
- Check Quality Scores weekly and track changes over time
- Continue A/B testing ad copy and landing page elements
- Add negative keywords to prevent irrelevant impressions that hurt CTR
- Pause or restructure keywords that remain below 5 after optimization
Quality Score Myths vs. Reality
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| Quality Score is updated in real-time | The visible score updates periodically; the auction uses real-time signals that may differ from the displayed score |
| Pausing a keyword resets its Quality Score | Historical performance data is retained when you pause and re-enable a keyword |
| Higher bids improve Quality Score | Bid amount has no effect on Quality Score — only relevance and quality factors matter |
| Account-level Quality Score exists | Quality Score is calculated at the keyword level, though overall account history can influence new keyword scores |
| You need a perfect 10 on every keyword | Focus on keywords scoring below 6. A score of 7-8 is good for most competitive keywords |
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is Quality Score updated?
The displayed Quality Score updates periodically as Google collects more impression and click data. However, the real-time signals used in the ad auction are evaluated with every search query and may not exactly match the displayed score.
Does Quality Score affect display and video campaigns?
Quality Score as a visible metric is specific to search campaigns. Display and video campaigns use different quality and relevance signals, but the principle of rewarding relevant, high-quality ads still applies across all campaign types.
Can I have a good campaign with some low Quality Score keywords?
Yes. Not every keyword will achieve a high score, especially in competitive industries. Focus your optimization efforts on high-volume, high-spend keywords where improving Quality Score will have the biggest impact on your bottom line.