Quality Score

Why Quality Score matters

Quality Score is a diagnostic. It points to which part of an ad setup needs attention for each keyword, so you can fix the weak part instead of guessing.

Better quality generally goes together with better ad positions and lower costs per click, which is why improving it is a common way to get more from the same budget.

How to read it

A higher score is better, and keywords with low scores are the ones to look at first. Google shows a status for each of the three components, such as above average, average or below average, which tells you where to focus.

Treat it as a guide, not a goal. Google describes it as a diagnostic tool and not as an input to every auction, so the real measures of success are still conversions and cost per acquisition.

How to improve it

• Group closely related keywords into tight ad groups with ads written for them.
• Make the ad copy include the language people search for.
• Send visitors to a landing page that matches the keyword and the ad.
• Improve landing page speed and mobile experience.
• Pause or rework keywords that stay low despite these changes.

Common mistakes

• Chasing a perfect score at the expense of conversions.
• Judging an account by one average score instead of by keyword.
• Ignoring the three component ratings that explain the score.
• Changing many things at once so you cannot tell what helped.