Have you heard about the Quality Score? Quality Score is a tool in Google Ads that online advertisers should know more about. But what is it and why is it important?
The Quality Score, as implied by the name, is a diagnostic measure of the quality of your Google Ads that ranges from 1-10, with higher scores indicating greater relevance to the end user. Google determines this by looking at your keywords and landing pages to determine how relevant and useful your ad will be to potential viewers. Google then aggregates data from your ads, keywords, and landing page to assign you a “score,” your Quality Score for each keyword.
The reason Quality Scores matter is that they directly impact your ad’s positioning and cost per click. A higher Quality Score usually leads to lower costs and better ad placement because it’s seen as more “relevant” to the end user. Therefore, the Quality Score isn’t just a diagnostic tool; it’s a critical factor in how much Google charges you and where your ads appear compared to your competitors.
Now that we’ve broken down what a Quality Score is and how it is assigned, how can yours be improved? You can improve your Quality Score by focusing on 3 key areas — expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
- Expected Clickthrough Rate: The expected clickthrough rate in your keyword’s performance data in Google Ads predicts its chances of getting clicks. Google considers past performance and search term relevance to estimate the expected click-through rate. For example, when someone’s search triggers your ad, Google calculates a precise click-through rate based on real-time factors. Let’s say you’re promoting “laptop discounts” with different keyword match types like broad, phrase, and exact. Google forecasts click likelihood based on past data. When someone searches for “cheap laptops,” “discounted laptops,” or “[laptop deals],” Google adjusts the estimate in real-time, depending on the keyword match type, to ensure accuracy.
- Ad Relevance: Google’s main goal is to ensure that users find what they are looking for as quickly as possible. Therefore, your ad copy needs to clearly and precisely describe what you’re offering. Be sure it aligns with your keywords and also your landing page, as Google takes all of this into consideration when assigning the Quality Score for each keyword.
- Landing Page Experience: The landing page is where users end up after clicking on your ad. Your Quality Score will be negatively impacted if the content on your landing page does not align with the content within your ads, if your landing page is difficult to navigate, or if your landing page is slow on mobile or desktop devices. For improvement, ensure your pages are user-friendly, provide valuable information, and load fast. Also, Consider using PageSpeed Insights to identify opportunities to enhance web page performance.
Improving your Quality Score is crucial for the success of your Google Ads! By understanding the three key components — expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience — you can significantly enhance the Quality Score of your keywords. This leads to better ad placement and allows you to maximize the value of your ad spending. In other words, you’ll get more for your money. Please remember, improving the Quality Score can be done by ensuring your keywords are relevant to the ads in your ad group, ensuring your copy is top-quality, and the associated web pages are helpful and load quickly.