Google Ads Quality Score: Complete Deep Dive

Quality Score is Google's rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. It directly impacts your costs and ad positions.

What Quality Score Is

A 1-10 rating per keyword that reflects:

• How relevant your ad is to the search
• How likely your ad is to get clicked
• How useful your landing page is

Why Quality Score Matters

Impact on Ad Rank: Ad Rank = Bid x Quality Score (simplified)

Higher Quality Score = Better positions at lower cost

Cost impact:

• QS 10: Pay ~50% less than average
• QS 7: Pay average
• QS 5: Pay ~25% more than average
• QS 3: Pay ~100% more than average

The Three Components

1. Expected CTR (Above/Below/Average)
2. Ad Relevance (Above/Below/Average)
3. Landing Page Experience (Above/Below/Average)

Each component is evaluated independently.

Important Nuances

Quality Score is:

• Calculated at auction time (more granular than reported)
• Based on exact match searches
• Historical but weighted toward recent
• Device-specific (calculated separately)

Quality Score is NOT:

• Updated in real-time in reports
• The actual score used in auctions
• Impacted by your bidding strategy
• A direct ranking factor (Ad Rank is)

Expected CTR predicts how likely your ad will be clicked when shown for the keyword.

How It's Calculated

Google compares your historical CTR to:

• Other advertisers on the same keyword
• Account for position (position-normalized)
• Similar keywords and match types

Rating interpretation:

• Above Average: CTR better than most competitors
• Average: CTR similar to competitors
• Below Average: CTR worse than competitors

Why Expected CTR Might Be Low

Ad-related causes:

• Headlines don't include keyword
• Weak call-to-action
• Missing differentiators
• Generic messaging

Keyword-related causes:

• Keyword too broad
• Low commercial intent
• High competition keywords
• Mismatched intent

Structural causes:

• Too many keywords per ad group
• Ads not tailored to keyword themes
• Wrong ad showing for keyword

How to Improve Expected CTR

Quick wins:

1. Include keyword in Headline 1
2. Add strong CTA in headlines
3. Highlight unique benefits
4. Use numbers and specifics

Structural improvements:

1. Create tighter ad groups (5-15 keywords)
2. Write ads specific to each theme
3. Use keyword insertion where appropriate
4. Test multiple ad variations

Testing approach:

1. Identify below-average keywords
2. Create new ads specific to those keywords
3. Run for 2+ weeks
4. Measure CTR improvement
5. Check if QS component improves

Expected CTR Benchmarks

Industry	Good CTR	Great CTR
Ecommerce	2-3%	4%+
B2B	2-4%	5%+
Local Services	4-6%	8%+
Legal	2-3%	4%+

Note: These are search CTRs; display is much lower.

Ad relevance measures how closely your ad matches the intent behind a search.

How It's Calculated

Google analyzes:

• Keyword presence in ad text
• Semantic relationship between ad and keyword
• Historical performance for similar queries
• Match between search intent and ad message

Rating interpretation:

• Above Average: Ad closely matches search intent
• Average: Reasonable match
• Below Average: Weak connection between keyword and ad

Why Ad Relevance Might Be Low

Common causes:

• Keyword not in ad text at all
• Ad group too broad (many unrelated keywords)
• Same ad used across different intents
• Template ads without customization
• Keyword intent mismatch with offer

Example of poor relevance: Keyword: "emergency plumber near me" Ad headline: "Quality Plumbing Services" (Missing: "emergency" and location signals)

Example of good relevance: Keyword: "emergency plumber near me" Ad headline: "24/7 Emergency Plumber - [City]" (Matches: urgency and location intent)

How to Improve Ad Relevance

Step 1: Audit ad group structure

• Each ad group should have one theme
• All keywords should work with the same ad
• If not, split into separate ad groups

Step 2: Keyword-to-ad matching

• Headline 1: Include primary keyword/theme
• Headline 2: Expand on value proposition
• Headline 3: CTA or differentiator
• Descriptions: Natural keyword inclusion

Step 3: Intent alignment

• Understand what searcher wants
• Match ad message to that intent
• Ensure landing page delivers on promise

Dynamic solutions:

• Keyword insertion for exact match
• Responsive ads with varied headlines
• Ad customizers for dynamic content

Ad Relevance Improvement Checklist

• Primary keyword appears in ad
• Ad addresses the search intent
• All keywords in ad group share theme
• Different ad variations tested
• Intent matches throughout (keyword → ad → LP)

Landing page experience measures how useful and relevant your landing page is to people who click your ad.

How It's Calculated

Google evaluates:

• Content relevance to search query
• Page load speed
• Mobile-friendliness
• Navigation and usability
• Transparency and trustworthiness
• Bounce rate/engagement signals

Rating interpretation:

• Above Average: Great user experience and relevance
• Average: Adequate experience
• Below Average: Poor experience or relevance issues

Why Landing Page Experience Might Be Low

Content issues:

• Content doesn't match ad promise
• Keywords not present on page
• Thin or duplicate content
• Poor content quality

Technical issues:

• Slow page load
• Not mobile-friendly
• Broken elements
• Intrusive interstitials

Trust issues:

• Missing contact information
• No privacy policy
• Unclear business information
• Suspicious elements

User experience issues:

• Confusing navigation
• Too many ads/popups
• Difficult to find information
• Poor readability

How to Improve Landing Page Experience

Content optimization:

1. Include target keywords naturally
2. Match headline to ad headline
3. Deliver on ad promises
4. Add comprehensive, useful content

Technical optimization:

1. Improve Core Web Vitals
2. Achieve <3 second load time
3. Ensure mobile responsiveness
4. Fix any broken elements

Trust signals:

1. Add contact information
2. Display security badges
3. Include testimonials/reviews
4. Show business credentials

User experience:

1. Clear, prominent CTA
2. Easy navigation
3. Readable fonts and layout
4. Minimal distractions

Landing Page Testing

Tools to use:

• PageSpeed Insights (speed)
• Mobile-Friendly Test (mobile)
• Lighthouse (comprehensive)
• heatmaps for UX insights

Checklist:

• Page loads in <3 seconds
• Mobile experience is excellent
• Content matches ad keywords
• CTA is clear and visible
• Trust signals are present
• Navigation is intuitive

Systematic diagnosis helps you fix the right problems.

Step 1: Pull Quality Score Data

Export from Google Ads:

• Keywords
• Quality Score
• Expected CTR (status)
• Ad Relevance (status)
• Landing Page Experience (status)
• Impressions (for prioritization)

Step 2: Segment and Prioritize

Priority matrix:

QS	High Impressions	Low Impressions
1-4	Fix immediately	Consider pausing
5-6	Improve next	Monitor
7-8	Optimize	Low priority
9-10	Maintain	Maintain

Focus on high-impression, low-QS keywords first.

Step 3: Identify Component Issues

For each problem keyword, check which component(s) are below average:

Pattern	Likely Issue
CTR below only	Ad copy problem
Relevance below only	Ad group structure
LP below only	Landing page problem
All below	Fundamental mismatch
CTR + Relevance	Ad needs overhaul
Relevance + LP	Intent mismatch

Step 4: Root Cause Analysis

For CTR issues, ask:

• Is the keyword in the ad?
• Does the ad stand out from competitors?
• Is there a compelling reason to click?
• Is the keyword intent matchable?

For Relevance issues, ask:

• How many keywords in this ad group?
• Do all keywords share the same intent?
• Does the ad directly address the keyword?
• Should this be split into separate ad groups?

For LP issues, ask:

• Does LP content match the keyword?
• How fast does the page load?
• Is the mobile experience good?
• Is the CTA clear?

Step 5: Document Findings

Create an action plan:

Keyword	QS	Issue	Root Cause	Action	Priority
[keyword]	4	CTR	Generic ad	New ad copy	High
[keyword]	5	LP	Slow load	Optimize images	High

Proven strategies to improve each Quality Score component.

Strategy 1: SKAG/STAG Structure

Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAG) or Single Theme Ad Groups (STAG) ensure perfect relevance.

Implementation:

1. One keyword theme per ad group
2. 3-5 closely related keywords max
3. Ads written specifically for that theme
4. Dedicated landing page if possible

When to use:

• High-value keywords
• Keywords with low QS despite good LP
• Keywords where relevance is the issue

Strategy 2: Message Match Optimization

Ensure consistent messaging from keyword to conversion.

The chain: Search query → Ad headline → Landing page headline → CTA

Example: Query: "organic dog food delivery" Ad: "Organic Dog Food Delivered | Fresh & Natural | Free Shipping" LP headline: "Organic Dog Food Delivered to Your Door" CTA: "Start Your Delivery"

Strategy 3: Landing Page Segmentation

Different keywords → Different landing pages

Implementation:

1. Identify keyword themes
2. Create LP variations for each theme
3. Match headline and content to keywords
4. Track performance by LP

Strategy 4: Ad Testing Protocol

Continuous ad testing improves CTR over time.

Process:

1. Run 3-4 ad variations per ad group
2. Let run for 2-4 weeks
3. Pause lowest CTR performers
4. Create new variations
5. Repeat

What to test:

• Headline variations
• CTA variations
• Benefit emphasis
• Offer variations

Strategy 5: Speed Optimization

Fast pages improve LP experience score.

Quick wins:

• Compress images
• Enable caching
• Minimize JavaScript
• Use CDN
• Reduce redirects

Target:

• <3 seconds load time

• 90 PageSpeed score

Strategy 6: Historical QS Building

New keywords start with no history. Build positive history:

1. Start with exact match
2. Bid for good positions initially
3. Use proven ad copy
4. Ensure great LP experience
5. Expand to broader match once established

Ongoing monitoring prevents QS degradation.

Weekly QS Check

Metric	Action Trigger
Keywords QS < 5	Investigate immediately
Average QS dropping	Diagnose cause
New keywords stuck at low QS	Review setup
High-value keywords < 7	Prioritize improvement

QS Tracking Dashboard

Track over time:

• Average QS (impression-weighted)
• QS distribution (% at each level)
• Component ratings summary
• Week-over-week changes

Monthly QS Audit

1. Export full keyword report with QS data
2. Calculate impression-weighted average
3. Compare to prior month
4. Identify movers (up and down)
5. Document improvements made and results

Alerts to Set

Critical:

• High-impression keyword drops to QS 4 or below
• Average account QS drops >1 point
• New campaign keywords stuck at QS 1-3

Warning:

• Any keyword drops 2+ points
• LP experience goes to "below average"
• CTR drops significantly

QS Improvement Log

Document all changes:

Date	Keyword	Change Made	QS Before	QS After	Notes
1/1	[kw]	New ad copy	4	6	CTR improved
1/15	[kw]	Page speed fix	5	7	LP improved

This log helps identify what works for your account.

Realistic Expectations

QS improvements take time:

• Changes take 1-2 weeks to reflect
• Google weights recent history more
• Some keywords may never reach 10
• Focus on high-value keywords first

Diminishing returns:

• Moving 3→5 is easier than 8→10
• Some industries have lower average QS
• Perfect QS isn't always possible or necessary
• Focus on ROI, not just QS

Advanced techniques for stubborn QS issues.

Tactic 1: Fresh Start Approach

For keywords with persistent low QS despite fixes:

1. Pause the low-QS keyword
2. Create a new ad group
3. Add the same keyword fresh
4. Use optimized ads and LP
5. Build new history

Why this works: Sometimes historical baggage is too heavy.

Tactic 2: Device-Specific Optimization

QS is calculated separately by device.

Check:

• Segment QS report by device
• Identify if mobile or desktop is dragging down overall

Fix:

• Optimize LP for the lagging device
• Consider device-specific campaigns
• Adjust bids by device performance

Tactic 3: Geographic QS Variation

QS can vary by location.

Approach:

• Check performance by location
• Identify if specific regions underperform
• Consider location-specific LPs
• Use local phone numbers/addresses

Tactic 4: Competitor Analysis

Your QS is relative to competitors.

Analyze:

• What are competitor ads emphasizing?
• What offers are they using?
• How do their LPs compare?

Improve:

• Differentiate your messaging
• Match or beat competitor offers
• Exceed LP quality standards

Tactic 5: Negative Keyword QS Protection

Irrelevant searches hurt CTR, which hurts QS.

Process:

1. Regular search term review
2. Aggressive negative keyword addition
3. Block irrelevant traffic before it impacts CTR
4. Monitor impression/click ratio

Tactic 6: Ad Extension Impact

Extensions can improve CTR, indirectly helping QS.

Ensure you have:

• Sitelinks (4+ active)
• Callouts (4+ active)
• Structured snippets
• Call extensions (if applicable)
• Location extensions (if applicable)

Extensions make ads larger and more clickable.

Tactic 7: Auction-Time Reality

Remember: Reported QS ≠ Auction-time QS

Google uses many real-time signals not in reported QS:

• User's location
• Time of day
• Device
• Previous search behavior
• Countless other factors

Implication: Focus on fundamentals (relevance, CTR, LP quality) rather than chasing the reported number.