Understanding and Improving Quality Score in Google Ads

Did you know that as of 2024, there are over 5.9 million Google searches per minute? That’s a tremendous opportunity to market your product or service! Google Ads can leverage these intentional searches to your advantage, helping you reach potential leads and convert them into customers. One crucial factor in creating an effective Google Ad campaign is achieving a high Quality Score, which is highly valued by Google.

If you’re thinking about starting a Google Ads campaign or looking to improve your results, read on to learn how you can achieve a top Quality Score for your campaign.

What is a Quality Score in Google Ads?

In every Google Ads campaign, Quality Scores are assigned at the keyword level. The Quality Score is a metric that measures the relevance and quality of your campaign’s components, including ad assets (such as copy, video, and images), landing page experience, and keywords. This metric is represented as a numerical value from 1 to 10, with 10 indicating the highest quality and 1 indicating the lowest.

The Quality Score is an important metric because it influences ad rankings, with higher Quality Scores leading to better ad positions compared to lower scores. To ensure your ad appears “above the fold” when customers search for your product, it is essential to maintain a good Quality Score. Additionally, Quality Scores can impact the cost per click (CPC) of your ads. Google’s algorithm rewards ads with higher Quality Scores by giving them better rankings at a lower CPC (Cost-Per-Click).

How does Google calculate Quality Scores?

There are three main components of Google Ads to consider for a higher Quality Score. They are the following:

• Ad Click Through Rate – Google assesses your ad’s expected click-through rate to gauge its relevance to the user’s search. Both the past CTR of the ad and the expected CTR are considered when determining how well the ad matches user search queries.
• Ad Relevance: This involves all the ad assets, including copy, keywords, images, videos, and landing pages, in terms of their relevance to the user’s search intent. Google’s goal is to provide the most relevant content to match users’ searches.
• Landing Page Quality and Relevance: Google evaluates the quality of the landing page used in the ads, focusing on user experience. The more relevant the content on a landing page is to the user’s search terms, the higher the Quality Score will be. Key factors include: Content Relevance – the landing page’s content needs to match the ad in terms of keywords and subject matter. User Navigation – The landing page should be easy to navigate, with a clear call to action, intuitive menu navigation, and a well-organised information hierarchy. Page Loading Speed – Landing pages should have quick loading speeds for higher quality scores. Mobile Friendly – Make sure your landing page is mobile friendly. Over 60% of web traffic is through mobile phones! Transparency and Trustworthiness- The landing page should have clear information on the topic and the business.
• Content Relevance – the landing page’s content needs to match the ad in terms of keywords and subject matter.
• User Navigation – The landing page should be easy to navigate, with a clear call to action, intuitive menu navigation, and a well-organised information hierarchy.
• Page Loading Speed – Landing pages should have quick loading speeds for higher quality scores.
• Mobile Friendly – Make sure your landing page is mobile friendly. Over 60% of web traffic is through mobile phones!
• Transparency and Trustworthiness- The landing page should have clear information on the topic and the business.

How to Check Your Quality Score

Quality Scores can be viewed at the keyword level in the Search Keywords section of your campaigns. To access your Quality Score:

1. Click to Campaigns and click the Audiences, keywords and content option in the drop down menu.
2. Click on Search Keywords and in the upper right corner modify your columns to include the Quality Score.
3. Click apply to save your columns in the Search Keyword section.

You can also add the components that make a quality score to these columns including Landing Page Exp, Exp. CTR, and Ad Relevance.

How to Improve Your Quality Score

To improve your ads’ Quality Score, focus on optimising the three main components that contribute to it. Enhancing these elements will lead to better search results, lower CPC, and optimal campaign performance.

Improve your Ad Relevance

• Conduct keyword research – Ensuring your ad is relevant to your audience and keywords can increase your Quality Score and click-through rate. Improve relevance by identifying appropriate keywords and analysing your competitors’ keywords to uncover any gaps in your keyword strategy..
• Optimise through testing – Test your ads through A/B testing to see which of your ads performs better for quality scores. Monitor key metrics including CTR, CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) and Conversions to see how well your ads are performing.
• Use clear messaging – Make sure your copy and images in your Google Ads are optimised to address the needs of your audience. Include a strong call to action and high-quality images/ videos.

Optimise Expected Click Through Rates

• Use specific keywords – Adding long-tail keywords that are more specific in search intent can reach the right type of audience with less competition, resulting in higher CTR. Pair this with adding negative keywords to prevent searches for keywords that are not relevant to your niche.
• Optimise Headlines – Use attention-grabbing headlines that provide solutions to your audience’s relevant problems. A great way to gain inspiration for headlines is to research common search terms your audience is using.
• Improve Targeting – Perform demographic research and refine your audience using Google’s audience targeting options. This will help your ad reach the most relevant users for your product/service.

Optimise Landing Page Experience

• Provide relevance for ad keywords and copy- Use your keyword research to guide the copy on your landing page, making sure it aligns with the ads that bring users there.
• Have a clear call to action – Make it easy for users to take action by providing clear calls to action on your landing page.
• Fast Load Times- Poor bounce rates can be detrimental to your ads quality score. Improve loading time to reduce bounce rates and optimise your user’s experience on your site. You can also use Google Analytics to monitor your landing pages metrics including bounce rates for landing pages.
• Follow Google Updates – Stay up to date with industry updates as well as updates to Google and advertising platforms. This will help you stay in the know with any changes to Google’s algorithm. Continue to optimise your ads over time to stay relevant and keep a high quality score.

Avoid these common mistakes for a poor quality score!

Your targeting for keywords is too broad

A common mistake made is using overly broad keywords, which can lead to poor relevance and lower click-through rates. Use specific keywords to ensure your ads reach the right audience.

The Copy lacks relevance and clarity

Ineffective ad copy can negatively impact your Quality Score and click-through rate. If the copy is unclear about the product or service, it will result in fewer meaningful clicks to your landing page. Ensure your copy is clear, relevant, and engaging.

Poor Landing Page User Experience

Even if your ad is well-optimised, a subpar landing page can undermine its effectiveness. User experience plays a crucial role in driving conversions. Keep your landing page optimised for SEO, user experience (UX) design, and relevance. Regularly monitor metrics such as bounce rate, time on page, and conversions to assess and improve performance.

Not sure where to start with PPC? Atomic Digital Marketing provides expert services in Google Ads, Meta Ads, and more. Let us give you access to a full marketing team dedicated to creating and optimising your pay-per-click campaigns.

Additional Resources

• Mobile Internet Traffic Statistics
• Google Search Statistics
• Google Ads Quality Score Explanation
• Google About Ad Quality

Improving Quality Score is just one lever in a high-performing paid strategy. Our digital marketing services combine PPC expertise with SEO, content, and landing page optimisation to maximise every penny of your ad spend.