Google Ads Quality Score: What It Is and How to Improve It
Google Ads Quality Score helps advertisers understand how relevant and useful their ads, keywords, and landing pages are compared with other advertisers. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 10 at the keyword level and is designed primarily as a diagnostic tool.
A higher score generally suggests that your ad experience is more relevant to the searcher. But Quality Score itself should not be treated as the main goal of a campaign. The real focus should remain on conversions, cost efficiency, and the quality of traffic you generate.
In this guide, we explain what Google Ads Quality Score means, how Google calculates it, what affects it, and how you can improve the areas that influence campaign performance.
What Is Google Ads Quality Score?
Quality Score is a Google Ads metric that helps advertisers evaluate the relevance and quality of their search campaigns. It is shown at the keyword level and ranges from 1 to 10.
Google calculates Quality Score using three main components: expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience. Each of these can be rated as Above average, Average, or Below average.
These ratings are often more useful than the final score itself because they help identify where a campaign may need improvement.
Is Quality Score Used Directly in the Google Ads Auction?
No. The Quality Score number you see inside Google Ads is not a direct input into the ad auction.
Google uses it as a diagnostic tool to help advertisers understand whether their ads and landing pages are creating a relevant experience. However, the broader concept of ad quality still plays an important role in how Google evaluates ads.
This means the goal should not be to chase a perfect 10 out of 10. Instead, use Quality Score to identify weaknesses that may also be affecting click-through rate, conversion rate, and overall campaign efficiency.
Why Is Google Ads Quality Score Important?
Quality Score is useful because it can reveal where your advertising journey may be breaking down. A keyword may be relevant, but the ad copy may not match the user’s intent closely enough.
In other cases, the ad may be strong, but the landing page may not deliver the experience promised in the ad. Quality Score helps highlight these gaps so you can focus your optimization efforts more effectively.
The real benefit comes from improving the underlying experience rather than simply increasing the score.
What Determines Google Ads Quality Score?
Google uses three main components when evaluating Quality Score: expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
Understanding each component makes it easier to identify what needs to change within your campaigns.
Expected Click-Through Rate
Expected click-through rate estimates how likely someone is to click your ad when it appears for a particular keyword. Google uses historical performance and other signals to make this estimate.
If users frequently ignore your ads for a keyword, your expected CTR may be rated lower. Stronger headlines, clearer benefits, and messaging that closely matches search intent can help improve this area.
For example, someone searching for “emergency plumber Sydney” is likely looking for immediate help. An ad focused on emergency plumbing services will usually be more relevant than a broad message such as “Professional Home Services.”
Ad Relevance
Ad relevance measures how closely your ad matches what the person is searching for. The stronger the relationship between the keyword, the user’s intent, and the ad copy, the more relevant the experience becomes.
For example, a mortgage broker targeting “first home buyer mortgage broker Sydney” should create ad messaging specifically around first-home buyer assistance. A general finance ad may be too broad for that search.
The same principle applies across industries. A dentist targeting “emergency dentist near me” should use ad copy related to urgent dental treatment, while an HVAC company targeting “air conditioning repair Sydney” should focus on repair services rather than unrelated installations.
Landing Page Experience
Landing page experience measures how useful and relevant the page is after someone clicks your ad. The page should closely match the keyword and the promise made in the advertisement.
If an ad promotes “Emergency Electrician Sydney. Same-Day Service,” the landing page should clearly explain emergency electrical services in Sydney. Sending users to a generic homepage creates extra friction and may reduce relevance.
A strong landing page should also be easy to navigate, mobile friendly, fast, and clear about the next action you want the visitor to take. Our landing page checklist covers each of these.
What Is a Good Quality Score?
Quality Score ranges from 1 to 10, but there is no universal score that guarantees a successful campaign. A higher score generally suggests stronger relevance, but campaign profitability matters much more.
A keyword with a lower Quality Score may still generate valuable leads or sales. On the other hand, a keyword with a high score may attract clicks without producing conversions.
That is why Quality Score should always be considered alongside conversion rate, cost per conversion, click-through rate, cost per click, revenue, and return on ad spend.
How to Check Quality Score in Google Ads
You can view Quality Score from the keyword section of your Google Ads account. Add the relevant columns for Quality Score, expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
Historical Quality Score data can also help you understand whether your optimization work is improving campaign quality over time.
Looking at the individual components is often more useful than focusing only on the overall number. For example, if ad relevance is Above average but landing page experience is Below average, the landing page is the more obvious place to improve.
How to Improve Google Ads Quality Score
Improving Quality Score usually means improving the relevance and usefulness of your campaign. Start by reviewing which of the three components are rated Average or Below average.
From there, focus on the specific area that appears weakest rather than making random changes across the entire campaign.
Use More Relevant Keywords
Choose keywords that closely match the product or service you are advertising. Broad or unrelated terms may generate impressions but attract users who are unlikely to convert.
For example, a mortgage brokerage may get stronger relevance from “home loan broker Sydney” than from a broad keyword such as “finance Sydney.”
More specific keywords usually make it easier to create relevant ads and landing pages.
Organize Keywords Into Focused Ad Groups
Avoid grouping many unrelated keywords together. Instead, organize keywords around closely related services, products, or search intent.
A dental clinic could separate campaigns or ad groups for Emergency Dentist, Dental Implants, and Teeth Whitening. Each group can then use messaging that directly reflects what the user is searching for.
This creates stronger alignment between the keyword and the ad.
Write Ads That Match Search Intent
Your ad should clearly answer the user’s search. If someone searches for “air conditioning repair Sydney,” the ad should immediately make it clear that you provide air-conditioning repair services.
Avoid vague messaging that forces the user to work out whether your business is relevant. Strong ads typically communicate the service, benefit, and next action quickly.
Clarity is more valuable than trying to make every headline clever.
Improve Your Click-Through Rate
Expected CTR can improve when your ads are more useful and appealing to searchers. Clearer offers, stronger headlines, and more specific messaging can help attract the right clicks.
For example, “Professional Plumbing Services” is broad, while “Emergency Plumber Sydney. Fast Local Response” is more specific to a high-intent search.
The goal is not simply to generate more clicks. It is to attract people who are more likely to become customers.
Match Your Landing Page to the Ad
Message consistency is one of the most important parts of paid search. The keyword, ad, and landing page should feel like part of the same journey.
If your ad promotes “Mortgage Broker for First Home Buyers,” the landing page should focus on first-home buyer mortgage assistance. Sending users to a general homepage may weaken relevance and reduce conversion potential.
Dedicated landing pages often perform better because they remove unnecessary distractions and keep the message focused. (See our B2B landing page strategy for more on message match.)
Improve Landing Page Usability
Landing page experience is not only about keywords. The page must also be useful, clear, and easy to use.
Visitors should quickly understand what you offer, who the service is for, why they should choose you, and what they should do next. Your contact form, phone number, booking option, or call to action should also be easy to find.
Mobile usability and page speed are important as well. Slow loading pages, confusing layouts, or long forms can reduce the quality of the experience. CRO best practices can help here.
Use Negative Keywords
Negative keywords help prevent ads from appearing for searches that are not relevant to your business. This can reduce wasted clicks and improve the quality of traffic entering your campaign.
For example, a premium service provider may want to exclude terms such as “free” if the business does not offer free services.
Negative keywords are especially useful when your campaigns use broader match types and need tighter control over search intent.
Should You Optimize for Quality Score or Conversions?
Conversions should remain the priority.
Quality Score is useful because it can help identify potential problems, but it should not become the main KPI for your campaign. A higher score has little value if the keyword does not generate profitable results.
Instead, use Quality Score as a diagnostic signal. Then measure whether the changes you make improve conversion rate, cost per lead, sales, or return on ad spend.
That gives you a much clearer picture of whether the campaign is actually improving.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Ads Quality Score
What Is Quality Score in Google Ads?
Quality Score is a diagnostic metric from 1 to 10 that compares the relevance and quality of your keyword, ad, and landing page with those of other advertisers.
What Are the Three Factors of Quality Score?
The three main components are expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
Is 10/10 a Good Quality Score?
Yes, but you do not need a 10/10 score for every keyword. A profitable campaign with a lower score can be more valuable than a high-scoring keyword that does not convert.
Does Quality Score Affect CPC?
Quality Score itself is not directly used in the auction. However, improving the underlying quality of your ads and landing pages can contribute to better overall campaign performance.
How Can I Improve a Low Quality Score?
Start by checking whether expected CTR, ad relevance, or landing page experience is rated below average. Then improve the weakest area first.
Is Quality Score the Same as Ad Rank?
No. Quality Score is a diagnostic metric, while Ad Rank is used to determine whether your ad can appear and where it may appear.
Final Thoughts on Google Ads Quality Score
Google Ads Quality Score is most useful when you treat it as a diagnostic tool rather than a target. It helps identify problems with keyword targeting, ad messaging, and landing page experience.
If your score is low, look at the reason behind it. Check whether the keyword matches customer intent, whether the ad clearly answers the search, and whether the landing page delivers what the advertisement promised.
When those elements work together, you create a better experience for the user. That can support stronger campaign performance, better conversion rates, and more efficient advertising spend.
