What Google Ads Quality Score measures
Google Ads quality score is a rating from 1 to 10 shown for each keyword in Search campaigns. It estimates how relevant and useful your ad and page are for people searching that keyword. Higher scores usually point to ads that match search intent, which tends to mean better positions at lower costs.
The score has three parts, each rated below average, average or above average. Expected click-through rate is how likely people are to click your ad. Ad relevance is how closely your ad matches the search. Landing page experience is how useful, clear and quick your page is for that search.
What Quality Score does and does not do
Google describes Quality Score as a diagnostic tool, not an input in each auction. At auction time, Google uses real-time quality signals along with your bid to set Ad Rank. Still, the three parts point to the same things the auction rewards, so low ratings are worth investigating.
Do not confuse it with Ad strength. Ad strength rates how varied and relevant the headlines and descriptions in a responsive search ad are. An Excellent ad strength does not make your Quality Score high. A middling score on a keyword that gets few searches is also not a crisis.
Where to find it in your account
In Google Ads, open the Keywords page and add columns for Quality Score and its three parts through the columns menu. A dash means there is not enough data yet, which is normal for new or low-volume keywords. Quality Score appears for keywords, so campaign types that do not use keywords will not show one.
Start with the keywords that get the most spend. Sort by cost, then look for those with a below-average part. A single weak part tells you where to look: the ad copy, the keyword grouping or the landing page. Ignore scores on keywords with little data.
How to improve Quality Score step by step
Work through the three parts in order of impact. Most gains come from matching what people type to what you show them, and from making the page they land on useful in seconds. Change one thing at a time where you can, so you know which change helped, and note the date of each edit.
Landing page experience often has the most room to improve. A page that loads slowly, hides the phone number or repeats generic copy drags the score down and loses leads too. Better pages usually lift both the score and your enquiries, which is why this work sits close to conversion rate optimization.
- Split ad groups by theme so each group’s ads can match its keywords closely
- Write headlines in the customer’s own words that name the benefit they want
- Send each ad group to a page about that exact service, not the homepage
- Add negative keywords to cut clicks from searches you do not serve
- Improve page speed, mobile layout and the clarity of the call to action
Treat the score as a clue, not a goal
Aim to fix the ads, pages and structure behind a low score, not to hit a number. A keyword with a modest score can still be profitable if it brings leads at a cost you can afford. Judge keywords by cost per lead and customer value, and use Quality Score as a hint about where waste may sit.
Avoid shortcuts such as stuffing keywords into every headline or cluttering pages to look relevant. They tend to hurt conversion even when they nudge a score. Review the search terms report each week and retest ads regularly, because search behaviour changes. A score that was fine last season can slip when competitors, seasons or customer wording shift.
Quality in an automated future
As Google leans harder on automation and AI-built ads, the keyword-level score matters a little less, but the ideas behind it do not. Relevance, helpful pages and real engagement still decide who wins attention. Expect to spend less time hand-tuning keywords and more time feeding the system good pages, clear assets and accurate conversion data.
- 01More automated ad assembly
- 02Landing page quality judged in context
- 03Good data as the main input you control
Questions & answers
Higher is better, and many advertisers treat 7 or above as healthy and anything much lower as a sign to investigate. Use the score as a guide for each keyword, not a target. A lower score on a profitable keyword matters less than weak pages on your highest-spend terms.
Indirectly. The things it reflects, such as expected click rate, relevance and landing page experience, feed into Ad Rank. Better Ad Rank can win a higher position, or the same position at a lower price. The score itself is a report, not a switch you can pull.
A dash usually means too little data. The keyword may be new or may get few searches. Give it time and impressions, and avoid changing it often. If a campaign type does not use keywords, there is no keyword score to show.
Changes can show up after Google has collected enough new impressions and clicks, which may take days or weeks depending on volume. Make one or two clear changes, such as a better landing page, then wait before judging rather than editing constantly.
