By PDS Team
Google Ads Quality Score is a diagnostic rating from 1 to 10 that shows how your keywords, ads and landing pages compare with other advertisers for the same keyword. It is based on three components: expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. A higher Quality Score usually means your ads are more useful to searchers, which tends to help both ad position and cost.
This guide explains what Quality Score is, how to read it in your account and practical ways to improve each component.
What is Google Ads Quality Score?
Quality Score is a keyword-level estimate, on a scale of 1 to 10, of the quality of your ads compared with other advertisers.
Google Ads Help describes it as a diagnostic tool, meant to help you identify where to improve your ads, keywords or landing pages. It is calculated from past performance of auctions where someone searched exactly for your keyword. Keywords without enough data show “—” instead of a score.
Quality Score itself is not used directly in the ad auction. The auction uses real-time measures of quality for each search. But the same factors behind Quality Score, relevance and expected performance, also influence Ad Rank, which decides whether and where your ad shows and what you pay.
What are the three components of Quality Score?
The three components are expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience, each rated as above average, average or below average.
| Component | What it measures | Main way to improve |
|---|---|---|
| Expected click-through rate | How likely people are to click your ad when it shows for this keyword | Stronger, more specific ad text |
| Ad relevance | How closely your ad matches the intent behind the search | Tighter ad groups and matching ad copy |
| Landing page experience | How relevant and useful your landing page is for people who click | A focused, fast, mobile-friendly landing page |
How do you see Quality Score in Google Ads?
Add the Quality Score columns to your keywords view to see the score and each component.
- Open your campaign and go to Keywords.
- Click the columns icon and choose Modify columns.
- Under Quality Score, add Quality Score, Expected CTR, Ad relevance and Landing page experience.
- Optionally add the historical versions to see how scores changed over time.
- Sort by spend to focus on keywords that cost the most first.
How do you improve expected click-through rate?
Write ads that clearly match what the searcher wants and give them a reason to choose you.
- Include the main keyword or close variation in at least one headline, naturally.
- Mention specific benefits, such as same-day service, local presence or free consultation, only if they are true.
- Use all relevant assets (formerly extensions): sitelinks, callouts, call assets and location assets.
- Add enough distinct headlines and descriptions to responsive search ads so Google can test combinations.
- Use negative keywords to stop ads showing for irrelevant searches, which drag down click-through rate.
How do you improve ad relevance?
Group closely related keywords together and write ads specifically for each group.
If one ad group contains “AC repair”, “AC installation” and “AC on rent”, a single ad cannot match all three well. Split them into separate ad groups with their own ads and landing pages. Review your search terms report regularly to see what people actually typed, add relevant terms as keywords and add irrelevant ones as negatives.
How do you improve landing page experience?
Send people to a page that directly answers their search, loads quickly on mobile and makes the next step obvious.
- Relevance: the page should be about exactly what the ad promised. An ad for “kitchen renovation” should not land on a general home page.
- Clear information: explain the service, what is included, where you work and how to contact you.
- Speed: Google’s guidance mentions making the landing page load quickly, especially on mobile.
- Mobile usability: readable text, large buttons, click-to-call and short forms.
- Trust: business name, address, phone and genuine reviews or project examples.
- Transparency: be open about what you offer and avoid misleading claims.
Our website design services can build focused landing pages for your main ad groups.
Should you chase a Quality Score of 10?
No. Use Quality Score to find problems, but optimise for business results such as enquiries, sales and cost per lead.
Google itself says Quality Score is a diagnostic tool, not a key performance indicator. A keyword with a score of 6 that brings profitable leads is more valuable than a keyword with a score of 9 that brings none. Focus on keywords with high spend and low scores, where small improvements matter most. Track results with conversion tracking; our guide to Google Analytics 4 for small businesses explains how key events connect to Google Ads.
Google Ads Quality Score FAQs
What is a good Quality Score in Google Ads?
Scores of 7 and above usually indicate your keyword, ad and landing page are relevant compared with competitors. Scores of 5 or 6 are average, and lower scores suggest clear room for improvement. Judge scores alongside results, since a profitable keyword with an average score can still be worth keeping.
Does Quality Score affect cost per click?
Indirectly. Quality Score itself is not used in the auction, but the same quality factors feed into Ad Rank, along with your bid. Better expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience can help you achieve a better position or pay less for the same position.
Why does my keyword show no Quality Score?
Google shows a dash instead of a score when there have not been enough searches that exactly match the keyword to calculate it reliably. New keywords and very low-volume keywords often show no score. It does not mean your ad is bad; wait for more data.
How long does it take to improve Quality Score?
Changes to ads, keywords and landing pages are reflected as new auction data builds up, so it depends on how often your keywords get searched. High-volume keywords may update sooner than low-volume ones. Make one change at a time where possible, so you can see what worked.
Does Quality Score apply to Performance Max campaigns?
Quality Score is shown for keywords in Search campaigns. Performance Max campaigns do not use keywords in the same way, so they do not show keyword Quality Scores. The principles still apply: relevant assets, accurate product data and good landing pages help performance.
Can a poor landing page lower my Quality Score?
Yes. Landing page experience is one of the three components. A slow page, a page that does not match the ad, or one that is hard to use on mobile can be rated below average. Improving the page often helps both Quality Score and the number of enquiries.
Want better results from Google Ads?
We manage and improve Google Ads accounts for businesses in Noida, Delhi NCR and across India. Explore our PPC services or contact us for an account review.
