In brief: Google Ads Quality Score is a diagnostic rating from 1 to 10 for each keyword in a Search campaign. It is built from three parts: expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience, each rated Above average, Average or Below average against other advertisers on the same search over the last 90 days. Google says Quality Score is not an input in the ad auction; Ad Rank decides position and price, using factors that include the bid and the quality of the ads and landing page. Kosmonk IT Pvt Ltd, a digital marketing agency in Ahmedabad, recommends fixing the weakest of the three ratings first and judging each keyword on its cost per lead.
You open the Google Ads dashboard at 10 AM and see a keyword marked 4 out of 10. It sounds like a failing grade, and it is tempting to panic. Google Ads Quality Score is a report card for each keyword, built from three ratings. It tells you where your ads and pages fall short. Google does not use the score itself in the auction.
This guide explains what the number means, where to find it, and how to improve each part. It also covers the myths that Google’s own help pages reject.
Key Takeaways
- Quality Score rates each keyword on a scale from 1 to 10.
- It is built from expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience.
- Google calls it a diagnostic tool and says it is not an input in the ad auction.
- Each part is compared with other advertisers over the last 90 days.
What Is Google Ads Quality Score?
Quality Score is a number from 1 to 10 that Google gives each keyword in a Search campaign. It estimates how good your ad and landing page are for people searching that keyword, compared with other advertisers. A higher score means your ads look more useful to searchers.
Google’s help page on Quality Score puts it in one line. The score “is measured on a scale from 1-10 and available at the keyword level.” It is “a diagnostic tool meant to give you a sense of how well your ad quality compares to other advertisers.”
The comparison matters, because your score is set against “other advertisers whose ads showed for the exact same search over the last 90 days.” So a 6 tells you how your ad compares with rival advertisers on that exact search, measured over the same 90 days.
What Are the Three Parts of Quality Score?
Three ratings sit behind the number: expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Google rates each one as Above average, Average or Below average. The overall score follows those three ratings, so the useful work is reading which of them is weak.
Here is each part in Google’s own words:
- Expected click-through rate: “The likelihood that your ad will be clicked when shown.” This is about whether people pick your ad from the page.
- Ad relevance: “How closely your ad matches the intent behind a user’s search.” This is about whether your ad answers the search.
- Landing page experience: “How relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad.” This is about what happens after the click.
A low overall score with one Below average rating is good news in a way, because it tells you exactly where to start. For landing pages, Google says an Average or Above average rating means “there are no major problems with this keyword’s landing page experience.”
Does Quality Score Decide What You Pay?
No, not directly. Google says plainly that “Quality Score is not an input in the ad auction.” What decides your position and price is Ad Rank, which is calculated fresh for every search. Ad Rank does weigh the quality of your ads and landing page, which is why the same weak points show up in both.
Google’s Ad Rank page lists the factors. They include “your bid amount, the quality of your ads and landing page,” and the Ad Rank thresholds. Google also counts how competitive the auction is, the context of the search, and the expected impact of assets and other ad formats. Google adds that a well-made ad can win a higher spot than a rival with a higher bid.
So think of Quality Score as the report card and Ad Rank as the exam. It does, however, show which subjects need attention, so you know exactly where to begin. Fixing those can help in the auction too, because Ad Rank also weighs ad and landing page quality. For how bids and budgets turn into a monthly bill, see our guide to Google Ads cost in India.
How Do You See Your Quality Score?
Go to Keywords, open the columns menu and choose Modify columns. Under the Quality score section, add Quality Score, Exp. CTR, Ad relevance and Landing page exp. The score then sits next to each keyword, with the three ratings beside it. Sort the report by cost, so the most expensive keywords get checked first.
Sometimes you will see a dash where a number should be. Google says this “means there aren’t enough searches that exactly match your keywords to determine a keyword’s Quality Score.” This can happen with low-volume local keywords, which simply have not been searched enough yet. Google adds that “Quality Score is based on historical impressions for exact searches.”
There are also historical columns, such as “Quality Score (hist.)”, that show the score on past dates. You can see the change in daily scores by segmenting your table by day. This is useful after you change a landing page, because you can watch the rating move over the following weeks.
How to Improve Each Part of Your Google Ads Quality Score
Work on the weakest rating first. Google’s guide to using Quality Score gives one plain instruction for each part. Expected CTR improves when your ad matches the keyword’s intent. Ad relevance improves when your ad uses the searcher’s language. Landing page experience improves when the page gives people what they came for.
Here is how that looks in practice, as an example. Picture a skincare clinic in Satellite bidding on “laser hair removal near me”. The ad says “Skin Treatments in Ahmedabad”, and the click lands on the home page. The search, the ad and the page drift further apart at each stage.
- Ad relevance. Google’s advice is to “match the language of your ad text more directly to user search terms.” A headline that names laser hair removal does this. Our guide to ad copy that gets clicked goes deeper.
- Expected click-through rate. “Ensure the details in your ad match the intent of your keywords.” Someone searching “near me” wants a location and a way to book, so show both.
- Landing page experience. “Give people what they’re looking for.” Send the click to the laser hair removal page, with prices or a booking form above the fold. Google says better-rated pages are “well organized and have text that relates to a person’s search terms.” See our guide to landing pages that convert.
Small, focused ad groups make all three easier. A group that mixes laser, acne and peel keywords is unlikely to match all three searches well. Split it into three groups, each with its own ad and its own page. Each ad and page can then match its own searches, which makes the next fix easier to spot. If you are still choosing keywords, our guide to keyword research for a small business helps.
What Quality Score Myths Should You Ignore?
Several beliefs you may hear are wrong, according to Google’s own help pages. The score does not enter the auction, and changing match types does not reset it. Moving an ad group with the same ads does not wipe it either. Your landing page does not need the exact search phrase. Believing them can send you chasing the wrong fix.
The quotes are short and worth keeping. Google says “changing keyword match types will not impact Quality Score.” It says “moving an ad group with the same ads and keywords to another campaign or account doesn’t impact your ad quality.” And it notes that “the word-for-word phrase from a search term doesn’t need to be on your landing page.”
One more surprises people. “A broad match keyword may have a Quality Score even though it has no impressions.” The score is built from exact searches, so it can exist before your broad keyword has shown at all. So a new broad keyword can carry a score before it has shown even once.
When Is a Low Quality Score Not a Problem?
When the keyword still brings leads at a price you are happy with. Google itself tells advertisers to use the score “as a general indicator of which areas to focus on to improve ad quality.” It is a guide to what needs work, and a 5 that brings sales is worth more than an 8 that brings none.
Google gives an honest example. “There may be times when a more specific ad leads to lower CTRs, but higher conversion rates.” For example, a skin clinic ad that says “Packages from ₹2,499” may put off people who were only browsing. Fewer clicks can mean a lower expected CTR rating, even though the people who still click are more likely to become paying customers.
For the landing page, Google suggests a simpler measure: “Try using conversion rate as a proxy for good landing page experience.” If people who click are booking, the page is doing its job, whatever the rating says.
Where to Start This Week
Google Ads Quality Score is like a report card, and its three ratings show you what to fix. Start with the weakest one and leave the total for later. The fix can be small: a closer headline, a better page or a smaller ad group.
This week, add the three rating columns to your keyword report. Look at the five keywords that spend the most and note any weak rating. Fix that one part first, and check the score again in a few weeks.
Want help? Our Google Ads team can go through your account with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Google Ads Quality Score?
There is no official pass mark. Google calls the score a diagnostic tool and suggests using it as a general guide to which areas to improve. A Below average rating on any of the three parts shows where to work first.
Does a higher Quality Score lower my cost per click?
Not directly, because Quality Score is not an input in the ad auction. Ad Rank decides your position and price, and it does weigh ad and landing page quality. Fixing the same weak points can help there too.
Why does my keyword show a dash where the score should be?
Google has not yet seen enough searches that exactly match the keyword. Low-volume local keywords can show this. The score appears once there is enough data.
How long does Quality Score take to change?
It moves as new data comes in, so it can take weeks for low-volume keywords. Use the historical columns and segment by day to see the trend after a change.
Should I pause keywords with a low Quality Score?
Only if they also lose money. Judge a keyword first on cost per lead and conversion rate. A low score with good results can keep its budget while you improve the weak rating.
