Understanding and Improving Google Ads Quality Score
Quality Score is one of the most important – and sometimes overlooked – elements of a Google Ads account. It directly impacts your cost per click, your ad position, and ultimately your campaign performance. Advertisers who manage Quality Score effectively reduce wasted spend, improve visibility, and see stronger returns.
This guide breaks down what Quality Score is, why it matters, how to check it, and the practical steps you can take to improve it.
What Is Quality Score?
Quality Score is Google’s measure of the relevance and quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. Each keyword receives a score from 1–10 (with 10 being the highest), based on:
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Expected click-through rate (CTR) – How likely your ad is to be clicked.
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Ad relevance – How closely your ad matches the user’s search intent.
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Landing page experience – The relevance, usability, and speed of the page users land on after clicking your ad.
It’s not just a metric to track. Quality Score is a signal of how efficient your campaigns are. Higher scores generally mean lower CPCs, better ad placement, and a stronger ROI.
Why Quality Score Matters
Improving Quality Score has direct, measurable benefits:
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Lower costs per click – Google rewards high relevance with reduced CPCs.
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Better ad positions – High-scoring ads are more competitive in auctions.
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Greater visibility – More impressions and exposure without extra spend.
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Higher ROI – Improved efficiency across the account.
For advertisers running campaigns with strict budgets, optimising for Quality Score is one of the fastest ways to increase performance without increasing spend.
How to Check Your Quality Score
You can review Quality Score within Google Ads by:
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Logging into your account.
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Selecting Keywords in the left-hand menu.
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Modifying columns to add “Quality Score,” “Ad relevance,” “Expected CTR,” and “Landing page experience.”
Monitoring these regularly helps identify where improvements are most needed.
How to Improve Your Quality Score
Improving Quality Score requires consistent work across keywords, ad copy, and landing pages. Focus on these areas:
1. Keyword Research and Relevance
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Use highly specific, intent-driven keywords (e.g. “women’s red running shoes” rather than “shoes”).
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Align keywords with how customers actually search.
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Use tools such as Keyword Planner for data-backed decisions.
2. Ad Group Structure
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Keep ad groups tightly themed (10–20 keywords maximum).
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Group similar search terms together to maintain relevance.
3. Ad Copy Optimisation
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Mirror search queries in ad headlines and descriptions.
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Highlight clear benefits and unique value propositions.
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Include strong calls to action (e.g. “Get a Free Quote” or “Shop Now”).
4. Landing Page Experience
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Ensure landing pages match ad intent — the journey from keyword to ad to page should feel seamless.
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Optimise for speed — slow load times negatively affect Quality Score and conversions.
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Make pages mobile-friendly and easy to navigate.
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Clearly present your value proposition above the fold.
5. Keep Ads Fresh
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Regularly test new ad variations to prevent fatigue.
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Update ads seasonally or in line with promotions.
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Use responsive search ads alongside expanded text ads for broader coverage.
Quality Score: A Long-Term Investment
Improving Quality Score is not an overnight fix. Changes take time to reflect in Google’s system, and results build gradually. Start by focusing on the lowest-performing keywords and work systematically. Over time, small improvements across multiple campaigns add up to significant cost savings and stronger performance.
Conclusion
Quality Score is more than just a diagnostic metric — it’s a driver of efficiency, visibility, and return on ad spend. By focusing on keyword relevance, well-structured ad groups, compelling ad copy, and high-performing landing pages, you can steadily improve scores across your account.
Advertisers who commit to ongoing optimisation reduce CPCs, improve rankings, and achieve more conversions from the same budget.
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