Quality Score is Google’s rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords and ads. Scored from 1 to 10, it directly affects how much you pay per click and where your ads appear. A high Quality Score means lower CPCs and better ad positions — a low Quality Score means you’re paying more for worse placement. Understanding and improving Quality Score is one of the highest-leverage optimisations available in any Google Ads account.
The 3 Components of Quality Score
Quality Score is not a single measurement — it’s a composite of three distinct factors, each rated as “Above Average,” “Average,” or “Below Average.” Understanding each one tells you exactly where to focus your improvement efforts.
1. Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Google predicts how likely your ad is to be clicked when shown for a given keyword, based on historical performance data from your account and across the Google network. This component rewards ads that clearly address what the searcher typed.
An ad headline that includes the exact keyword being searched almost always outperforms a generic headline in terms of expected CTR. Google’s systems know that ads matching searcher intent get clicked more, and they reward that alignment with a better score.
2. Ad Relevance
How closely your ad copy matches the intent of the search query. An ad for “affordable SEO services” shown for the keyword “enterprise SEO pricing” will have poor ad relevance because the messaging doesn’t match the searcher’s likely intent and budget level.
Ad relevance is primarily determined by your ad group structure. If you group dozens of loosely related keywords into one ad group and write a single ad for all of them, most keywords will have poor ad relevance scores because no single ad can perfectly match all of them.
3. Landing Page Experience
How relevant, useful, and trustworthy Google considers your landing page to be for users who click your ad. Factors include page load speed, relevance of page content to the keyword and ad, ease of navigation, mobile-friendliness, and presence of the keywords the user searched for.
A common mistake is sending all traffic to the homepage regardless of which keyword or product triggered the ad. A homepage is almost never the best landing page for a specific keyword — a dedicated page that directly addresses the search query will always outperform a generic page.
Why Quality Score Matters: The Economics of the Auction
Your actual CPC in the auction is calculated as: (Ad Rank of the advertiser below you ÷ Your Quality Score) + ₹0.01. This means a Quality Score of 10 can reduce your effective CPC by 50% compared to a Quality Score of 5 — for the same ad position.
Two advertisers bidding the same maximum CPC will have completely different actual CPCs and ad positions based on their Quality Scores. The advertiser with QS 8 will pay less and rank higher than the advertiser with QS 4, even with identical bids. This is by design — Google rewards quality because relevant ads create better experiences for users, which keeps people using Google Search.
Real-world impact: Moving from a Quality Score of 4 to 7 across your key keywords can reduce your average CPC by 30–40%. For accounts spending ₹5 lakh per month, that’s ₹1.5–2 lakh in savings — or equivalent additional clicks at the same budget.
Quality Score vs Ad Rank: Understanding the Difference
These two terms are often confused. Quality Score (1–10) is a diagnostic metric shown at the keyword level — it’s a snapshot of historical quality. Ad Rank is the actual score used in each auction to determine position and cost. Ad Rank incorporates Quality Score but also factors in your maximum bid, auction-time quality signals, expected impact of ad extensions, and the competitiveness of that specific auction.
This means a keyword with QS 6 can outrank a competitor’s QS 9 keyword if the QS 6 advertiser has a significantly higher bid and strong ad extensions. Ad Rank is the real-time calculation; Quality Score is the historical indicator. Focus on improving Quality Score as your lever for sustainable, cost-efficient performance.
How to Check Quality Score in Google Ads
- Go to your campaign and click on the Keywords tab
- Click the Columns button (the pencil icon) and add: Quality Score, Exp. CTR, Ad Relevance, Landing Page Exp.
- You’ll now see scores for each keyword alongside the sub-component ratings
- Sort by Quality Score ascending to quickly identify the worst-performing keywords
- Focus first on keywords that have high spend or impression volume with low Quality Scores — these are costing you the most money
Step-by-Step Quality Score Improvement Plan
Step 1: Fix Ad Group Structure
The single biggest driver of poor ad relevance and expected CTR is bloated ad groups. Tightly themed ad groups — sometimes called Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) or small-cluster ad groups with 5–10 closely related keywords — allow you to write highly specific ads for each group.
Audit every ad group. If you have an ad group with 30+ keywords spanning different topics, split it into smaller groups by theme. Each group should be cohesive enough that a single ad headline can speak directly to every keyword in it.
Step 2: Improve Ad Copy for Expected CTR
- Include the keyword in at least one headline — ideally the first headline
- Address user intent directly: if they’re searching “cheap accountants London,” mention affordability and location
- Use numbers, specifics, and calls to action: “Get a Free Quote Today” outperforms “Contact Us”
- Pin your most keyword-relevant headline to position 1 in Responsive Search Ads to ensure it always appears
- Leverage all available ad extensions — sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call extensions — as these improve the visual footprint of your ad and boost expected CTR
Step 3: Improve Landing Page Experience
- Match message to landing page: If your ad promises “Google Ads for E-commerce,” your landing page should prominently feature e-commerce case studies and relevant services — not a generic digital marketing overview
- Speed matters: A landing page that loads in under 2 seconds scores significantly better than one taking 5+ seconds. Run your pages through Google PageSpeed Insights and fix the highest-impact issues
- Mobile optimisation: Over 60% of searches happen on mobile. A page that’s hard to navigate on a small screen will be penalised
- Include the keyword on the page: Your landing page should contain the primary keyword from the ad group in the headline and body text naturally
- Trust signals: Reviews, testimonials, certifications, and clear contact information all contribute positively to landing page experience scores
Account Structure’s Impact on Quality Score
Quality Score is not just a keyword-level metric — it’s influenced by overall account health. Accounts with a long history of high CTR, relevant ads, and good landing page experiences have an inherent advantage in the auction even for new keywords. This is sometimes called “account-level Quality Score” and it reflects Google’s trust in your account as a reliable source of quality ads.
This means new advertisers in competitive markets face a disadvantage initially. Building Quality Score takes time — consistent, deliberate optimisation over 3–6 months will steadily improve your scores and reduce your effective CPCs.
Tools to Audit Quality Score
- Google Ads Quality Score columns: The built-in columns (as described above) are your primary tool
- Google Ads scripts: Free scripts available from the Google Ads community can export Quality Score data at scale across large accounts
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Essential for diagnosing landing page performance issues
- Google Search Console: Identifies which queries drive organic traffic — insight into what content resonates for your target keywords, which informs landing page content
- Third-party tools: Platforms like Optmyzr and WordStream have dedicated Quality Score audit dashboards for agencies managing multiple accounts
Common Quality Score Mistakes to Avoid
- Pausing low-QS keywords without investigating why: A keyword with QS 3 might become QS 7 with a better ad and landing page — don’t just delete it
- Ignoring QS for Display campaigns: Display campaigns have their own quality metrics (based on ad relevance and landing page) that affect reach and cost
- Over-indexing on QS as the primary KPI: A keyword with QS 8 that never converts is less valuable than a keyword with QS 6 that drives 50 leads per month. Use Quality Score as a diagnostic tool, not the ultimate success metric
- Not reviewing QS after major landing page changes: Landing page experience scores update as Google re-crawls your pages — always check QS 2–3 weeks after significant page changes
Let Balistro Improve Your Quality Scores
A thorough Quality Score audit is one of the first things we do when taking over a Google Ads account. Improving QS systematically across your keyword portfolio directly reduces costs and improves ad positions — often generating better results without increasing budget.
Our Google Ads management service includes ongoing Quality Score monitoring, ad group restructuring, and landing page recommendations as part of the engagement. We connect these improvements with our SEO services to ensure your landing pages rank organically and convert paid traffic simultaneously. For a holistic approach to digital growth, explore our full digital marketing services.
