Google Ads Quality Score: What It Means and How to Improve It
Quick answer
Quality Score is a 1 to 10 rating Google Ads gives each keyword, based on three parts: expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. To improve it, group keywords into tight themes, write ads that use the searcher's own words, make the offer compelling, and send each ad group to a fast, mobile-friendly page that delivers exactly what the ad promised. Google calls Quality Score a diagnostic tool, so use it to find weak spots rather than as a target in itself.
If you have ever wondered why a competitor appears above you while seeming to pay less, ad quality is a big part of the answer. Google rewards ads that are useful to the person searching. This guide explains Quality Score in plain English and lists the fixes that usually make the biggest difference for small business accounts.
What is Quality Score?
Quality Score is shown at the keyword level on a scale from 1 to 10. Google explains in its help article "5 ways to use Quality Score to improve your performance" that you can think of it as a general indicator of which areas to focus on, rather than a score to be optimised for its own sake.
Google's own whitepaper, "Settling the (Quality) Score", makes an important point: the real-time evaluations of the three components are used in the ad auction, while the Quality Score number you see is not. The number is a summary to help you diagnose problems.
What are the three parts of Quality Score?
| Component | What it measures | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Expected CTR | How likely your ad is to be clicked when shown | More compelling, specific ad text |
| Ad relevance | How closely your ad matches the intent behind the search | Tighter ad groups, ads that mirror the keywords |
| Landing page experience | How relevant and useful your page is to people who click | Matching, fast, mobile-friendly landing pages |
Each component is rated "Below average", "Average" or "Above average". That rating tells you where to look.
Where do I find Quality Score in my account?
- Open Google Ads and go to Keywords.
- Click the columns icon and choose to modify columns.
- Open the Quality Score section and add Quality Score, Exp. CTR, Ad relevance and Landing page exp.
- Apply, then sort by impressions so you focus on keywords that actually matter.
A keyword with very few impressions may show no score at all. That is normal.
How do I improve ad relevance?
Ad relevance is usually the easiest to fix, because it is mostly about structure.
Split mixed ad groups
Google's advice is to look for ad groups with many different keywords that cannot be addressed well by the same ad, and split them. If one ad group contains "dental implants", "teeth whitening" and "root canal treatment", no single ad can match all three. Give each service its own ad group.
Mirror the search in the headline
If someone searches "root canal treatment in Coimbatore", a headline that says "Root Canal Treatment in Coimbatore" immediately looks relevant. Google suggests matching the language of your ad text more directly to search terms.
Check your search terms
The search terms report shows what people actually typed. If your ads are showing for unrelated searches, relevance drops. Adding negative keywords fixes this. Our negative keywords guide explains how.
How do I improve expected CTR?
Expected CTR is about whether people want to click your ad compared with others.
- Be specific. "Same-day AC repair across Coimbatore" beats "Best AC services".
- Show a real benefit. Open on Sundays, home visits, free inspection, years in business: whatever is true and matters to your buyer.
- Use a clear call to action. Google suggests words like Buy, Order, Find, Sign up or Get a Quote.
- Use assets. Sitelinks, callouts, call assets and location assets make the ad bigger and more useful. Our call assets guide covers the phone side.
- Test several headlines. Responsive search ads let you add many headlines and descriptions. Give Google real variety, not five versions of the same line.
Google also notes that a more specific ad can sometimes lead to a lower CTR but a higher conversion rate. That is fine. Your goal is customers, not clicks.
How do I improve landing page experience?
This is where many small business accounts lose out, because ads often point to the home page.
Send each ad group to the matching page
Google's own example: if someone searches "flannel shirts" and clicks an ad for flannel shirts, the page should feature flannel shirts. For a clinic, the root canal ad should open the root canal page, not the general home page.
Keep the promise
If the ad says "free first consultation", the landing page should say it too, near the top. Consistency between ad and page matters.
Make it fast and mobile-friendly
Most local searches happen on phones. A slow page, tiny text or a hidden phone number hurts both Quality Score and conversions. Our landing page best practices guide lists what a good ad landing page needs.
Make the next step obvious
A tap-to-call button, a WhatsApp button and a short form should be visible without hunting. Ask for as little information as you need.
What should I not do?
- Do not obsess over the number. Google itself describes it as a diagnostic, not a goal.
- Do not pause good keywords only because their score is average. If they bring profitable enquiries, keep them and improve around them.
- Do not stuff keywords into ads so they read badly. People still have to want to click.
- Do not rebuild everything at once. Change one area, wait for data, then move on.
A simple Quality Score improvement plan
- Week 1: add the Quality Score columns and list keywords with high impressions and below-average components.
- Week 2: split mixed ad groups and add negatives from the search terms report.
- Week 3: rewrite ads for the biggest ad groups, adding specific benefits and assets.
- Week 4: point each ad group to the most relevant page, and fix speed and mobile issues on those pages.
- Every month: review components again and repeat for the next group of keywords.
Why Quality Score matters for cost
Ad quality affects where your ad appears and how much you pay for each click compared with competitors. When your ads and pages are more relevant, Google can show you in better positions without you having to outbid everyone. This is one of the cost factors we explain in our Google Ads cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Quality Score?
Higher is better, but there is no magic number. Focus on getting each component to "Average" or "Above average" for the keywords that bring the most impressions and conversions.
How long does it take for Quality Score to change?
Quality Score updates as new data comes in. Changes to ads and landing pages usually need some time and enough impressions before the score reflects them.
Does Quality Score affect how much I pay?
Ad quality is part of how Google ranks ads in the auction. More relevant ads and pages can help you appear in better positions and can lower what you pay per click compared with less relevant competitors.
Why do some keywords show no Quality Score?
Keywords need enough exact-match searches before Google can calculate a score. Low-volume keywords often show a dash instead of a number.
Does moving an ad group to a new campaign reset its Quality Score?
Google says that moving an ad group with the same ads and keywords to another campaign or account does not affect your ad quality.
Want an expert look at your account?
Quality Score clean-ups are part of every account we manage on our Google Ads management service. For the full picture, see our Google Ads agency in Coimbatore page.
Talk to us
If your Quality Scores are stuck at below average, we can review your account structure, ads and landing pages and show you what to change first. See our digital marketing services or contact us. Call +91 84319 21721 or email info@xtrodinry.com.
About the author: Karthik N, Founder of Xtrodinry in Coimbatore and SEO strategist. Connect on LinkedIn · About Xtrodinry
Xtrodinry · 4/175/A, Vijayalakshmi Nagar, Panappatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641201 · +91 84319 21721 · info@xtrodinry.com
