Google Ads Quality Score Explained: What It Is and How to Improve It

If you have ever wondered why your Google Ads are costing more than a competitor's, or why your ads are sitting in a lower position despite a reasonable bid, Quality Score is almost certainly part of the answer.

Quality Score is one of the most misunderstood concepts in paid advertising. Many advertisers either ignore it entirely or assume it is simply a measure of how well their ads are written. In reality, it is a multi-component diagnostic rating that directly influences how much you pay per click and where your ads appear on the page.

This guide breaks down exactly what Quality Score is, how Google calculates it, what the score means at every level from 1 to 10, and the most effective improvements you can make right now to lower your costs and improve your ad performance.

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Google Ads Quality Score is a diagnostic tool that rates the overall quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages on a scale of 1 to 10. Google assigns this score at the keyword level in Search campaigns.

It is important to understand that Quality Score is not directly used as an input in the ad auction. Instead, the three components that make up your Quality Score — expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience — are assessed in real time during every single auction your keyword enters. Google uses these signals to determine your Ad Rank and what you actually pay per click.

Think of Quality Score as a report card. A score of 10 means Google considers your keyword, ad, and landing page to be highly relevant and useful to the person searching. A score of 1 means something is significantly misaligned — and you will pay a heavy price for it.

Quality Score is compared against other advertisers who showed ads for the exact same search query over the previous 90 days. If your score is low, it means your competitors are generally doing a better job of matching searcher intent at every stage of the user journey.

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Google evaluates three separate components when calculating your Quality Score. Each one is rated as Above Average, Average, or Below Average in your Google Ads account. Understanding each component is the foundation of improving your score.

Component	What Google Measures	Weight
Expected Click-Through Rate	Likelihood your ad will be clicked when shown	Highest impact
Ad Relevance	How closely your ad matches search intent	Medium impact
Landing Page Experience	Relevance, speed, and usefulness of your landing page	Medium impact

1. Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Expected CTR is Google's prediction of how likely your ad is to be clicked when it is shown for a given keyword. This is not based on your actual historical CTR alone — Google normalises for ad position and other factors, comparing your expected performance against all advertisers competing on the same term.

This component carries the most weight of the three. An ad with a compelling headline, a clear offer, and a strong call to action will naturally attract more clicks than a vague or generic one. Google rewards advertisers whose ads users genuinely want to click.

• Affected by your headline relevance
• Influenced by your unique selling proposition
• Impacted by ad copy specificity
• Shaped by your call to action strength
• Influenced by use of ad assets (extensions)
• Benchmarked against competing advertisers

2. Ad Relevance

Ad relevance measures how closely your ad text matches the intent behind a user's search query. If someone searches for emergency plumber London and your ad talks generically about plumbing services without referencing the urgency or location, your relevance score will suffer.

A common cause of low ad relevance is having too many unrelated keywords crammed into a single ad group — all being served by the same generic ad. When one ad needs to serve 40 different keywords, it will rarely be perfectly relevant to any of them.

• Use tightly themed ad groups
• Mirror the language of the search query in your ad
• Match search intent, not just keywords
• Separate broad and exact intent into different groups
• Avoid using one ad for unrelated keywords
• Include your primary keyword in the headline

3. Landing Page Experience

Landing page experience assesses what happens after someone clicks your ad. Google evaluates whether your landing page delivers on the promise of your ad, how fast it loads, how well it works on mobile, and how easy it is to navigate and find relevant information.

A landing page that sends someone to a generic homepage after clicking an ad about a specific product or service will score poorly. Google wants the user journey to be seamless — from search query to ad to landing page — with consistent messaging throughout.

• Page load speed (especially on mobile)
• Mobile responsiveness
• Content relevance to the ad and keyword
• Clear navigation and layout
• Transparency (contact details, privacy policy)
• Absence of intrusive pop-ups or redirects

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Quality Score runs from 1 to 10, where 10 is the best possible result. Google assigns a score to each keyword in your account once it has accumulated enough impression data. New keywords may show a dash (–) until sufficient data is gathered.

Score	Rating	What It Means	Impact on CPC
1 – 3	Poor	Significant misalignment between keyword, ad, and landing page	CPC penalty — you pay substantially more
4 – 6	Average	Acceptable but below competitive standard	Close to your max bid — no reward or penalty
7 – 8	Good	Strong relevance and user experience	CPC discount — you pay less per click
9 – 10	Excellent	Highly relevant, well-matched user journey	Significant CPC discount — maximum efficiency

A score of 7 out of 10 is considered the benchmark for non-branded keywords. For branded keywords — terms that include your own business or product name — you should typically achieve a 9 or 10, as you have full control over the entire user journey for those searches.

Scores of 1 to 3 are a red flag that requires immediate attention. Keywords with very low Quality Scores will cost far more to run and may not even show regularly due to poor Ad Rank.

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One of the most compelling reasons to take Quality Score seriously is its direct effect on what you pay for each click. Google's actual CPC formula means that a higher Quality Score acts as a price reduction at every auction your keyword enters.

The actual CPC formula is:

Real-World CPC Example

Consider two businesses both bidding £3.00 per click on the same keyword:

Advertiser	Max Bid	Quality Score	Ad Rank	Estimated Actual CPC
Business A	£3.00	4/10	12	~£2.75
Business B	£3.00	9/10	27	~£1.40

Business B appears higher in the results and pays roughly half the cost per click — purely because of Quality Score. Over a campaign with 500 clicks per month, that difference could amount to £675 in monthly savings for the exact same traffic volume.

This is why improving Quality Score is one of the highest-leverage activities in Google Ads management. You are not just improving your scores — you are directly reducing your advertising costs and improving your return on ad spend.

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Ad Rank determines where your ad appears on the search results page. Google calculates Ad Rank in real time during every auction. Your position is not simply a product of how much you bid — the quality signals that underpin your Quality Score play an equally important role.

The simplified Ad Rank formula is:

Ad Rank Position Example

Advertiser	Max Bid	Quality Score	Ad Rank	Position
Competitor A	£5.00	4/10	20	2nd
Your Business	£3.00	9/10	27	1st
Competitor B	£4.00	5/10	20	3rd

In this scenario, your business ranks first despite having the lowest bid, because Quality Score multiplies the effectiveness of your bid. A competitor outspending you by £2.00 per click still ends up in a lower position.

Ad Rank also determines whether your ad qualifies to show at all. If your Ad Rank falls below the minimum threshold for a given auction, your ad simply will not appear — meaning poor Quality Scores can result in missed impressions, not just higher costs.

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There is no single universal benchmark, because Quality Score expectations differ depending on the type of keyword you are bidding on. Google compares your performance against the specific pool of advertisers competing on each individual search query.

Keyword Type	Target Quality Score	Notes
Branded keywords	9 – 10	You control the full journey — this should be achievable
High-intent non-branded	7 – 8	Strong but competitive — aim for Above Average on all components
Broad or informational	5 – 7	Harder to achieve perfect relevance on wider terms
Competitor keywords	3 – 5	Inherently lower — you cannot control their brand landing page

For most campaigns targeting high-commercial-intent keywords — the searches where people are ready to buy, enquire, or call — a Quality Score of 7 or above is a strong target. Scores below 5 on these terms should be treated as a priority to fix.

It is more useful to focus on the component ratings (Above Average / Average / Below Average) than chasing a specific number. If all three components show Above Average, your score will reflect this naturally.

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Quality Score is visible at the keyword level within your Google Ads account. It is not shown by default in the standard view, so you need to add the relevant columns to your reporting dashboard.

Step-by-Step: Finding Quality Score

• Step 1: Sign in to your Google Ads account and navigate to Campaigns → Keywords → Search keywords.
• Step 2: Click the Columns icon (the grid icon near the top right of the table).
• Step 3: Select Modify columns, then scroll to the Quality Score section.
• Step 4: Add Quality Score, Landing page exp., Ad relevance, and Exp. CTR to your view.
• Step 5: Click Apply. Your keyword table will now show scores and component ratings for each keyword.

Keywords with fewer than a set minimum of impressions will display a dash (–) rather than a score. This means the keyword has not yet accumulated enough data for Google to rate it accurately. Focus your optimisation efforts on keywords that already have scores assigned.

You can also view historical Quality Score data by selecting Quality Score (hist.) columns, which lets you track how your scores have changed over time — useful for measuring the impact of your improvements.

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Improving Quality Score is not about gaming a metric — it is about making your entire ad experience more relevant for the person searching. The improvements below address all three components and are ordered by typical impact and ease of implementation.

1. Restructure Into Tightly Themed Ad Groups

This is the single most impactful structural change most accounts can make. If your ad groups contain dozens of loosely related keywords all served by one or two generic ads, your ad relevance and expected CTR will be suppressed across the board.

The fix is to break your ad groups down so that each one contains a tight cluster of closely related keywords — often called Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) or tightly themed groups. Each group gets its own dedicated ad copy written specifically for those keywords.

• Group keywords by intent, not just topic
• Separate branded and non-branded terms
• Create separate groups for location-based terms
• Separate question-style queries from transactional ones
• Keep 5–15 closely related keywords per group
• Write at least 3 ad variations per group

2. Mirror Search Terms in Your Ad Headlines

Ad relevance improves dramatically when the language in your headline closely reflects the language the user searched. If someone types accountant for self-employed London, an ad headline of Self-Employed Accountants in London will outperform a generic headline like Expert Accounting Services every time.

Use Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) to test multiple headline and description combinations. Google will determine which combinations perform best for different search queries over time. However, always ensure your top-performing headlines are highly specific and keyword-rich.

3. Fix Message Match Between Ad and Landing Page

Message match is often the fastest single fix for a poor landing page experience rating. If your ad promises Free Same-Day Plumber Quotes in Birmingham but your landing page is a generic homepage with no mention of same-day service or Birmingham, Google will detect this disconnect — and so will the user.

• Match your landing page headline to your ad headline
• Reinforce the specific offer mentioned in the ad
• Include the keyword or phrase on the landing page
• Keep the CTA consistent from ad to page
• Use dedicated landing pages, not your homepage
• Align tone and urgency throughout the journey

If your landing pages are not tailored to individual ad groups, this should be your next priority. A dedicated landing page for each campaign theme will almost always outperform sending all traffic to your homepage.

4. Improve Landing Page Speed

Page load speed is a direct factor in landing page experience. Google has stated clearly that slow pages create poor user experiences, and slow landing pages will receive lower scores. On mobile — where the majority of searches now happen — even a one-second delay can significantly increase bounce rates.

Target a Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of 2.5 seconds or faster on mobile. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights to identify exactly what is slowing your page down. Common culprits include unoptimised images, render-blocking scripts, and slow hosting.

If page speed is a problem across your site, our website speed optimisation service addresses the technical improvements that directly impact both Quality Score and organic rankings.

5. Ensure Full Mobile Optimisation

Over half of all Google searches happen on mobile devices. A landing page that renders poorly on a smartphone — with tiny text, broken layouts, or buttons that are hard to tap — will receive a Below Average landing page experience rating regardless of how relevant the content is.

• Use a responsive, mobile-first design
• Ensure the CTA is visible above the fold on small screens
• Make phone numbers click-to-call
• Avoid intrusive pop-ups on mobile
• Keep forms short and easy to complete on a touchscreen
• Test your pages on real mobile devices, not just simulators

6. Add and Optimise Ad Assets (Extensions)

Ad assets — formerly called ad extensions — expand your ad with additional information such as phone numbers, site links, callouts, and structured snippets. They do not directly change your Quality Score, but they improve your expected CTR by making your ad larger and more informative, which feeds back into your score over time.

• Sitelink assets — link to key service pages
• Callout assets — highlight USPs like "No Call-Out Fee"
• Call assets — display your phone number directly
• Location assets — show your address for local searches
• Structured snippet assets — list services or features
• Price assets — show pricing tiers if relevant

Adding relevant assets also improves your Ad Rank by increasing the expected impact of your ad format, giving you better positions even without raising your bids.

7. Use Negative Keywords Aggressively

Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. When your ads appear for search terms that do not match your offering, the resulting low CTR pulls down your expected CTR score — even if those impressions are never converted into clicks.

Review your Search Terms report regularly to identify queries that are triggering your ads but are not relevant to your business. Common negative keyword categories for UK businesses include:

• "Free" — if you do not offer a free product or service
• "Jobs" and "careers" — if you are not recruiting
• "DIY" and "how to" — if you are selling a professional service
• Competitor brand names — unless you are running competitor campaigns
• Irrelevant locations — if you only serve specific areas
• Unrelated industry terms that share keywords

A tighter match between what you are bidding on and who you are actually reaching will improve both your CTR and your relevance scores simultaneously.

8. A/B Test Your Ad Copy Continuously

Running a single ad in an ad group gives you no data to improve from. Google recommends keeping at least 2 to 3 active ad variations per ad group, which allows the system to test which combinations of headlines and descriptions generate the highest CTR — and allows you to identify patterns in what resonates with your audience.

• Test different headline structures and value propositions
• Try question-based vs statement-based headlines
• Test specific numbers and offers against general claims
• Vary your calls to action between ads
• Pin your strongest headlines to position 1 once identified
• Allow enough impressions before drawing conclusions

Over time, continuous ad testing compounds into a measurable improvement in expected CTR — the component with the highest weighting in your Quality Score.

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Quality Score is surrounded by a number of persistent myths that can lead advertisers to focus their effort in the wrong places. Here are the most common misconceptions and what the reality actually is.

Misconception 1: Quality Score is used directly in the auction

Quality Score is a diagnostic indicator, not an auction input. The auction uses the underlying signals — expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience — directly. Quality Score is the summary of those signals displayed in your account for reporting purposes. Optimising the underlying components is what matters, not chasing the number itself.

Misconception 2: A high Quality Score guarantees a high ad position

Quality Score is one part of the Ad Rank calculation. Your bid, the Ad Rank thresholds for a given auction, the context of the search, and the expected impact of your ad assets all play a role. A perfect Quality Score with a very low bid may still result in a low position for highly competitive terms.

Misconception 3: You should pause keywords with low Quality Scores

Pausing a keyword does not improve your account's quality. Instead, focus on improving the three components for that keyword. If after significant effort the keyword still cannot achieve relevance, it may be worth excluding — but pausing alone achieves nothing.

Misconception 4: Quality Score applies to all campaign types

Quality Score is a Search campaign metric only. Display, Shopping, Performance Max, and Video campaigns use different quality and relevance signals. Do not apply Search Quality Score logic to these campaign types.

Misconception 5: A high CTR always means a high Quality Score

Expected CTR is normalised for position and other factors. An ad in position 1 naturally receives more clicks than an ad in position 4 — but this positional advantage is accounted for in the expected CTR calculation. Google compares your CTR against others at the same position, not against all advertisers at all positions.

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What is a Google Ads Quality Score?

Google Ads Quality Score is a 1–10 rating assigned to each keyword in your Search campaigns. It reflects the overall quality and relevance of your keyword, ad copy, and landing page — and influences both your cost-per-click and ad position.

How is Quality Score calculated?

Quality Score is calculated from three components: expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience. Each component is rated Above Average, Average, or Below Average compared to other advertisers competing on the same keywords over the previous 90 days.

What is a good Quality Score in Google Ads?

A score of 7 out of 10 or higher is considered good for non-branded keywords. For branded keywords — searches that include your own business or product name — you should typically achieve 9 or 10, as you control the entire user journey for those terms.

Does Quality Score affect how much I pay per click?

Yes, significantly. Your actual CPC is calculated using a formula where your Quality Score sits in the denominator. A higher Quality Score means you pay less per click, even at the same bid level. Advertisers with higher Quality Scores consistently pay 20–50% less per click for equivalent positions.

How quickly can Quality Score improve?

Quality Score updates continuously but requires enough impression data to recalibrate. After making improvements — particularly to ad relevance and landing page experience — you can expect to see score changes within 2 to 4 weeks, depending on your search volume. Higher-volume keywords update faster.

Can a low Quality Score prevent my ads from showing?

Yes. If your Ad Rank falls below the minimum threshold for a given auction — which can happen when Quality Score is very low combined with a low bid — your ad will not enter the auction at all. This means a very poor Quality Score can result in missed impressions, not just higher costs.

Does Quality Score apply to Shopping and Display campaigns?

No. Quality Score is a Search campaign metric only. Shopping, Display, Performance Max, and Video campaigns use different quality and relevance signals that are not expressed as a 1–10 Quality Score in your account.

Should I pause low Quality Score keywords?

Pausing a keyword does not improve your score. The better approach is to diagnose which of the three components is Below Average and address it directly. If the keyword is genuinely irrelevant to your business, removing it is a better option than pausing.

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Quality Score improvements are one of the highest-return activities in paid advertising — but diagnosing the right issues and fixing them in the right order takes experience. At WP Web Tool, our Google Ads management service includes a full Quality Score audit as standard.

• Full Quality Score audit across your account
• Ad group restructuring and keyword consolidation
• Ad copy rewriting for relevance and CTR
• Landing page optimisation recommendations
• Ongoing negative keyword management
• Monthly reporting on score improvements and CPC reductions

If you are unsure where to start, our free PPC audit will identify exactly which keywords and components are dragging your scores down — and give you a clear action plan to fix them.

You can also explore our landing page optimisation service if your landing page experience component is the main issue, or our PPC strategy service if your campaigns need a broader structural review.