Quality Score remains one of the most misunderstood — and most impactful — levers in Google Ads. A single-point improvement can reduce your CPC by 16% and boost your ad position simultaneously. This guide covers the three pillars of Quality Score and the specific tactics we use to push client scores above 8/10 consistently.
What Quality Score Actually Measures
Quality Score is Google's 1–10 rating of the overall quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. It's calculated from three components:
- Expected click-through rate (CTR) — how likely users are to click your ad.
- Ad relevance — how closely your ad matches the searcher's intent.
- Landing page experience — how useful and relevant your landing page is to users who click.
Each component is rated "Below average," "Average," or "Above average." Your combined score directly affects your Ad Rank and the CPC you pay.
Improving Expected Click-Through Rate
Expected CTR is the most heavily weighted component. Google predicts how likely your ad is to be clicked based on historical performance and query context.
- Mirror the search query in your headline — dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) helps but isn't always best.
- Use specific numbers — "Save 23%" outperforms "Save money" consistently.
- Test responsive search ads (RSAs) with 8–10 headline variations to find top performers.
- Add all relevant extensions — sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets increase visual real estate and CTR.
Maximising Ad Relevance
Ad relevance measures semantic match between keyword and ad copy. The fix is straightforward but requires discipline:
- Tighter ad groups — 5–15 closely related keywords per ad group maximum.
- Keyword in headlines — your primary keyword should appear in at least one headline.
- Match intent, not just words — if the keyword implies comparison, your ad should reference comparison content.
We restructured a legal client's account from 12 ad groups to 47 and saw Quality Scores jump from 5–6 to 8–9 within three weeks. Read our Google Ads management approach.
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Get a Free Ads AuditLanding Page Experience That Converts
Google evaluates your landing page on relevance, load speed, navigation, and transparency. This component also directly impacts conversion rate.
- Message match — headline and offer on the landing page must match the ad promise exactly.
- Page speed — target under 2 seconds load time. Every additional second costs 7% in conversions.
- Mobile optimisation — over 60% of paid clicks are mobile. Test on real devices.
- Clear CTA — single, prominent call-to-action above the fold.
Our landing page design service builds pages specifically optimised for paid traffic Quality Score.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly does Quality Score update?
Quality Score updates as Google collects impression data. Significant changes typically appear within 1–2 weeks of making optimisations, though the underlying ad rank calculation updates in real-time.
Does Quality Score affect Performance Max campaigns?
Performance Max doesn't show Quality Scores directly, but the same relevance signals influence asset performance and auction dynamics. The principles still apply.
Ready to Lower Your CPC and Increase Conversions?
Digitly manages Google Ads programmes that consistently achieve 8+ Quality Scores. Let us do the same for your campaigns.
Get a Free Marketing AuditPriya Mehta
Paid Media Director, Digitly
Priya manages paid media programmes across Google, Meta and LinkedIn. 10+ years driving ROI for B2B and e-commerce brands globally.
