Quality Score is a rating system used by Google to determine the quality and the relevance of pay-per-click ads and keywords. Google uses this rating to calculate your cost per click (PPC) and it is multiplied by the highest bid you are willing to make in order to determine the rank of an ad in an ad auction. In this article, we’ll provide a more in-depth assessment of the Quality Score in Google Adwords.
If your goal is to become an expert in pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, there are a lot of things you are going to need to know. Of all these things, having a firm understanding of Google Adwords Quality Score is one of the most important. Why? – Because your Quality Score has a tremendous amount of influence on the cost and effectiveness of a paid search campaign. Just like your credit score will determine whether or not you qualify for a new credit card and the amount your interest rate will be, your Quality Score has a direct impact on how well your PPC ads will perform, as well as the amount you are going to have to pay for every click.
Quality Score Defined
Essentially, a Quality Score is exactly what it sounds like: It’s a rating system used by Google to determine the quality and the relevance of your keywords and your ads. In the most basic terms, this rating system is used to determine how well your ads are meeting the needs of customers. In order for your ads to meet customer needs, they have to offer value and be relevant.
Quality Score is used to calculate your cost per click on your adwords account and is multiplied by your maximum bid. This information is used to determine the rank of your ad in the ad auction process. Several factors are taken into consideration when determining a Quality Score. Some of these factors include:
- Your click-through rate (CTR).
- How relevant keywords are to their ad groups.
- The quality and relevance of your landing page.
- How relevant your ad copy is.
- The historical performance if your adwords account.
Only those within Google know the exact weight of each of these factors and how they affect a Quality Score. However, it is known that click through rate is most important factor of them all. That’s because when a lot of people who see your ad actually click on it, Google sees it as a sign that your ctr ads are relevant and useful to users. As a way to reward you, Google provides you with:
- Higher rankings for your ads
- Lower costs
Advantages of Improving Your Google Adwords Quality Score
Your Google Adwords Quality Score has a direct impact on the success of your pay-per-click (PPC) campaign. By improving your Quality Score, you can get a better return on your investment because your ads will be seen more. Moreover, a high Quality Score means you’ll pay less for cost per conversion. Cost per conversion refers to the amount you pay whenever someone takes the specific action you intend for them to take.
For example:
- filling out a survey,
- signing up for a mailing list,
- purchasing a product.
Not all clicks translate to conversions, so cost per conversion is usually more than cost per click. In order to keep your expenses down and have your ads seen more, it’s important to improve your Quality Score.
How can you improve Quality Score? Below, you’ll find some helpful tips that will allow you to boost your Quality Score so you can take advantage of the rewards that Google offers for higher scores.
Keyword Relevance
One of the most important things you can do to improve your Quality Score is to improve the relevance of your keywords. To do that, ensure that you are focusing on the keywords that are the most appropriate for your specific ad campaign. Keywords that have are an exact match for your ad campaign will obviously be the most relevant. Steer clear of negative keywords, as you’ll end up spending money on keywords that won’t do anything for your ad campaign. Moreover, they can lower your clickthrough rate and bring your Quality Score down. Also, don’t forget about long-tail keywords because they can attract a large amount of highly targeted traffic to your ads.
Improve Your Landing Pages
Your landing pages are just as important as keywords. If you want to bring your Quality Score up, your landing pages need to be highly relevant. Users should experience a smooth transition when they click on an ad and are directed to a landing page. In other words, they should seamlessly link the initial search to the conversion. In order to do that, keep these tips in mind when optimizing your landing pages:
- Ensure they contain original, useful, and relevant ad copy.
- Make sure they are transparent and trustworthy.
- They should be easy to navigate and have a strong UX / US.
- Make them mobile-friendly.
- Ensure they load quickly.
- Make sure all links they contain are working properly.
A good landing page will make Google happy, and in return, they will reward your ad campaign. Additionally, a properly optimized landing page will increase your conversion rate, which is your primary goal.
Improve Click Through Rate Percentages
As mentioned, click through rate (CTR) is the most important factor that Google takes into consideration when determining a Quality Score. That’s because it’s a clear indicator to the search engine that your ads are helpful, relevant, and appealing to users. Therefore, if you want to improve your Quality Score, you want to improve your CTR.
One of the most effective way to improve your CTR is by improving your ad copy. Make sure that it is
- captivating,
- attention-grabbing,
- useful,
- and relevant.
The better your ad copy is, the more users will be inclined to click on your ads over competitors ads that are displayed.
The ad copy should be relevant to both the keywords, as well as the landing page. For instance, if your keyword is “New York SEO company”, but SEO is nowhere to be found in your ad copy, your Quality Score will be lowered. Makes sense, right?
Historical Performance of Your Adwords Account
Like a bad credit rating can impact your ability to obtain a loan, the historical performance of your Adwords Account can impact your Quality Score. Historically, if you have low Quality Score, Google will more than likely penalize your current Quality Score. This might seem a bit unfair, particularly if you have had bad scores in the past but are trying to improve them, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
Historical performance also applies to newer accounts. Google is more inclined to have faith in ads that come from established accounts that have a strong history of performing well than a new account that has little to no history. Have patience, however, and ensure the historical performance of your account is in good standing; Google will eventually reward you by increasing your Quality Score.
A Better Ad Rank
Though Ad Rank doesn’t really improve your Quality Score, as a better Quality Score helps to improve your Ad Rank, it is still important to mention. That’s because if you want to master PPC, you really need to look at the whole picture and not just your Quality Score.
Your Ad Rank will determine the position of your ad in the SERPs. Google takes your maximum bid amount, your Quality Score, and the projected performance of your campaign into consideration when determining your Ad Rank.
Causes of a Low Google Adwords Quality Score
Low Quality Scores are usually the result of some type of disconnect between
- keywords,
- ad groups,
- ad copy,
- and the content on a landing page.
All of these things need to flow smoothly in order to receive a good Quality Score.
Though there isn’t one specific formula that you can follow to improve your Quality Score, taking the advice mentioned above into consideration will certainly help you achieve your goal.
