Many advertisers think higher bids equal better ad rankings—but in reality, your Google Ads Quality Score plays just as critical a role. Quality Score is Google’s diagnostic tool that measures the relevance and performance of your ads, keywords, and landing pages on a 1–10 scale. A higher score leads to better placements and lower cost-per-click.

Google calculates Quality Score using three main factors:

• Expected CTR – How likely users are to click your ad

• Ad Relevance – How well your ad matches the user’s search intent

• Landing Page Experience – How useful and relevant your landing page is

There are several types of Quality Score to consider:

1. Account-Level – Influences how new ads perform based on historical data

2. Ad Group-Level – Average Quality Score across an ad group

3. Keyword-Level – Directly impacts CPC and is shown in the Ads dashboard

4. Ad-Level – Related to how well an individual ad performs

5. Landing Page-Level – Reflects the user experience on your site

6. Display Network Score – Used for campaigns running across Google Display Network

Improving your score means:

• Using specific, long-tail keywords

• Writing ads that match keyword intent

• Creating relevant, fast-loading landing pages

• Adding negative keywords

• Testing ad copy and using ad extensions

A high Quality Score benefits advertisers by lowering CPC, improving ROI, and giving small businesses a fighting chance in competitive markets. Google rewards advertisers that prioritize user experience—and that starts by making your ads useful and relevant.