Google Ads Quality Score: A Complete Guide

Quality Score is a number from 1 to 10 that Google assigns to each of your keywords in Google Ads. It is either a silent ally or a silent enemy of your budget. A high Quality Score means you pay less per click and appear at the top more often. A low Quality Score means Google pushes your competitors ahead of you, and you end up paying 2 to 5 times more for the same position.

What Makes Up Quality Score · 3 Factors

Google shows your QS on a scale of 1 to 10, plus the reasons behind it broken into 3 sub-scores:

1. Expected CTR (Expected Click-Through Rate)

How likely Google thinks it is that someone will click your ad when it appears for that keyword. Based on your history and the quality of your creative. Statuses: Above Average, Average, Below Average.

2. Ad Relevance

How closely your ad matches the searched query. If you bid on the keyword "AC repair London" but your ad reads "Skok · fast IT services", your ad relevance will be Below Average. Your ad text must contain the key phrases you are targeting.

3. Landing Page Experience

Whether your landing page is relevant to the keyword, fast, mobile-friendly, and has a clear call to action. If you send clicks to a home page covering 10 different services, your landing page experience will be Below Average because visitors have to dig through your site to find what they searched for. (See 10 landing page mistakes that directly lower your Quality Score.)

What a High Quality Score Delivers

• Lower cost per click (up to 50% less)
• Better auction position for the same bid
• Higher Impression Share (the percentage of times your ad is shown)
• Greater chance of appearing in the top 3 ads above organic results

How to Raise Your Quality Score · Factor by Factor

For Expected CTR (the fastest lever)

• Write ad copy that speaks directly to the benefit, not the brand
• Use numbers and concrete offers ('AC repair in 24h', 'From £49')
• Test 3 to 5 headline variations in the same ad group · Google will automatically favour the one with the best CTR
• Add ad extensions: sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets · all of these raise CTR and Google rewards that

For Ad Relevance

• Put the primary keyword in Headline 1 (ideally at the start)
• Put the secondary keyword in Headline 2 or the description
• Organise your campaign into tightly themed ad groups · one ad group = one thematic keyword set (max 10 to 15 keywords)
• Never put 100 keywords into one ad group with the same ad text · ad relevance will drop

For Landing Page Experience

• Send clicks to a DEDICATED landing page for that keyword, not your home page
• The landing page headline must contain the keyword (at minimum a close variant)
• Speed · LCP under 2.5 seconds. A slower site directly lowers QS
• Mobile-friendly · 60%+ of clicks come from phones
• One clear CTA, not 5 buttons competing for attention

For a detailed landing page structure, see our guides on writing a hero section that converts and mobile-first web design · both directly affect your QS.

How to View Your Quality Score · Step by Step

Open Google Ads. Click the Keywords tab. Click the columns icon (Columns) → Modify columns → "Quality Score" section. Add all 4 items:

• Quality Score (the main 1-10 number)
• Expected CTR
• Ad Relevance
• Landing Page Experience

Now for each keyword you can see exactly which of the 3 factors is the problem. Filter by Quality Score < 5 · this is your hit list; every one of those keywords needs to be fixed or paused.

When to Pause a Keyword Instead of Fixing It

Sometimes a Quality Score cannot be improved because the keyword is simply not the right match for your business. If the keyword "computer repair" gives you a QS of 3 because your landing page talks about software development · pause it instead of trying to magically fix it. A reliable rule of thumb: if after 30 days of improvements your QS is still below 5 · that keyword is not for you.

Quality Score is invisible, like a silent business partner · but it controls your campaign budget more than almost any other setting. An hour a week spent on QS optimisation pays back through lower CPCs and more conversions for the same budget.