The Complete Guide to Google Ads Quality Score: How to Achieve 10/10
Quality Score directly impacts your CPCs and ad positions. Learn the three components, how Google calculates it, and proven strategies to improve it.
What Is Google Ads Quality Score and Why It Matters
Quality Score is Google's rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. Scored from 1-10, it directly influences your cost-per-click and ad position in auction.
Here's why it matters: A Quality Score of 10 can reduce your CPC by up to 50% compared to a score of 5. Conversely, a Quality Score of 1 can increase your costs by 400%.
For advertisers spending significant budget on [Google Ads management](/services/google-ads), Quality Score optimization represents one of the highest-ROI activities available.
The Three Components of Quality Score
1. Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Google predicts how likely your ad is to be clicked based on historical performance. This assessment is independent of ad position, meaning Google normalizes for where your ad appears.
How to Improve Expected CTR:
- Use relevant keywords in ad headlines
- Include strong calls-to-action
- Leverage ad extensions to increase real estate
- Test multiple ad variations continuously
- Use dynamic keyword insertion strategically
2. Ad Relevance
This measures how closely your ad matches the intent behind a user's search. Google analyzes whether your ad copy addresses what the searcher is looking for.
How to Improve Ad Relevance:
- Create tightly themed ad groups (10-20 keywords max)
- Mirror exact keyword phrases in ad headlines
- Match search intent with ad messaging
- Use single keyword ad groups (SKAGs) for high-value terms
- Write ads that directly answer the query
3. Landing Page Experience
Google evaluates whether your landing page provides a good experience for users who click your ad. This includes content relevance, navigation ease, and page speed.
How to Improve Landing Page Experience:
- Ensure landing page content matches ad promises
- Optimize page load speed (under 3 seconds)
- Make pages mobile-friendly
- Provide clear navigation and next steps
- Include original, valuable content
Quality Score Optimization Strategy
Step 1: Audit Current Quality Scores
Pull a keyword report including Quality Score columns. Identify:
- Keywords with Quality Score below 6 (immediate attention needed)
- Keywords with Quality Score of 6-7 (optimization opportunities)
- Keywords with Quality Score of 8+ (protect and scale)
Step 2: Restructure Low-Performing Ad Groups
Poor Quality Scores often stem from bloated ad groups with loosely related keywords. Restructure by:
- Creating dedicated ad groups for each theme
- Moving branded terms to separate campaigns
- Separating high-volume keywords into their own ad groups
Step 3: Ad Copy A/B Testing
Run continuous ad tests with:
- Headline variations featuring primary keywords
- Different benefit/feature emphasis
- Various calls-to-action
- Emotional vs. rational appeals
Step 4: Landing Page Optimization
For keywords with low landing page experience scores:
- Create dedicated landing pages for high-value keywords
- Improve page speed (compress images, minimize code)
- Ensure mobile responsiveness
- Add relevant content that addresses search intent
Common Quality Score Mistakes
Using Generic Landing Pages
Sending all traffic to your homepage or a generic page hurts landing page experience. Create specific pages for specific keyword themes.
Neglecting Mobile Experience
With most searches happening on mobile, a poor mobile experience tanks Quality Scores. Test your pages on actual mobile devices.
Ignoring Negative Keywords
Irrelevant clicks hurt CTR, which hurts Quality Score. Aggressive negative keyword management is essential.
Too Many Keywords Per Ad Group
Ad groups with 50+ keywords can't have relevant ads for every term. Smaller, tighter groups enable better relevance.
Quality Score and Automated Bidding
If you're using [Smart Bidding strategies](/blog/google-ads-smart-bidding-mistakes), Quality Score still matters. While automated bidding handles auction-time adjustments, your baseline costs are still influenced by Quality Score. Higher scores give you a better starting position.
The Bottom Line
Quality Score isn't just a metric—it's a tax on relevance. Advertisers who invest in optimization pay less for the same traffic and can often achieve better positions.
Focus on creating tight keyword groups, writing relevant ads, and building landing pages that deliver on your ad's promise. The improvement in costs typically happens within 2-4 weeks as Google reassesses your Quality Scores.
Need help optimizing your Quality Scores? Our [Google Ads management team](/services/google-ads) includes Quality Score optimization as a core part of our service.
