Every keyword in your Google Ads account has a score out of 10 that most advertisers never look at. It is called Quality Score, and it is Google’s way of telling you how relevant and useful your ads are compared with everyone else’s. A low score usually means you are paying more than you need to for every click.

This guide explains Google Ads Quality Score for beginners: what it is, how Google works it out, how much it affects your costs, and the three fixes that make the biggest difference in the accounts we take on.

What is Google Ads Quality Score?

Quality Score is a rating from 1 to 10 that Google gives each keyword in your search campaigns. It is a diagnostic tool: it shows how well your keyword, ad and landing page match what people are searching for, compared with other advertisers bidding on the same keyword.

• 7 to 10: good. Your ads are relevant and your landing page delivers.
• 5 to 6: average. There is room to improve.
• 1 to 4: poor. Something is not matching up, and you are likely paying more per click as a result.

How Google calculates Quality Score

Quality Score is based on three parts, each rated “Below average”, “Average” or “Above average”:

1. Expected click-through rate (CTR): how likely people are to click your ad when it shows for that keyword, compared with other advertisers.
2. Ad relevance: how closely your ad matches what the person searched for.
3. Landing page experience: how relevant, useful and easy to use your landing page is for people who click.

You can see your Quality Score and its three parts by adding the Quality Score columns to your Keywords view in Google Ads.

Why Quality Score matters

Quality Score is not used directly in the auction, but the same things that drive it also drive your Ad Rank, which decides whether your ad shows, where it shows and how much you pay. In practice:

• Higher quality usually means lower costs. Advertisers with more relevant ads and better landing pages can often pay less per click than competitors for the same position.
• It affects where you appear. Better quality can help you appear higher, even against competitors with bigger budgets.
• It shows you where to look. The three parts tell you whether the problem is the ad, the click-through rate or the landing page.

But here is the important balance: Quality Score is a useful sign, not the goal. An account full of 10s that brings in no enquiries is still a poor account. Use Quality Score to cut your costs, and judge the campaign on cost per lead or sale.

The three fixes that work in the accounts we take on

At Delivered Social, many of the Google Ads accounts we take over have low Quality Scores across the board. Three changes fix most of them.

1. Tighter ad groups

The most common problem is ad groups stuffed with dozens of loosely related keywords, all sharing the same two or three ads. An ad cannot be relevant to “emergency plumber”, “bathroom fitting” and “boiler service” at the same time.

We split these into tighter ad groups, each built around one theme, with ads written for that theme. Ad relevance and click-through rate both improve, and so does the Quality Score.

2. Better landing pages

Many accounts send every click to the home page. Someone searching for “boiler repair Guildford” lands on a page about everything the business does and has to hunt for what they wanted.

A landing page that matches the ad, loads quickly, works well on mobile and makes it easy to call or enquire improves landing page experience, and usually improves conversion rate too. Our guide to high-performing landing page elements covers what to include.

3. Negative keywords

When an account has no negative keywords, ads show for all sorts of irrelevant searches: jobs, free versions, DIY guides, competitor names and services you do not offer. People do not click those ads, so click-through rate falls and Quality Score drops with it.

Reviewing the search terms report and adding negative keywords stops the wasted spend and lifts click-through rate on the searches that matter.

Other ways to improve your Quality Score

• Use the keyword in your ad. Include the main keyword, or a close variation, in at least one headline.
• Write ads people want to click. Clear offers, prices, reviews and calls to action all help click-through rate.
• Use ad assets. Sitelinks, callouts and call assets make ads bigger and more useful.
• Speed up your landing page. Slow pages hurt both landing page experience and conversions.
• Pause poor performers. Keywords with persistently low scores and no conversions are often not worth keeping.

Common Quality Score myths

• “A 10/10 is the goal.” It is not. Leads and sales are the goal. Some profitable keywords have average scores.
• “Quality Score is the same for every match type.” It is reported at keyword level, but what really counts is how relevant you are for each individual search.
• “Pausing an ad group resets Quality Score.” It does not. Google judges relevance as searches happen.
• “Bidding more improves Quality Score.” It does not. Bids and quality are separate.

How to check your Quality Score

1. In Google Ads, go to Keywords.
2. Click the Columns icon and choose Modify columns.
3. Under Quality Score, add Quality Score, Expected CTR, Ad relevance and Landing page experience.
4. Sort by spend to see which low-scoring keywords cost you the most.

Start with the keywords that spend the most and have the lowest scores. That is where improvements save the most money.

Frequently asked questions about Google Ads Quality Score

What is a good Quality Score in Google Ads?

7 or above is good. 5 to 6 is average. Below 5 suggests a problem with your ad, click-through rate or landing page.

Does Quality Score affect cost per click?

Indirectly, yes. The factors behind Quality Score feed into Ad Rank, and higher quality can mean paying less for the same position.

How long does it take to improve Quality Score?

Changes to ads and landing pages can show in the score within days or weeks, as Google collects new data.

Why does my keyword show no Quality Score?

It does not have enough searches or impressions yet. Google shows a score once there is enough data.

Is Quality Score the same as Ad Rank?

No. Ad Rank decides your position in each auction. Quality Score is a summary tool that reflects some of the same quality signals.

Use Quality Score to spend less, not as a vanity number

Google Ads Quality Score is one of the clearest signs of whether your account is well built. Tighter ad groups, better landing pages and good negative keywords fix most low scores, and usually lower your costs too. Just remember that the real measure of success is the leads and sales your ads bring in.

If your scores are low and costs are high, our Google Ads team can audit your account. Our guide on choosing a PPC agency may also help. Get in touch, or find more practical guides on the Delivered Social website.