The Ultimate Guide to Improving Google Ads Quality Score: 10 Proven Strategies

In the competitive world of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, simply having the biggest budget doesn't guarantee the top spot on Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Google’s ecosystem is built on a fundamental principle: Relevance.

To ensure users find exactly what they are looking for, Google employs a metric known as Quality Score. Understanding and optimizing this score is the difference between a high-performing campaign that generates cheap leads and a "money pit" that drains your marketing budget. In this guide, we will dive deep into the mechanics of Quality Score and provide ten actionable strategies to skyrocket your performance.

Decoding Quality Score

What Exactly is Quality Score?

Quality Score is Google’s diagnostic tool—a rating on a scale of 1 to 10—used to measure the quality and relevance of both your keywords and your PPC ads. It is essentially Google telling you how much they "like" your ad compared to other advertisers bidding on the same keywords.

A score of 1/10 is a red flag, indicating a complete disconnect between what the user wants and what you are offering. A 10/10 means you have achieved the "Holy Grail" of PPC: a perfect alignment between search intent, ad copy, and landing page content.

The Mathematics of Ad Rank

Why does this score matter so much? Because it is a primary variable in the Ad Rank formula. Ad Rank determines your position on the page.

$$Ad Rank = Maximum CPC Bid \times Quality Score$$

This formula proves that an advertiser with a lower bid but a higher Quality Score can actually outrank a competitor who is willing to pay more. This levels the playing field for small businesses and rewards those who focus on the user experience.

How is it Calculated?

Google doesn't just pull a number out of thin air. It looks at three specific components, each weighted differently:

Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR): The probability that your ad will be clicked.

Ad Relevance: How closely your ad text matches the user's search query.

Landing Page Experience: How helpful, fast, and transparent your website is once the user clicks.

Why Quality Score is Your Secret Weapon

Improving your score isn't just about "looking good" for Google; it has direct financial benefits:

Lower Cost Per Click (CPC): Google rewards high-quality advertisers with a "discount." You pay less to maintain the same position as someone with a lower score.

Lower Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): If you pay less for the click and your landing page is highly relevant (leading to more conversions), your overall cost to acquire a customer drops significantly.

Better Ad Positions: Higher scores help your ads appear in the top spots or even the "absolute top" of the page, where CTRs are highest.

Eligibility for Ad Assets: Certain ad extensions and formats only appear if you meet a minimum quality threshold.

10 Ways to Improve Your Quality Score

1. Granular Keyword Research and Review

The foundation of a high Quality Score is keyword relevance. If you are bidding on broad terms that don't specifically relate to your product, your CTR will suffer.

Action: Use "Exact Match" and "Phrase Match" to maintain control. Audit your keyword list weekly to pause low-performing terms that have a Quality Score of 3 or below.

2. Crafting a Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA)

Expected CTR is the heaviest weighted component of Quality Score.If people see your ad but don't click, Google assumes your ad isn't relevant. A strong CTA tells the user exactly what to do next.

Action: Move beyond "Click Here." Use action-oriented phrases like "Get a Free Quote," "Download Your Guide," or "Book Your 20% Discount Today."

3. Maximize Ad Assets (Extensions)

Ad assets (formerly extensions) increase the physical size of your ad. Larger ads are more visible and generally have higher CTRs.

Action: Implement Sitelink Assets, Call Assets, and Structured Snippets. These provide more "entry points" for the user and improve the overall perceived quality of the ad.

4. Leveraging Visuals with Image Assets

In 2026, the visual nature of search is more prominent than ever. Adding high-quality images to your text ads can significantly boost engagement.

Action: Upload images that show your product in use or your team at work. Ensure they are high-resolution and relevant to the specific keyword group.

5. Perfecting Ad Relevance through Headline Optimization

Your headline is the first thing a user sees. If it doesn't contain the keyword they searched for, they will likely skip over it.

Action: Use Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) sparingly, but more importantly, ensure your "Headline 1" mirrors the user's intent. If they search for "Emergency Plumber London," your headline should say "Emergency Plumber London - 24/7 Service."

6. The Power of Negative Keywords

Quality Score is just as much about where you don't show up as where you do. If your ad shows for irrelevant searches (e.g., someone looking for a "free" version of your paid service), your CTR will plummet.

Action: Build a robust negative keyword list. Filter out terms like "jobs," "reviews," "free," or "cheap" if they don't apply to your business model.

7. Organizing Highly Themed Ad Groups

One of the biggest mistakes in Google Ads is "Keyword Stuffing" an ad group. If you have 50 different keywords in one group, you can't possibly write an ad that is relevant to all of them.

Action: Use Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) or tightly themed groups of 3-5 keywords. This allows you to write hyper-specific ad copy for every search.

8. Mobile-First Landing Page Optimization

Over 60% of searches happen on mobile. If your landing page takes too long to load or

is hard to navigate on a smartphone, Google will penalize your "Landing Page Experience" score.

Action: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool. Ensure buttons are "thumb-friendly" and forms are short and easy to fill out on a small screen.

9. Drastically Improving Site Speed

In the world of PPC, every millisecond counts. A delay of just two seconds can increase your bounce rate by over 80%.

Action: Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN). Google loves pages that load in under 1.5 seconds.

10. Aligning Ad Copy with Landing Page Content

Google’s crawlers look for "scent." They want to see the same keywords and promises on the landing page that were made in the ad.

Action: If your ad promises a "30% Discount," that offer should be the first thing the user sees on the landing page. Ensure the H1 tag of your landing page matches the Headline of your ad.

Advanced Monitoring

Quality Score is not a "set it and forget it" metric. It is dynamic. You should monitor your "Status" columns in Google Ads, specifically looking at:

Expected CTR

Ad Relevance

Landing Page Experience

Each will be labeled as Above Average, Average, or Below Average. Target the "Below Average" areas first for the quickest ROI.

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What Professionals Often Want to Know

1. Does Quality Score affect my organic SEO? No, Quality Score is strictly a Google Ads (PPC) metric. However, the improvements you make to site speed and landing page relevance for your ads will naturally benefit your organic SEO.

2. What is a "good" Quality Score? A score of 7/10 is generally considered the industry benchmark for "good." Scores of 8, 9, or 10 are excellent and provide significant cost savings.

3. How long does it take for Quality Score to update? While you may see daily fluctuations, it typically takes a few days to a week of consistent traffic for Google to recalibrate your score after you've made significant changes.

4. Will increasing my bid improve my Quality Score? No. Bidding more will improve your Ad Rank, but it has zero impact on your Quality Score.

5. Why is my Quality Score "Not Applicable" (—)? This usually happens with new keywords that haven't received enough impressions or clicks for Google to calculate an accurate score.

6. Does the historical performance of my account matter? Yes, Google takes your account's historical CTR into account when calculating "Expected CTR" for new keywords.

7. Does the landing page URL matter? The display URL should be relevant to the keyword, but the actual "Final URL" experience is what impacts the score.

8. Can I have a 10/10 Quality Score with a slow website? It is extremely difficult. Landing page experience is a core pillar; if your site is slow, you will likely be capped at a 5 or 6.

9. Are negative keywords used in the calculation? Indirectly. By using negative keywords, you prevent irrelevant impressions, which naturally raises your CTR—a key component of the score.

10. Do ad assets (extensions) directly increase Quality Score? Google states that ad assets help improve CTR, which is a major factor in the calculation, so yes, they have a positive impact.

11. Is Quality Score the same for Display Ads? No, Quality Score is primarily a Search Network metric. Display Ads use different quality signals.

12. Should I delete keywords with a low Quality Score? If you have optimized the ad and landing page and the score remains at 1 or 2, it’s often best to pause them as they drag down your account's average.

13. Does the use of "HTTPS" affect the score? Yes, security is a factor in "Landing Page Experience." Secure sites are preferred.

14. Can I see my Quality Score at the Campaign level? Quality Score is reported at the Keyword level. You can see averages at higher levels using custom columns or scripts.

15. How often should I check my scores? For active campaigns, a weekly check is recommended to catch any sudden drops in relevance or performance.