Quality Score
Google AdsDefinition
Quality Score is Google Ads' 1-10 rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. It directly affects your cost per click and ad position in the auction.
Quality Score is built from three components: expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. Each component is rated Above Average, Average, or Below Average.
Google uses Quality Score as a multiplier in the ad auction. A keyword with a score of 8 can achieve the same position as a competitor with a score of 4 at roughly half the CPC.
When a user searches, Google evaluates all eligible ads by multiplying each bid by Quality Score to produce Ad Rank. Higher Ad Rank wins better positions. Because Quality Score multiplies your bid, improving it is equivalent to increasing your budget.
Quality Score is the single biggest lever for reducing CPCs in Google Ads. Advertisers with consistently high Quality Scores pay 30-50% less per click than competitors with average scores, while achieving better positions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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7 or above is good. Branded keywords typically score 8-10. Non-branded competitive keywords scoring 6-7 are solid. Below 5 needs attention.
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Quality Score is reported for Search keywords. Shopping uses product data quality. Performance Max and Display do not show a numeric Quality Score.
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Ad copy changes can affect expected CTR within days. Landing page improvements may take 1-2 weeks to reflect. Google re-evaluates with each auction.
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