Google Ads Quality Score explained
Updated
Quick answer: Quality Score is a 1–10 rating Google gives each keyword, based on three components: expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Each component is rated above average, average or below average compared with other advertisers whose ads showed for the exact same search over the last 90 days. Google calls it a diagnostic tool, not a performance target, and says the score itself is not an input in the ad auction. A low score points you to which of the three things to fix (Google's Quality Score help page).
The three components
| Component | What it measures | How to improve it |
|---|---|---|
| Expected clickthrough rate | How likely your ad is to be clicked when it shows | Put the searcher's words in the headline, make the offer specific, and add relevant assets (sitelinks, callouts) |
| Ad relevance | How closely your ad matches the intent behind the search | Split broad ad groups into tight themes so each ad speaks to one set of keywords |
| Landing page experience | How relevant and useful your page is to people who click | Send each ad group to the page that answers that search, make it fast and easy to use on mobile, and keep it consistent with the ad |
How to see your Quality Score
- In Google Ads, open Campaigns → Keywords.
- Select the columns icon, then Modify columns.
- Open the Quality score section and add Quality Score, Exp. CTR, Ad relevance and Landing page exp.
A "—" in the column means there weren't enough searches that exactly match the keyword to calculate a score yet.
What counts as a low score?
There is no official cut-off, but a score of 4 or below usually means at least one component is rated below average, so there is a clear fix to make. ClearSpend's audit flags keywords at 4 or below for that reason. Look at the three component columns rather than the single number: they tell you whether the problem is the ad, the keyword grouping or the page.
Things that don't change Quality Score
- Switching match types. Google says the score is based on exact-match searches for the keyword, so changing match type won't change it.
- Optimizing the number itself. Google recommends treating it as a diagnostic rather than a KPI or averaging it across the account.
Why it still matters
The number isn't used in the auction, but the ad quality it reflects is part of how Google ranks ads (about Ad Rank). Improving expected CTR, relevance and landing pages tends to improve where your ads show and what you pay, which is why low-scoring keywords are worth a look in any audit.
To find them across a whole account at once, export your keywords report and run the free ClearSpend audit.