Understanding Quality Score and Why It Affects Your Ad Costs

Two businesses bid on the same keyword. One pays $3.50 per click. The other pays $7.00. The difference? Quality Score.

This metric directly impacts what you pay for Google Ads and where your ads appear. Understanding it is essential for cost-effective advertising.

What Is Quality Score?

Quality Score is Google’s rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages. It is measured on a scale of 1 to 10.

Google uses Quality Score to determine:

Your ad rank (position on the page)
Whether your ad shows at all
How much you pay per click

A higher Quality Score means lower costs and better positions. A low Quality Score means you pay more for worse placement.

Why Quality Score Matters

Direct Cost Impact

Quality Score affects your actual cost per click through a formula:

Ad Rank = Quality Score x Maximum Bid

The advertiser with the highest Ad Rank gets the top position. But you pay based on the Ad Rank of the advertiser below you divided by your Quality Score.

Practical example:

Competitor has Quality Score 5, bids $4.00. Ad Rank = 20
You have Quality Score 10, bid $2.50. Ad Rank = 25

You win the top position with a lower bid. And you pay less than your maximum because of the formula.

The Real Numbers

Quality Score impact on costs:

Quality Score 10: Pay approximately 50% less than average
Quality Score 7: Pay about average (baseline)
Quality Score 5: Pay approximately 50% more than average
Quality Score 3: Pay approximately 100% more than average

On a $5,000 monthly spend, the difference between Quality Score 5 and Quality Score 9 could be $2,000 or more per month.

Visibility Impact

Low Quality Scores mean:

Lower ad positions
Fewer impressions
Reduced click-through rates
Less traffic for the same budget

Extremely low Quality Scores may prevent your ad from showing at all, regardless of bid.

Components of Quality Score

Google calculates Quality Score from three factors:

Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)

This measures how likely users are to click your ad when shown.

Above Average: Your historical CTR exceeds expectations for this keyword Average: Your CTR meets expectations Below Average: Your CTR falls short

Factors affecting expected CTR:

Ad copy relevance to the search query
Historical performance of this ad and keyword
Your overall account performance history

Ad Relevance

This measures how closely your ad matches the user’s search intent.

Above Average: Your ad directly addresses what users search for Average: Your ad is reasonably relevant Below Average: Your ad seems mismatched to the keyword

Factors affecting ad relevance:

Keyword presence in ad copy
Match between search intent and ad message
Alignment between keyword and ad group theme

Landing Page Experience

This measures the quality and relevance of the page users reach after clicking.

Above Average: Your landing page is highly relevant and user-friendly Average: Your landing page meets basic expectations Below Average: Your landing page disappoints users

Factors affecting landing page experience:

Relevance of page content to the ad and keyword
Page load speed
Mobile friendliness
Ease of navigation
Transparency and trustworthiness

How to Check Quality Score

In Google Ads:

Navigate to Keywords
Click the columns icon
Under “Quality Score” select:
- Quality Score
- Landing Page Experience
- Expected CTR
- Ad Relevance
Apply columns

You can also see historical Quality Score data to track changes over time.

Improving Expected CTR

Write Better Ads

Your ads must compel clicks:

Include the keyword: Searchers look for relevance. Seeing their search term in your ad increases click likelihood.

Focus on benefits: What does the customer gain? Lead with outcomes.

Use specific numbers: “Save 30%” performs better than “Save money.”

Add urgency when appropriate: Limited time offers, limited availability.

Test multiple versions: Create 3-4 ads per ad group. Let data determine the winner.

Tighten Ad Groups

Broad ad groups hurt CTR. If one ad group contains:

Emergency plumber
Drain cleaning
Hot water repairs

You cannot write an ad that is highly relevant to all three.

Split into focused ad groups where every keyword can be directly addressed by the ad copy.

Use All Ad Extensions

Extensions improve ad visibility and click-through rate:

Sitelinks
Callout extensions
Structured snippets
Call extensions
Location extensions

More ad real estate means more clicks.

Improving Ad Relevance

Keyword-Ad Alignment

Your ad must directly address the search.

Poor alignment: Keyword: “emergency plumber Brisbane” Headline: “Quality Plumbing Services”

Good alignment: Keyword: “emergency plumber Brisbane” Headline: “24/7 Emergency Plumber Brisbane”

Single-Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs)

For your most important keywords, create ad groups with one keyword only. This allows perfectly tailored ads.

Use for:

High-volume keywords
High-value keywords
Keywords with lower Quality Scores

Responsive Search Ads

Create responsive search ads with multiple headlines and descriptions. Google tests combinations and learns which perform best for each search.

Include:

8-10 headline variations
3-4 description variations
Keyword variations in headlines
Different angles and benefits

Improving Landing Page Experience

Relevance Is Primary

The page must deliver what the ad promises.

If your ad says: “Free Quote for Roof Repairs” Your page must: Offer a free quote for roof repairs prominently

If your ad says: “Same Day Delivery Available” Your page must: Confirm same day delivery is available

Mismatched landing pages frustrate users and hurt Quality Score.

Page Speed

Slow pages kill conversions and Quality Score.

Target:

Under 3 seconds load time
Core Web Vitals in “Good” range
Mobile-optimised experience

Use Google PageSpeed Insights to diagnose issues.

Mobile Experience

Most searches are mobile. Your landing page must work flawlessly on phones—mobile-first design is essential:

Readable without zooming
Easy tap targets
Fast loading on mobile data
Simple form completion

Trust Signals

Landing pages should demonstrate credibility:

Contact information visible
Business address and phone
Customer reviews
Industry certifications
Privacy policy

Clear Next Steps

What should users do on this page?

Single, clear call to action
Prominent contact form or phone number
Remove distractions and competing options
Make conversion easy

Quick Wins for Quality Score

If you need immediate improvements:

1. Review Low-Scoring Keywords

Filter keywords by Quality Score. Focus on scores below 6 first. These are costing you money.

2. Check Keyword-Ad Match

For each low-scoring keyword, check if your ad copy contains or closely relates to that keyword. If not, create a new ad group with relevant ads.

3. Audit Landing Pages

Visit each landing page. Does it directly address what users searched for? Is it fast? Is it mobile-friendly?

4. Pause Poor Performers

Some keywords may never achieve good Quality Scores due to competition or inherent issues. Consider pausing them rather than paying premium prices.

5. Add Negative Keywords

If you are getting clicks from irrelevant searches, add negative keywords. Poor relevance clicks hurt Quality Score.

Long-Term Quality Score Strategy

Account Structure

Build your account for relevance:

Tightly themed campaigns
Focused ad groups
Keyword-specific landing pages where valuable
Consistent quality across the account

Account-level history affects new keyword Quality Scores. A well-performing account gets the benefit of the doubt on new keywords.

Continuous Testing

Always test:

Ad copy variations
Landing page versions
New keyword opportunities
Bidding strategies

Data-driven decisions compound over time.

Landing Page Investment

Your landing pages are permanent assets. Investment in better landing pages improves Quality Score indefinitely.

Consider:

Dedicated landing pages for major campaigns
A/B testing of page elements
Continuous speed optimisation
User experience improvements

Regular Reviews

Monthly Quality Score reviews:

Identify declining scores early
Spot new opportunities
Track improvement progress
Catch problems before they cost significantly

Common Quality Score Myths

Myth: Quality Score Updates Instantly

Reality: Quality Score updates based on accumulated data. Improvements may take days or weeks to reflect in the score.

Myth: Pausing and Restarting Resets Quality Score

Reality: Google retains historical data. Pausing does not reset your scores.

Myth: Higher Bids Improve Quality Score

Reality: Bids do not affect Quality Score directly. They affect Ad Rank, which determines position, but Quality Score is calculated separately.

Myth: Brand Keywords Always Have High Quality Scores

Reality: Usually yes, but not automatically. You still need relevant ads and landing pages.

When Quality Score Matters Less

Quality Score is not everything:

Branded searches: You may accept lower Quality Scores for defensive branded bidding.

Very low volume keywords: Limited data means limited Quality Score precision.

Testing new markets: Initial Quality Scores may be low while you learn what works.

Strategic positioning: Sometimes position one is worth the extra cost.

Focus on Quality Score for high-volume, ongoing campaigns where efficiency matters most.

The Bottom Line

Quality Score directly affects your advertising costs. The same click costs significantly more or less depending on this score.

Improving Quality Score is not mysterious:

Write ads that match search intent
Create focused, well-organised campaigns
Build landing pages that deliver on ad promises
Ensure fast, mobile-friendly experiences

The investment in Quality Score improvement pays dividends as long as you run Google Ads.

Need help with your Google Ads Quality Score? Platform21 audits underperforming campaigns and implements improvements that reduce costs and increase conversions. Get in touch or explore our Google Ads management for a campaign review.

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