Title: Quality Score
Author: Kriko
Published: Mar 3, 2021
Last modified: Jul 13, 2026

---

 1.  [Home](https://kriko.io/) /
 2.  [Glossary](https://kriko.io/glossary) /
 3.  Q Letter

# Quality Score

**Quality Score** is a diagnostic metric used in Google Ads search campaigns to 
help understand how well a keyword aligns with the ad, landing page and user search
intent. It is shown on a scale from 1 to 10 and is evaluated at the keyword level.
A higher Quality Score indicates that your ad and landing page may be more relevant
and useful to users searching for that keyword compared with other advertisers.

Quality Score should not be treated as a direct performance metric or as a value
used directly in the ad auction. In Google Ads auctions, ad ranking is determined
by many factors, including bid, ad quality, auction-time signals, ad assets and 
competitive conditions. Quality Score is mainly used to understand which areas of
your ads, keywords and landing pages may need improvement. Therefore, it is not 
a success metric on its own, but a diagnostic tool that guides optimisation.

Quality Score is based on three main components: **expected click-through rate**,
ad relevance and landing page experience. Expected click-through rate estimates 
how likely users are to click your ad when it is shown. Ad relevance shows how closely
your ad text matches the intent behind the user’s search. Landing page experience
evaluates how relevant, useful, transparent and usable the page is after the user
clicks the ad.

To improve expected click-through rate, ad copy should be clear, strong and aligned
with user intent. There should be a natural connection between the keyword and the
ad headline, and the solution the user is looking for should be clearly communicated
in the ad text. For example, if a brand selling mother and baby products wants to
appear for the search “organic baby romper”, the ad text should clearly mention 
that product group. However, simply adding high-volume keywords to ads is not enough;
the keyword, ad and landing page should all serve the same intent.

To improve ad relevance, the campaign and ad group structure should be built properly.
Grouping keywords with very different intents under the same ad group can make it
difficult for ad copy to appear sufficiently relevant. Instead, keywords with similar
search intent should be grouped together, and more targeted ad copy should be created
for each group. This helps create a stronger connection between the user’s search
query and the ad message.

Landing page experience is also critical for Quality Score. When users click on 
an ad, they should be able to quickly and easily reach the product, service or information
promised in the ad. The landing page should match the ad message, work well on mobile,
load quickly, build trust and help the user complete the expected action easily.
Long forms, slow loading speed, irrelevant content or unclear information about 
pricing and delivery can weaken the landing page experience.

Negative keywords are also important optimisation tools that support ad quality.
Preventing ads from showing for irrelevant queries helps use budget more efficiently
and match ads with more relevant users. For example, a brand that only sells new
products may add terms such as “second-hand”, “free” or “repair” as negative keywords.
This structure can improve click quality and reduce traffic with low conversion 
potential.

If Quality Score is low, all three components should be reviewed together rather
than focusing on only one area. If expected click-through rate is low, ad copy, 
offer strength and ad assets can be reviewed. If ad relevance is low, keyword grouping
and ad messaging can be restructured. If landing page experience is low, page speed,
content relevance, mobile usability, trust signals and conversion flow can be improved.

In summary, **Quality Score** is an important diagnostic indicator that helps evaluate
ad quality in Google Ads search campaigns. When interpreted correctly, it shows 
which keywords, ad texts or landing pages may need improvement. However, Quality
Score alone does not determine campaign success; it should be evaluated together
with business outcomes such as conversion rate, CPA, ROAS, lead quality, revenue
and profitability.

## Discover it in the dictionary

###  Business to Business (B2B)

Business to Business, commonly abbreviated as B2B, is a business model in which 
companies offer their products or services to other companies. In this…

###  Redirection Responses: 3xx

3xx status codes are the group of HTTP status codes that indicate redirection or
reuse-related responses. When a user tries to access a web…

###  Information Architecture

Information architecture refers to the organization of content in a website, mobile
application, intranet, e-commerce platform or any physical or digital information
system so…

###  Data Modelling

Data modelling is the process of creating models that define an organisation’s data,
the relationships between different data elements and the way information will…

###  Doorway Pages

Doorway pages are low-quality pages created to gain visibility in search engines
for specific queries, while offering little real value to users and mainly…

###  Crowdsourced Content

Crowdsourced content refers to content, ideas, data, designs or solutions created
with contributions from a wider community rather than a single internal team. This…

###  Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is an observation and prioritization
approach suggesting that a large share of outcomes often comes…

###  Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Customer Acquisition Cost, commonly abbreviated as CAC, is an important marketing
and finance metric that shows the average cost a business spends to acquire…

###  Mobile-Friendly Content

Mobile-friendly content refers to website content that is easy to read, fast to 
load and simple to use on mobile devices such as smartphones…

## Track the digital heartbeat  with Kriko

Subscribe to receive curated insights, news, and ideas shaping the digital landscape.

  By checking this box, you acknowledge and accept our [privacy policy](https://kriko.io/privacy-policy).