Did you know that every Google Ad published has an associated quality score? Probably not! How about the fact that Google Ads Quality Score can directly impact the visibility of your ads and how much they cost per click? No?
Don’t worry – many businesses unless they hire Google Ads agency to work with are unaware of nuances like the Google Ads Quality Score. This is where we come in and use our expert knowledge to explain what it is and how to improve the quality score on Google Ads below.
What is Quality Score in Google Ads?
User Experience + Keyword Relevance + Expected CTR = Quality Score
That is essentially the basic formula that Google uses. This formula is used to calculate your CPC (cost per click) and your ad ranking based on multiplying this by your maximum bid amount.
It is the way that Google determines which ads they should display so as you can see it is incredibly important. Factors that affect Google Ads Quality Score include:
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Keyword relevance to the ad.
- Quality and relevance of the landing page the ad points to.
- Quality and relevance of your ad copy.
- Your Google Ads account performance and history.
We do not know the exact contributing percentages or the weight Google gives to each of these factors – they keep it a closely guarded secret. However, it is generally known that CTR is the most important factor.
What are the Benefits of a High Quality Score?
So why should you care about quality scores? The underlying fact is that there is a direct relationship between quality score and Google Ad success so you can’t ignore it. Specific benefits resulting from this include:
Improved Return on Investment
The main benefit is the return on investment. If your ads have a higher quality score, they are more likely to be displayed and thus have a greater chance of making conversions.
It’s simple business – you are making a higher quality ad that has more relevance and desirability so Google helps out by pushing your ad, and you get more customers as a result, amazing!
High Ad Ranks and Lower PPC Costs
Not only do you make an improved ROI from the visibility, but a higher quality score results in Google giving you financial benefits in the form of a lower cost per click and a lower cost per conversion rate. The better your ads are, the less you pay, fantastic!
How to Improve Quality Score on Google Ads?
You can now see that quality score is big news and it’s something you should strive to improve, but how do you do this? Although the exact calculation and weightings are unknown, techniques and practices have been devised to improve quality scores including:
Effective keyword research
Google takes into account the relevance of your keywords to the ad subject. It makes sense, therefore, that keyword research is incredibly important and you must try to select the best keywords for your ads.
You should strive to find a mix of high-ranking short-term keywords together with a range of less competitive long-tail keywords that contribute to your ads and drive the right type of customers to your landing pages.
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to delve into the wealth of available keywords relating to your ads and to find out which ones are more successful or easier to rank for. The more research and analysis you can do to find the right keywords, the higher your Google Quality Score should be.
Refine Google Ads copy
Ad copy is the written content in your adverts and Google gives high importance to it when determining your Google Ads Quality Score.
You should test multiple iterations of ad copy and see which yields the best results. Ideally, the copy must be relevant to the ad subject, engaging, include a call to action, and appeal to your target audience.
If you can create interesting, relevant ad copy that targets your ideal customers this should contribute to a high quality score. Of course, make sure that your grammar and spelling are perfect too!
Create optimized landing pages
The landing page is the web page that users are directed to from the Google Ad when they click a link. Google analyses landing pages and their suitability and relevance to your ad content and takes this into consideration when calculating your quality score.
Landing pages should be SEO optimized for the keywords used in your ads. You should also follow common landing page practices in terms of layout, loading speeds, and content. The aim is to provide a streamlined and engaging experience for your customers that has a direct relationship to the content of your ad.
For example, you wouldn’t create a Google Ad pushing a new product that then directs the customer to a landing page for your email newsletter signup. The two are not related and this would result in a poor quality score – your ad probably wouldn’t even get approved initially!
Consider the use of negative keywords
Negative keywords are proven to be incredibly effective at controlling your budget and making your ads more efficient.
These are keywords that you DON’T want your ads to rank for. There is an entire section on Google Ads dedicated to negative keywords.
By creating negative keyword lists you can stop your budget from being spent on useless keyword strings that will never generate conversions. This ultimately helps your Google Ads quality score too.
Understanding Google Ads Quality Score is Your Gateway to PPC Success
It’s essential that you understand how Quality Score works and the impact it has on your PPC ads. It not only shows how your ads are performing but also has a direct impact on their visibility and how much they cost to run.
Ideally, you should always try and make improvements to boost your quality score and think about aspects like copy relevance, keyword usage, negative keywords, and optimized landing pages that the ads are pointing too.
