Understanding Google Ads Quality Score: Why It Matters and How to Improve It

Published at: March 21, 2025
SHARE:
Ever wondered why two advertisers pay wildly different costs for the same keyword? That, my friend, is the mysterious magic of Google Ads Quality Score. In this article, I’ll pull back the curtain and show you exactly how it works—and how to make it work for you.
Understanding Google Ads Quality Score: Why It Matters and How to Improve It

About the author:
Oleksii is a seasoned digital marketing expert with over 10 years of experience helping businesses and entrepreneurs scale through strategic paid advertising campaigns.


I’ve run hundreds of Google Ads campaigns, from bootstrapped solopreneurs to seven-figure e-commerce accounts—and let me tell you, if there’s one metric you shouldn’t ignore, it’s Quality Score.

Quality Score is Google’s way of rating the relevance and usefulness of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. It’s scored on a scale of 1 to 10. The better your score, the less you pay per click and the better your ad position. Yes, it’s basically Google’s version of “Are you actually being helpful?”

Here’s why it matters:

  1. Lower Costs Per Click (CPC): A high Quality Score can drastically reduce how much you pay for each click. Google rewards relevance and punishes laziness.
  2. Better Ad Positions: Higher scores = higher ad ranks without having to outbid your competition.
  3. More Conversions: Relevant ads attract the right users. Right users convert. Simple math.

So, how do you improve it? Here’s what I’ve seen work in the trenches:

  1. Keyword-Ad-Landing Page Harmony: Make sure your keyword shows up in your ad headline, your description, and—bonus points—in your landing page’s H1. It’s like SEO, but with a wallet attached.
  2. Click-Through Rate (CTR): The higher your CTR, the more Google thinks users find your ad useful. Write compelling copy, use numbers, test power words. Don’t be boring.
  3. Landing Page Experience: Is your landing page relevant, fast, and mobile-friendly? Does it deliver what your ad promised? If not, Google (and your bounce rate) will not be kind.
  4. Ad Extensions: Use all of them—sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets. They make your ad look bigger and juicier, increasing CTR and thus, Quality Score.
  5. Negative Keywords: Trim the fat. Exclude irrelevant queries that drain your budget and hurt your CTR.

Pro tip: Don’t chase the perfect 10 like it’s a high school GPA. Focus on consistency. Even improving from a 5 to a 7 can make a huge difference in cost and performance.

In summary: Google’s Quality Score isn’t just a vanity metric—it’s the quiet kingmaker of your ad account. Respect it, work on it, and it will reward you.

Until next time, Oleksii