Google Ads Quality Score: What It Is and How to Improve It

Google Ads Quality Score is a rating from 1 to 10 that Google gives each keyword in a search campaign, showing how your ads compare with other advertisers on three things: expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Higher scores usually mean your ads are more useful to searchers, which tends to help your ad positions and costs. It’s a diagnostic tool, not a target in itself.

What is Quality Score in Google Ads?

According to Google’s help page, About Quality Score for Search campaigns, Quality Score is calculated from the combined performance of three components:

• Expected click-through rate (CTR): how likely your ad is to be clicked when shown.
• Ad relevance: how closely your ad matches the intent behind the search.
• Landing page experience: how relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click.

Each component is rated “Above average”, “Average” or “Below average” against other advertisers showing ads for the same keyword. There’s no published Google Ads Quality Score formula beyond these three parts, so focus on the components rather than the number.

How do you check Quality Score in Google Ads?

To see Quality Score in Google Ads (sometimes searched as “where is Quality Score in Google Ads”):

1. Open your account and go to the Keywords page for a search campaign.
2. Choose Columns, then Modify columns.
3. Open the Quality Score section and add Quality Score plus the three component columns.
4. Apply, then sort by Quality Score to find your weakest keywords.

If a keyword shows a dash instead of a number, there isn’t enough data yet. You don’t need a separate Google Ads Quality Score checker: the columns in your account show the official scores, and third-party tools only read the same data.

What is a good Quality Score for Google Ads?

Google doesn’t set a “good” number, and the score isn’t used directly in the auction. A practical aim is “Average” or “Above average” on all three components for your most important keywords. A Google Ads low Quality Score (with any component “Below average”) tells you exactly where to look.

How do you improve Google Ads Quality Score?

To improve Google Ads Quality Score, fix the component that’s weakest:

If expected CTR is below average

• Put the main keyword and a clear benefit in your headlines
• Add a reason to click: price, location, availability, an offer
• Use ad assets (formerly extensions) such as sitelinks, calls and locations
• Add negative keywords so your ads don’t show for irrelevant searches

If ad relevance is below average

• Split broad ad groups into smaller ones with closely related keywords
• Write ads specifically for each group’s keywords
• Make sure the ad answers what the searcher wants

If landing page experience is below average

• Send clicks to the page that matches the search, not your home page
• Make the page load quickly on a phone (see our guide to improving website speed)
• Repeat the ad’s offer on the page and make the next step obvious
• Be clear and trustworthy: prices, contact details and real information

Google Ads Quality Score improvement takes time, because Google needs new data after each change. Make one set of changes, then give it a few weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Does Quality Score affect what you pay?

Indirectly. Quality Score itself isn’t used in the auction, but the things it measures (expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience) feed into Ad Rank, which decides where your ad shows and influences what you pay per click. Improving them often lowers your costs over time.

How do you increase Quality Score in Google Ads quickly?

The fastest wins are usually tighter ad groups with ads written for their keywords, and sending each ad group to a matching landing page. Adding negative keywords also helps by cutting irrelevant impressions. Expect changes to show over a few weeks rather than days.

Why does Quality Score show a dash?

A dash means Google doesn’t have enough recent impressions or clicks for that exact keyword to calculate a score. It’s common for new or low-volume keywords and isn’t a penalty.

Should Quality Score be your main goal?

No. Google describes it as a diagnostic tool. Your goal is profitable enquiries and sales. Use Quality Score to find weak spots, but judge the account on cost per lead and return.

The short version

Quality Score is Google’s 1 to 10 rating of your keywords on expected CTR, ad relevance and landing page experience. Check the component columns, fix the weakest one, and judge success on enquiries. For more ways to sharpen a campaign, see our Google Ads tips, or ask our Google Ads management or Google Ads audit team to review your account.