Definition
Quality Score
Quality Score is Google Ads' 1-to-10 rating of how relevant your keyword, ad and landing page are to the people searching, based on expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience.
Quality Score is a diagnostic shown for each keyword. It's based on three components: expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience, each rated below average, average or above average.
Higher-quality ads and landing pages generally earn better ad positions at lower costs, because Google's auction rewards relevance as well as bids. Quality Score itself isn't used directly in the auction, but the same factors are.
Quality Score in practice
A dental clinic's ad for "emergency dentist" sends people to its general homepage and scores 4/10. Creating a page about emergency appointments, with matching ad text, raises it to 8/10 and lowers the cost per click.
Related terms
Common questions about Quality Score
What is a good Quality Score?
7 or above is generally good. Scores of 1 to 4 suggest the keyword, ad or landing page needs work.
How do I improve Quality Score?
Group keywords tightly, write ads that match the search, and send people to a fast, relevant landing page with a clear next step.
Does Quality Score affect cost per click?
Indirectly. The same relevance factors feed into Ad Rank, so more relevant ads often pay less for the same position.
Does Microsoft Ads have a Quality Score?
Yes. Microsoft Advertising also shows a 1-to-10 quality score based on similar factors.
