Imagine two businesses bidding on the exact same keyword. Competitor A pays $5.00 per click. Competitor B pays $2.50 per click, yet their ad appears higher on the search results page.
Is the system broken? No. Competitor B just utilizes the most important efficiency metric in Google Ads: Quality Score.
Quality Score (QS) is arguably the most critical metric in your account. It is Google’s way of rewarding advertisers who provide value to users rather than just throwing money at keywords. If you want to lower CPC in Google Ads while boosting your visibility, you cannot afford to ignore it.
In this guide, we will break down exactly how to improve Quality Score in Google Ads, covering the three core components, 2026-ready optimization strategies, and actionable steps to audit your account today.
What is Quality Score?
At its core, Quality Score is a diagnostic tool, a grade from 1 to 10 that estimates the quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. A score of 10 is the best, while a 1 indicates serious relevance issues.
But QS isn’t just a vanity metric; it is a financial multiplier. It directly influences your Ad Rank and how much you pay per click.
The Golden Formula:
AdRank=MaxBid×QualityScore
This means if your Quality Score is high, you can bid less than your competitors and still outrank them. Simply put: High QS = Lower CPC + Higher Position.
Understanding the 3 Core Components of Quality Score
To fix your score, you first need to know what’s broken. Google calculates QS based on three weighted pillars. If you want to know how to improve Quality Score in Google Ads, you must optimize these three specific areas:
1. Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)
This predicts how likely someone is to click your ad when it’s shown. Google compares your keyword performance against competitors bidding on the exact same terms. If your ad gets clicked more often than the average, your Expected CTR rises.
2. Ad Relevance
This measures how closely your ad copy matches the user’s search intent. If a user searches for “red running shoes” and your ad headline says “Buy Footwear Online,” you have low relevance. Google wants to see a direct connection between the query and the ad creative.
3. Landing Page Experience
Google doesn’t stop caring once the user clicks. They analyze what happens after the click. Is your page useful? Does it load fast? Is it easy to navigate on mobile? A poor landing page experience will tank your score, even if your ad copy is perfect.
Strategy 1: Improve Ad Relevance
One of the fastest ways to fix a “Below Average” Ad Relevance status is to rethink how you structure your ad groups.
Move From SKAGs to STAGs
In the past, advertisers used “SKAGs” (Single Keyword Ad Groups). Today, with Google’s AI matching, Single Theme Ad Groups (STAGs) are far more effective.
Tighten Keyword Themes
Don’t dump 50 keywords into one ad group. If you sell shoes, you need separate ad groups for distinct intents. Grouping “running shoes,” “trail running shoes,” and “marathon shoes” together is okay. But mixing in “basketball sneakers” creates a relevance disconnect. The tighter the theme, the easier it is to write a copy that contains the specific keywords users are searching for.
Master Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI)
Dynamic Keyword Insertion {KeyWord:Default Text} allows your ad to automatically update to match the user’s search query.
- Pros: Increases relevance and CTR
- Cons: Can look spammy if not used carefully (e.g., “Buy Cheap Shoes Here”).
- Best Practice: Use DKI in headlines but ensure your descriptions read naturally.
Actionable Tip: Always ensure your primary keyword appears in Headline 1 and your Display Path (e.g., yoursite.com/running-shoes). This signals immediate relevance to both the user and Google.
Strategy 2: Improve Your Expected CTR
If your ads are appearing but nobody is clicking, your Quality Score suffers. Here is how to make your ads more compelling
Use Emotional Hooks
Stop listing boring features. Move beyond “We sell insurance” to “Protect your family today.” Emotional hooks drive action. Address the user’s pain point or desire immediately in the headline.
Maximize Ad Assets (Extensions)
Ad Assets (formerly Extensions) are non-negotiable for PPC optimization strategies. Sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, and image assets make your ad physically larger on the screen. This “real estate” dominance naturally draws the eye and significantly increases click-through rates.
The Power of Negative Keywords
A bloated keyword list kills CTR. If you sell luxury watches, you don’t want your ad showing for “cheap watches” or “watch repair jobs.”
By building a robust negative keyword list, you filter out irrelevant impressions. When your ad does show, it’s only to people likely to buy, which naturally raises your CTR percentages.
A/B Split Testing
Never rely on a single ad variation. You should constantly test distinct angles:
- The Question: “Need a Plumber Fast?”
- The Statement: “Rated #1 Plumber in Texas.”
The Offer: “$50 Off Your First Plumbing Repair.”
- Testing allows you to find the winner and pause the losers, incrementally lifting your account’s average CTR.
Strategy 3: Optimize Landing Page Experience
You might get the click, but if the user bounces immediately, Google notices. Improving your landing page is often the hardest but most rewarding part of ad rank improvement.
Speed is Critical
In the mobile-first era, speed is a major ranking signal. Check your Core Web Vitals. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, users may leave, and your Quality Score could drop. Ensure your images are compressed and your code is clean.
The “Scent Trail” (Message Match)
Marketing experts call this the “Scent Trail.” If your ad promises “20% off Red Shoes,” your landing page must immediately display red shoes and a 20% off banner. Do not send users on a generic homepage and expect them to find the product. The transition from Ad to Page must be seamless.
Mobile Responsiveness
This is crucial Google primarily crawls the mobile version of your site. If your buttons are too small or text is hard to read on a phone, your “Landing Page Experience” score will be “Below Average.”
Trust Signals
Users (and Google) look for signs of legitimacy. Ensure your landing page includes:
- Real customer reviews.
- Security badges (SSL).
- Clear contact information (phone number/address).
Advanced Tactics for Quality Score (2025-2026 Trends)
Brand Keywords
Bidding on your own brand name often results in easy 10/10 Quality Scores because you are, by definition, the most relevant result. While this won’t directly boost the Quality Score of other non-brand keywords, it helps protect your brand from competitors.
Audience Targeting
Use “Observation” mode to bid higher on audiences you know perform well (e.g., “Luxury Shoppers” or “Previous Visitors”). While this doesn’t directly change the QS formula, showing ads to the right people usually results in higher CTRs, which does improve Quality Score over time.
The “Historical Data” Factor
Fixing Quality Score is not instantaneous. Google relies on historical data. If you have had a low CTR for months, one good day won’t fix it. It takes consistent performance over weeks to overwrite bad history. Be patient, but be persistent.
How to Check Your Quality Score
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Here is how to find the data:
- Log in to Google Ads.
- Go to the Keywords tab.
- Click Columns > Modify Columns.
- Open the Quality Score section.
- Select: Quality Score, Ad Relevance, Landing Page Exp, and Exp. CTR.
Interpreting the Data
- Average / Above Average: Good job. Monitor but don’t obsess.
- Below Average: This is your red alert. Look at which component is failing.
- Low CTR? rewrite ads.
- Low Relevance? Move keywords to a new ad group.
- Low Landing Page Exp? Fix site speed or content.
Quality Score Audit Checklist
Use this checklist to systematically improve your account:
- [ ] Add negative keywords weekly to filter bad traffic.
- [ ] Check mobile page speed using Google PageSpeed Insights.
- [ ] Audit H1 tags to ensure they match your best-performing ad headlines.
- [ ] Test 2 new RSAs (Responsive Search Ads) per month to beat current controls.
- [ ] Review Search Terms Report to find new themes for STAGs.
Conclusion
Quality Score is not a mystery; it is a metric of efficiency. By focusing on ad relevance, driving a higher Expected CTR, and providing a stellar landing page experience, you align your goals with Google’s goals: giving the user exactly what they want.
Remember, this is a long-term play. High Quality Scores don’t happen overnight, but the payoff, lower costs and market dominance, is worth the effort.