The quality factor, known as the quality score, is a central diagnostic metric of Google Ads. It assesses the estimated quality and relevance of Keywords, ad texts and Landing pages on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 10 (excellent). This value serves as an indicator for advertisers to identify optimization potential in their campaigns and to assess performance in comparison to competitors.
Components of the quality factor
Google Ads calculates the quality score based on the combined performance of three main components. Each of these components receives a rating such as „below average“, „average“ or „above average“ compared to other advertisers bidding on the same keyword.
- Expected click-through rate (eCTR): This component estimates the likelihood of users clicking on an ad when it is delivered for a specific keyword. It is based on the historical performance of the ad in similar contexts.
- Ad relevance: It measures how well the ad text matches the user's search intent and the stored keyword. High relevance means that the ad precisely meets the user's expectations.
- User experience with the landing page: This factor evaluates how relevant, useful and user-friendly the landing page is for users who have clicked on the ad. Aspects such as Loading time, content and structure play an important role.
Influence on Google Ads campaigns
A high quality score signals to Google that an ad and the associated landing page are relevant and helpful for a user's search query. This is rewarded with various benefits. Primarily, the Display rank (Ad Rank), which indicates the position and visibility of an ad in the Search results determined. Ads with a better quality factor can achieve a higher position with the same bid or a lower position with a higher bid. Cost per click (CPC) cause. In extreme cases, keywords with a very low quality factor can prevent participation in ad auctions.
Although the quality score is an important diagnostic tool, it is not directly incorporated into the ad auction in real time. Instead, current, contextual predictions of click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience are used in the auction. The quality score displayed in the account, on the other hand, is based on past performance.
