It’s no secret that Google plays a defining role in our daily lives and the success of businesses. Statistics show how 85% of desktop searches in 2021 were performed on Google. Not only that, but this company made a total of $256.73 billion in 2021, just from advertising accounts.
The moral of the story is – if you want to succeed at online marketing, you must learn all of Google’s secrets. Quality Score is one of them, especially if you want to start PPC (pay per click) marketing.
Read on to discover more about this metric and why you may want to consult a provider of PPC management for small businesses.
What Is Quality Score?
Quality Score is a Google metric for ad quality. It spans between one and 10, with lower numbers signifying lower ratings. The score is determined by analyzing the ad’s keywords.
The best thing about Google’s Quality Score is that it comes with a diagnostic tool. You can use it to discover areas you need to improve – like the keywords you choose, the landing pages, or the ad itself.
Where to See Your Quality Score?
You can find the score on your Google Ads account, so you first need to log in. Then, go to the Keywords menu, open the column icon, and choose Quality Score under the “Modify columns for keywords” section. There, you can check out each Quality Score component separately.
How Does Google Determine the Quality Score?
By “quality,” Google means user experience – whether users searching for your keyword find your ad helpful. That is why the score is determined by comparing your ad with other ads with the same keyword.
To set the score, Google rates three separate sections and combines their results:
- Landing page experience;
- CTR;
- Ad relevance.
Each can get an Average, Below Average, or Above Average rating.
CTR
CTR, also known as click-through rate, reveals how many users click on your ad when they see it. It’s one of the crucial Google metrics, and not only for ads. Google calculates your current CTR based on your previous CTR data and whether your ad matches the query intent.
The CTR is the hardest to improve because marketers have the least control over it. However, you can turn the tables by focusing on improving your copy and ad relevance.
Ad Relevance
Google calculates ad relevance based on how much your ad matches a user’s intent in the query. This section depends on the keywords mentioned in the ad copy.
Many marketers love Ad Relevance since it’s the easiest to upgrade. You only need to switch up your copy and the keywords to boost a low ad relevance score.
When making changes, make sure each keyword stays in its ad group. In other words, don’t stuff your ad with keywords that are not relevant to its content and landing page. Everything should be aligned and point users in the same direction.
Landing Page Experience
Users play a key role in the world of Google search. That is why this search engine ranks your ads based on the user experience on your landing page.
So, to give this component a score, Google considers multiple factors, such as:
- Keyword volume;
- Relevance;
- Page load speed;
- Content quality;
- Ease of navigation.
This section is fairly easy to improve as the rank will go higher if you only improve your website quality (content, speed, web design, etc.).
What May Slip Through the Quality Score Diagnostic Tool
Since the Quality Score tool primarily looks at keyword history, other underlying factors attributing to low ad relevance may go undetected, like:
- User location;
- Device types;
- Ad extensions;
- Time of day when users stumble upon the ad.
Does the Score Matter?
There is divided opinion on whether the Quality Score matters or not, and each PPC manager has their stance on the matter. To keep things transparent, below are both sides of the story:
Yes, Quality Score Is Relevant, and Here is Why
Most PPC consultants agree the Quality Score influences Ad Rank and price. According to them, high-Quality Scores will get you at the top of SERPs (search engine results page) and reduce the cost per click (CPC).
However, that’s not the only reason Quality Score is important. One of its major perks is that it raises the bar for all businesses and PPC consultants. In other words, following the Score’s standards will improve the overall condition of your landing page and ads.
This will make your ad and business more attractive to consumers, eventually leading to tangible results (more clicks, higher revenue, more traffic, etc.)
No, It’s Not
Some PPC consultants think Quality Score doesn’t affect your ad’s performance that much. They usually talk about the system being flawed, using examples of successful ads that didn’t have a high-Quality Score and vice versa.
The chief argument is that the Quality Score system is bot-driven and dependent on Google’s fuzzy algorithms.
There is still room for investigation of this metric’s relevance. But for now, the arguments for Quality Score’s importance overshadow the ones against it.
How Can Quality Score Influence Ads?
Google hasn’t officially stated that Quality Score directly influences your ads. However, research shows that it plays a valuable role in their rank and performance.
First of all, if you have a lower Quality Score, you might take it as a sign that your ads do not have the desired results among your target audience. For instance, if they have Below Average relevance, you are not reaching the right users.
Second, a low-Quality Score can lead to a low Ad Rank.
Last but not least, research unveiled that ads with a high-Quality Score have a lower cost-per-click and higher conversion-per-click.
Trusted PPC Management for Small Businesses
Are you trying to run a marketing campaign on Google and got stuck in the process? Reach out to Tonic Enterprises today! You can find an experienced and educated team about all digital marketing niches in Lake Mary, Florida office. Our digital marketing experts can help you with local SEO, pay-per-click, content writing, web design, search engine optimization, and more.
Book a phone consultation with our team to improve your Google rank and drive more traffic to your business.