How is Google Quality Score calculated?

Google says:

“Quality Score is calculated in real-time, every time your keyword matches a search query—that is, every time your keyword has the potential to trigger an ad. Quality Score is used in several different ways, including influencing your keywords’ actual cost-per-clicks (CPCs) and estimating the first page bids that you see in your account. It also partly determines if a keyword is eligible to enter the ad auction that occurs when a user enters a search query and, if it is, how high the ad will be ranked.”

How can you improve your quality score?

The main thing to remember is Relevance, Relevance, Relevance!

• Relevance: How relevant are your keywords to the search query made by the end users?
• Relevance: How relevant is the ad copy to the keyword?
• Relevance: How relevant is the landing page to the ad copy?

Some of the variables that can improve your quality score.

The historical click through rate: Keep an eye on your CTR. With negative keywords and ad copy reviews, you will be able to achieve a higher CTR (trying to achieve above 1.00% on generic terms is a good rule of thumb). The stronger your historical performance, the more you are rewarded by Google.

Relevance, Relevance, Relevance! Make sure that you have grouped your account correctly. Make sure that keywords are grouped together by a relevant theme so you can have a targeted relevant advert per ad group. For example, if you were an online electronics retailer you could group your keywords in the following way. This simple process will help increase quality scores and conversions.

• Relevance –Users should be able to easily find what your ad promises and the link to the page on your site should provide the most useful information about the product or service in your ad
• Originality – Feature unique content that can’t be found on another site. In other words, don’t mirror pages found elsewhere, and provide useful content that is relevant to your ad.
• Transparency – In order to build trust with users, your site should be explicit in three primary areas: the nature of your business; how your site interacts with a visitor’s computer; and how you intend to use a visitor’s personal information, if you request it.
• Navigability – Provide a short and easy path for users to purchase or receive the product or offer in your ad, avoid excessive use of pop-ups, pop-unders, and other obtrusive elements throughout your site, and make sure that your landing page loads quickly.

New Developments:

In the AdWords interface, you can now receive additional information on your quality score. You are now (as of the 24^th April) displayed information on how well Google has judged these different metrics (‘above average’, ‘average’ or ‘below average’)

• Expected Click Through Rate
• Ad Relevance
• Landing Page Experience

From this data you can begin to optimise your account, increase CTRs, improve quality scores and get more conversions!

If you would like to have our team review your paid search accounts (AdWords, AdCenter, LinkedIn or Facebook), feel free to contact the Digital Clarity Team.