What is Quality Score in Google Ads and why does it matter?

Google shows Quality Score in the keywords view once a keyword has enough searches. Each of its three parts is marked below average, average or above average. Expected click-through rate is Google's guess at how often people will click your ad for that search compared with other advertisers. Ad relevance asks whether the ad actually talks about what was searched. Landing page experience looks at whether the page is useful, relevant and quick to use on the device the searcher is holding.

The score itself is a summary. What matters is that the auction uses the real-time version of these signals, every time, alongside your bid. A keyword with a low rating needs a higher bid to reach the same position, and it often ends up showing less. That is why throwing more money at a weak account rarely fixes it.

In practice the fixes are unglamorous. Split a keyword list that mixes 'kids dentist', 'teeth whitening' and 'root canal' into separate groups with their own ads, so each ad can repeat the words people typed. Send each group to a page about that one thing rather than the home page. Make the page load quickly on a mid-range Android phone over mobile data, show the phone number and WhatsApp button without scrolling, and name the sector or area you serve, such as I-8 or Satellite Town, so the searcher knows they have landed in the right place.

Do not chase a 10 on every keyword. Some valuable searches will always rate average because the intent is mixed. Judge the account by cost per enquiry and enquiry quality, and use Quality Score to find the keywords that are quietly costing more than they should.