The Elusive Quality Score

In Google Adwords, the quality score refers to the relevance or quality of each keyword in an adwords account.  Adwords calculates the quality score based upon various factors and then ranks each keyword with a number from 1- 10.

According to Google, the formula for Google and the Search Network is continually being refined, but “the core components remains more or less the same.”

The following factors determine to some degree keyword quality score:

• Historical click-through Rate (CTR) of the keyword, ads and of the display URL.
• Landing Page Quality
• Relevance of keywords to ads in a specific ad group
• Relevance of keyword and matched ad to search query
• Account Performance in geographical region where ad will show
• Other relevance factors

Quick troubleshooting suggestions to help improve a low quality score keyword:

Look at the CTR of the keyword.  Is the keyword too broad or general and thus getting a lot of impressions, but low click-through?  If so, change the match type, add negative terms or eliminate the keyword from the campaign.

Examine the CTR of the ad.  Maybe the keyword is performing well, but the ad showing has a low CTR.  If it does, test new creative and keep the existing keyword.   Watch the keyword over several weeks to see if improvement in quality score has occurred

Review relevancy of each adgroup.  The keywords, ad and landing page need to be relevant to each other and closely related.  In general, the smaller the adgroup, the better it will perform.

Once you have tackled the suggestions above, it is time to start testing different landing page….but that’s another blog.