Performance Marketing

Quality Score

Learning Outcome

5

Analyze how better Quality Score gives competitive advantage

4

Learn practical ways to improve each component

3

Explain how Quality Score impacts ad rank and cost

2

Identify the key components: CTR, Ad Relevance, Landing Page

1

Understand what Quality Score is in PPC advertising

Quality Score is like a student’s report card

Every year, thousands of students apply for admission to St. Xavier's College in Mumbai

Quality Score is like a student’s report card

The college has limited seats and many applicants, so admission is not based only on the highest donation.

Instead, they evaluate every student on THREE parameters:

Academic Score

How well did the student perform in their board exams?

Relevance of Subject

Is the student applying for the right stream based on their background?

Extracurricular Record

Does the student have achievements beyond academics?

Quality Score is like a student’s report card

A student with 95% in Science was ranked lower than a student with 88% who had a Commerce background, strong communication skills, and relevant achievements

The student with the best overall profile —

not the richest student  got the best seat.

Google ranks ads based on Quality Score (CTR, relevance, landing page), not just highest bid—better quality can win top position at lower cost

Moral

Let’s Understand Quality Score

Two real estate agencies — DreamHome and PropKing 

They were both running Google Search Ads in Pune targeting the keyword "2BHK flats for sale in Pune."

Let’s Understand Quality Score

Maximum CPC Bid: ₹120

Maximum CPC Bid: ₹80

Quality Score: 3/10

Quality Score: 9/10

Ad Rank: 120 × 3 = 360

Ad Rank: 80 × 9 = 720

Ad Copy:

"Buy Flats in Pune - Call Now"

Ad Copy: 2BHK Flats in Pune | ₹45L+ | Free Site Visit — Book Now

Landing Page: Homepage with no mention of 2BHK flats

Landing Page: Dedicated 2BHK page with photos, pricing, enquiry form

Result: Paying ₹110 per click — appearing at Position 3

Result: Paying only ₹42 per click — appearing at Position 1

PropKing's Setup:

DreamHome's Setup:

Let’s Understand Quality Score

Moral:

Quality Score is key in Google Ads—higher scores mean lower CPC, better rankings, and more value from your budge

What is Quality Score in Google Ads?

Quality Score is a rating by Google that shows how relevant and useful your ad is for what people are searching

Example Search :

“buy sports shoes”

Text

Matches The Search Intent

Doesn't Match The Search

Sports Shoes On Sale

From $49.99

Great Discounts

Free Shipping !

Relevant Ad

Clear Details

High Quality Score

Big Online Sale

Bags, Watches & More!

Unrelated Products

Confusing Ad

Low Quality Score

Why Quality Score matters?

Quality Score decides where your ad appears and how much you pay

Example Search :

 Two advertisers are showing ads for “sports shoes”

Text

Sports Shoes On Sale!

From $49.99

Great Discounts!

Free Shipping!!

High quality score

Buy Sports Shoes!

Great Prices

Low quality score

Fast Delivery !

Appears on top & Pay less

Appears lower & Pay more

The Three Components of Quality Score

Quality Score is calculated based on THREE components:

Ad Relevance

Landing Page Experience

Expected CTR

Improving Quality Score — Action Plan

The Quality Score Improvement Framework — addressing all three components:

To Improve Expected CTR:

4. Test multiple ad copy variations — keep the best performer

1. Rewrite ad headlines to be more compelling and keyword-rich

2. Add all relevant Ad Assets (Sitelinks, Callouts, Call Assets)

3. Pause keywords with consistently low CTR (below 1% for Search Ads)

Improving Quality Score — Action Plan

To Improve Ad Relevance:

4. Use Dynamic Keyword Insertion for highly relevant ad copy

1. Restructure Ad Groups — one theme per Ad Group

2. Ensure the primary keyword appears in at least one headline

3. Remove keywords that don't belong to the Ad Group theme

To Improve Landing Page Experience:

4. Match the landing page headline with the ad headline

1. Create dedicated landing pages for each Ad Group theme

2. Improve page load speed (target under 3 seconds)

3. Ensure full mobile responsiveness

5. Add social proof, trust signals, and a clear CTA to the landing page

Summary

5

Even with lower bids, high Quality Score can win better placement

4

Relevant ads and good user experience improve performance

3

It depends on CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience

2

Higher score leads to lower cost and better ad position

1

Quality Score measures ad quality and relevance

Quiz

Vikram sees “Below Average” Ad Relevance for the keyword “digital marketing course in Pune”. What should he do to improve it?

A. Increase CPC bid

B. Change bidding strategy

C. Group keywords & add them in the headline

D. Add negative keywords

Quiz

Vikram sees “Below Average” Ad Relevance for the keyword “digital marketing course in Pune”. What should he do to improve it?

A. Increase CPC bid

B. Change bidding strategy

C. Group keywords & add them in the headline

D. Add negative keywords

Performance Marketing : Quality Score

By Content ITV

Performance Marketing : Quality Score

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