What feeds Quality Score
- Expected click-through rate: how likely your ad is to be clicked.
- Ad relevance: how closely the ad matches the search intent.
- Landing page experience: how relevant and usable the page is after the click.
A diagnostic, not an auction input
Google is explicit that Quality Score itself is not used in the auction. What counts at auction time is Ad Rank, which is calculated fresh for every search from your bid and real-time estimates of the same three qualities: expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience. Quality Score is the keyword-level summary of those qualities, averaged over past auctions, that Google shows you so you can see where you stand.
Why it still tracks cost
Two advertisers can bid the same and pay very different prices: the one whose ad and landing page are more relevant wins the auction for less, and Quality Score is how Google shows you which side of that you are on. Improving relevance and landing pages is one of the most direct ways to bring down cost per lead without raising budget. It is a standing part of how we structure and maintain accounts. Raising relevance is the durable way to bring costs down; forcing it with a low target instead backfires, as we cover in A low target CPA is not saving you money. It is not a Smart Bidding input you can set, but better relevance lowers the cost of every auction the algorithm enters on your behalf.
Common questions
Is Quality Score used in the Google Ads auction?
No. Google describes Quality Score as a diagnostic tool, not an auction input. The auction uses Ad Rank, which is calculated in real time from your bid and live estimates of expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience. Quality Score summarizes those same qualities, so improving it and improving your auction results go together.
What is a good Quality Score in Google Ads?
Scores of 7 to 10 are generally considered strong. Anything at 5 or below signals a mismatch between keywords, ads, and landing pages that is inflating your cost per click.
How do you improve Quality Score?
Tighten the match between keyword, ad copy, and landing page; raise expected click-through rate with more relevant ads; and improve landing page speed and relevance.