Quality Score is Google's 1-to-10 estimate of how relevant your ads, keywords and landing pages are to users searching that keyword. It's calculated from three sub-components — expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing-page experience — and it directly affects how much you pay per click.
Why it matters
Two advertisers bidding the same amount on the same keyword don't pay the same CPC. The advertiser with the higher Quality Score pays less for the same ad position because Google considers their ad more useful to the searcher. A 10/10 vs a 5/10 Quality Score on the same keyword can mean a 50% lower effective CPC.
Levers
- Tightly-themed ad groups — 5-15 closely related keywords with their own ad copy, not 200 keywords sharing one generic ad
- Ad copy that uses the keyword in the headline + description
- Landing page that delivers what the ad promised — keyword in H1, message-match across the fold
- High historical CTR on the same keyword (the algorithm bakes in your past performance)
- Page speed + mobile UX — both feed landing-page experience score