What Are the Three Main Factors That Determine Ad Quality?

If you're running paid ads online, you've probably heard about ad quality. But what exactly makes an advert "high quality" in the eyes of platforms like Google? Understanding what are the three main factors that determine ad quality can make the difference between wasting your budget and getting brilliant returns on your investment.

Google doesn't just display ads to anyone willing to pay. The platform uses a sophisticated system to assess which ads deserve premium placement and which don't. This assessment affects how often your ads appear, where they show up, and how much you pay per click. 

Let's explore the three critical factors that determine your ad quality and how you can optimise them.

The Three Core Factors Behind Ad Quality Score

According to Google's own guidance on Quality Score, there are three main factors that determine ad quality: 

• Expected click-through rate

• Ad relevance

• Landing page experience. 

These three pillars work together to create what Google calls your Quality Score, a metric that ranges from 1 to 10.

Google calculates Quality Score at the keyword level, assessing each keyword in your account individually. The score updates regularly based on recent performance data, so it's not static. You can view your Quality Score in your Google Ads account alongside each keyword.

Each of the three main factors receives a rating of "below average," "average," or "above average." 

These ratings help you identify which specific areas need improvement. Perhaps your expected CTR is strong, but your landing page experience is letting you down. This granular feedback allows you to prioritise your optimisation efforts effectively.

It's worth noting that whilst Quality Score is calculated on a scale of 1-10, the three component factors aren't weighted equally in every situation. Google's ad auction considers various signals, but these three factors remain the foundation of ad quality assessment.

Each of these factors plays a distinct role in telling Google whether your advert deserves to be shown to searchers. Think of it as Google's way of protecting its users from irrelevant, misleading, or unhelpful advertising whilst rewarding advertisers who create genuinely useful campaigns.

Expected Click-Through Rate: Will People Actually Click?

Expected click-through rate (CTR) is Google's prediction of how likely people are to click on your advert when it appears for a specific keyword. This isn't based on your actual CTR alone but rather on historical performance data across similar ads and keywords.

If Google thinks people will click your ad, it signals that your advert is relevant and appealing. High expected CTR indicates that your ad copy matches what searchers are looking for. On the flip side, if Google predicts few people will click, it suggests your ad isn't compelling or relevant enough.

To improve your expected CTR, focus on writing ad copy that directly addresses the search intent. Use your target keywords naturally in your headlines and descriptions. Test different calls-to-action to see which resonate best with your audience. The more aligned your ad is with what people are searching for, the higher your expected CTR will climb.

Ad Relevance: Does Your Advert Match the Search?

Ad relevance measures how closely your advert matches the intent behind someone's search query. Google wants to ensure that when someone searches for "red running shoes," they see ads for red running shoes, not just any footwear or sports equipment.

This factor examines whether your keywords, ad copy, and overall message align with what the searcher is looking for. Google's algorithm assesses this relevance to determine whether showing your ad would provide value to the user.

Poor ad relevance happens when you're bidding on keywords that don't truly relate to what you're offering. Perhaps you've cast your keyword net too wide, or your ad copy is too generic. To boost ad relevance, create tightly themed ad groups where keywords, ads, and offerings are closely aligned.

For instance, if you're running campaigns for different services, don't lump everything into one ad group. Separate them so your messaging can be highly specific. When your ad copy speaks directly to the exact thing someone searched for, your ad relevance score improves dramatically.

Landing Page Experience: What Happens After the Click?

The third factor, landing page experience, evaluates what happens after someone clicks your ad. Does your landing page deliver what your advert promised? Is it easy to navigate? Does it load quickly? These elements matter enormously to both user satisfaction and your Quality Score.

Google assesses several aspects of your landing page, including relevance to the ad and keyword, ease of navigation, page load speed, mobile-friendliness, and the amount of original content. If people click your ad and immediately bounce back to search results, it's a strong signal that your landing page isn't meeting their needs.

To create an excellent landing page experience, ensure your page delivers exactly what your ad promises. If your ad mentions a specific product or offer, that should be immediately visible on the landing page. Optimise your page speed because even a few seconds of delay can cause people to abandon your site.

Make your landing page mobile-responsive, as a significant portion of clicks now come from mobile devices. Include clear calls-to-action and make it easy for visitors to find information or complete conversions. The more seamless the journey from ad click to desired action, the better your landing page experience score will be.

Why These Three Factors Actually Matter for Your Business

Understanding what are the three main factors that determine ad quality isn't just about pleasing Google's algorithm. These factors directly impact your advertising costs and results. Higher Quality Scores typically lead to lower costs per click and better ad positions.

When your ads score well on expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience, Google rewards you with better placement at lower prices. This means you can achieve more visibility and clicks without increasing your budget. Conversely, poor quality scores can make your advertising prohibitively expensive.

Beyond costs, these factors ensure your ads reach the right people at the right time with the right message. This alignment leads to higher conversion rates because you're attracting qualified prospects who are genuinely interested in what you offer. At Famoso, we've seen how improving these three factors can transform underperforming paid search campaigns into revenue-generating machines.

Common Mistakes That Damage Ad Quality

Many businesses unknowingly sabotage their ad quality through preventable mistakes. One common error is sending all traffic to your homepage regardless of what the ad promised. Your homepage is rarely the best landing page because it's too general and doesn't match the specific intent behind the search.

Another mistake is neglecting mobile users. If your landing page isn't mobile-optimised, you're providing a poor experience to a huge portion of your audience. This drags down your landing page experience score significantly.

Using overly broad keywords is another culprit. When you bid on generic terms that vaguely relate to your business, your ad relevance suffers because you can't create sufficiently targeted ad copy. It's far better to focus on more specific keywords where you can achieve high relevance.

Finally, some advertisers create one-size-fits-all ads that try to cover too much ground. Instead of generic ads, develop specific ads for specific keyword themes. This granular approach dramatically improves both ad relevance and expected CTR.

Practical Steps to Improve Your Ad Quality Today

Improving your ad quality doesn't require a complete campaign overhaul. Start by reviewing your Quality Scores to identify your weakest-performing keywords. Look at the component ratings to understand whether expected CTR, ad relevance, or landing page experience needs the most attention.

For low expected CTR, rewrite your ad copy to be more compelling and relevant to the search query. Include your target keyword in at least one headline. Test different value propositions to see what resonates with your audience.

If ad relevance is the issue, restructure your campaigns into tighter ad groups. Each ad group should focus on a closely related set of keywords, allowing you to create highly relevant ad copy. Remove or pause keywords that don't closely match what you actually offer.

For landing page problems, audit your pages for speed, mobile-friendliness, and relevance. Ensure the headline on your landing page echoes the promise made in your ad. Remove unnecessary elements that slow down loading or distract from your primary conversion goal.

How Famoso Approaches Ad Quality Optimisation

At Famoso, we've built our paid search strategies around optimising these three fundamental factors. We don't just set up campaigns and hope for the best. Instead, we continuously monitor Quality Scores and component ratings to identify improvement opportunities.

Our approach starts with thorough keyword research to ensure we're targeting terms where we can achieve high relevance. We then structure campaigns into granular ad groups, allowing us to create laser-focused ad copy. 

Each ad group typically contains closely related keywords, specific ads tailored to those keywords, and dedicated landing pages that deliver exactly what the ads promise.

We test ad copy variations systematically to improve expected CTR. This involves experimenting with different headlines, descriptions, and calls-to-action whilst measuring performance rigorously. 

We also work closely with clients to optimise landing pages, addressing technical issues like page speed whilst ensuring content alignment with ad messaging.

This comprehensive approach to ad quality has helped our clients achieve significant improvements in campaign performance. By focusing on what actually matters to Google's algorithm, we drive down costs whilst increasing traffic and conversions.

Get Expert Help Optimising Your Ad Quality

Improving your ad quality requires expertise, time, and systematic testing. If you're struggling to improve your Quality Scores or want to maximise your paid search performance, Famoso can help. Our team specialises in creating high-performing paid search campaigns that balance quality and results.

We analyse your current campaigns, identify quality improvement opportunities, and implement proven strategies to boost your scores. Whether you need help with campaign restructuring, ad copy optimisation, or landing page improvements, we have the expertise to drive meaningful results. 

Contact us today to discuss how we can improve your ad quality and transform your paid search performance.