Quality Score

Quality Score is Google Ads' 1–10 diagnostic estimate of your ad, keyword, and landing page relevance compared to other advertisers.

Quality Score is explicitly a diagnostic tool, not the literal number plugged into the auction in real time — Google has said the auction uses more granular, real-time versions of the same signals. Treat the visible 1–10 score as a useful health indicator, not a lever you directly pull.

It's built from three components: expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. A low score is usually a landing page problem (slow load, mismatched messaging, poor mobile experience) more often than a creative problem, and it's worth checking landing page experience first before rewriting ad copy.

A higher Quality Score generally means a lower CPC for the same ad position — Google effectively gives a discount to ads it predicts users will find relevant.