The three components
| Component | What it measures | How to improve it |
|---|---|---|
| Expected CTR | How likely people are to click your ad | Clear, specific headlines that match the search |
| Ad relevance | How closely the ad matches the search intent | Tighter ad groups and keyword-led headlines |
| Landing page experience | How useful and relevant the page is | A fast, matching page with clear next steps |
Google rates each component as above average, average or below average, compared with other advertisers on the same keyword.
Diagnostic, not a lever
Google is clear that Quality Score itself does not enter the auction. The auction uses real-time quality signals instead. Treat the score as a warning light. A 3 out of 10 points to a problem worth fixing, while chasing a perfect 10 rarely pays.
Landing page experience in practice
Google says landing page experience reflects how useful and relevant the page is to people who click. It looks for relevant, original content, easy navigation and fast loading on phones. Sending ads to the homepage often drags this component down.
Where to start
- Sort keywords by spend and look at the lowest scores.
- Check which component is below average for each.
- Fix relevance by splitting mixed ad groups.
- Fix CTR by rewriting headlines around the search.
- Fix landing pages by matching the ad's promise.
Good example. An HVAC company sees "below average" landing page experience on furnace repair keywords. It builds a furnace repair page, and scores climb within weeks.
Bad example. The same company ignores the scores and keeps raising bids to hold its position.
Quality Score links closely to Ad Rank. In our Google Ads management, we fix the weakest component first.