Google calculates Quality Score from three factors, each rated as above average, average, or below average:
How likely your ad is to get clicked when shown for that keyword, relative to other ads in the same position. Google estimates this based on historical performance of the keyword and how well the ad copy signals relevance to the search query. Including the keyword in your headline helps, but what matters most is whether your ad answers the intent behind the search.
How closely your ad copy matches the meaning of the keyword it is triggered by. This is where tightly themed ad groups matter. An ad group covering ten loosely related keywords will have lower ad relevance than an ad group with three tightly related keywords and ad copy written specifically for them.
Whether the page users reach after clicking your ad delivers a relevant, useful experience. Google evaluates whether the landing page content matches the search intent, how fast the page loads, and how easy it is to navigate. A page about "B2B CRM software" should not send paid search traffic to a generic homepage.
Ad Rank determines where your ad appears in the auction and whether it shows at all. The formula is:
Ad Rank = Bid × Quality Score × Expected impact of extensions
A keyword with Quality Score 8 and a $5 bid has an Ad Rank of 40. A competitor with Quality Score 4 and a $10 bid also has an Ad Rank of 40. Same position, but you pay less. This is the fundamental lever that separates well-managed PPC accounts from poorly managed ones.
Your actual CPC is calculated as: (Ad Rank of next competitor ÷ your Quality Score) + $0.01. A higher Quality Score means you pay less per click for the same position, which directly reduces your cost per lead.
Quality Score is calculated at the keyword level, not the campaign or ad group level. A single campaign can have keywords ranging from 2 to 9 depending on how well each keyword is matched to its ad and landing page.
Group keywords by intent and topic rather than by product category or match type. Three to ten tightly related keywords per ad group, each with ad copy written specifically for that theme. This improves both expected CTR and ad relevance simultaneously.
If someone searches "google ads management for saas", your ad should mention SaaS in the headline and speak to the specific pain point, not generic "PPC management services". The closer the match between query intent and ad message, the higher the expected CTR Google assigns.
The landing page should closely match the ad and the keyword intent. A dedicated landing page per campaign theme consistently outperforms a general page. Page load speed also matters — Google measures it and factors it into landing page experience scores.
Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches. When your ad appears for the wrong query and gets a low CTR, it signals low relevance to Google and drags down Quality Score. Negative keyword hygiene is a Quality Score maintenance task that should be done monthly.
Quality Score optimisation is built into how we structure every Google Ads account from day one. Tightly themed ad groups, intent-matched ad copy, and dedicated landing pages are baseline requirements for us, not optional improvements.
See our PPC management service or explore how Quality Score connects to overall B2B lead generation efficiency.
We restructure Google Ads accounts to maximise relevance and minimise wasted spend.