How to Increase Quality Score in AdWords: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

Quality Score is Google's 1-10 rating of your keyword relevance, and improving it directly lowers your cost-per-click while boosting ad positions. This guide walks you through the exact steps to diagnose weak Quality Scores and fix them—covering expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. Whether you're managing a single account or juggling dozens of clients, these are the same tactics that experienced PPC managers use daily. No fluff, just actionable steps you can implement today.

Here's what you need to know upfront: Quality Score isn't just a vanity metric. It's Google's way of telling you whether your keywords, ads, and landing pages are actually relevant to what people are searching for. The better your Quality Score, the less you pay per click and the higher your ads appear—without increasing your bid.

Quality Score breaks down into three components: Expected Click-Through Rate (how likely your ad is to get clicked), Ad Relevance (how well your ad matches the search intent), and Landing Page Experience (whether your landing page delivers what the ad promises). Each component gets rated as Above Average, Average, or Below Average.

What usually happens here is advertisers obsess over bids and budgets but completely ignore Quality Score. Then they wonder why their CPCs keep climbing while competitors pay less for better positions. The reality? A keyword with a Quality Score of 8 can cost half as much per click as the same keyword with a Quality Score of 4.

In most accounts I audit, I find clusters of keywords stuck at Quality Scores of 3-5, bleeding budget on expensive clicks that rarely convert. The good news? Quality Score is fixable. You just need a systematic approach.

This guide covers the exact workflow I use when optimizing accounts: identify problem keywords, restructure ad groups around tight themes, write laser-focused ad copy, optimize landing pages, clean up search terms, and monitor progress. Let's get into it.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Quality Scores and Identify Problem Keywords

Before you can improve Quality Score, you need to see where you stand. Google doesn't display Quality Score data by default, so your first job is adding the right columns to your keyword view.

Navigate to your Keywords tab in Google Ads. Click the Columns icon, then select Modify Columns. Under the Quality Score section, add these columns: Quality Score, Landing Page Experience, Expected CTR, and Ad Relevance. These four metrics give you the complete diagnostic picture.

Quality Score itself is the 1-10 rating. The three component columns show whether each factor is Above Average, Average, or Below Average. This is where the real insight lives—knowing that a keyword has a Quality Score of 4 is useful, but knowing it's because of Below Average Ad Relevance tells you exactly what to fix.

Once you've added the columns, apply a filter to show only keywords with Quality Scores below 6. These are your priority targets. Keywords scoring 7-10 are generally healthy. Scores of 1-5 are actively hurting your account performance and costing you money. Understanding what is a bad Quality Score helps you prioritize which keywords need immediate attention.

Here's the workflow that makes this actionable: create a simple spreadsheet with columns for Keyword, Quality Score, Expected CTR rating, Ad Relevance rating, and Landing Page Experience rating. Export your filtered keyword list and populate this tracker.

The mistake most advertisers make is trying to fix everything at once. Don't do that. Sort your list by spend—highest to lowest. Focus on high-spend keywords with low Quality Scores first. A keyword spending $500/month with a Quality Score of 4 is a bigger problem than a keyword spending $10/month with a Quality Score of 3.

Why this matters: improving Quality Score on your highest-spend keywords delivers immediate ROI. If you're paying $5 per click on a keyword that could cost $3 with better relevance, that's a 40% cost reduction on your biggest expense line.

Document which component is Below Average for each keyword. If Expected CTR is the problem, your ad isn't compelling enough or you're showing for irrelevant searches. If Ad Relevance is flagged, your ad copy doesn't match the keyword well enough. If Landing Page Experience is weak, your destination page is slow, irrelevant, or provides a poor user experience. Diagnosing what causes low Quality Score is the first step toward fixing it.

This audit becomes your roadmap. You now know exactly which keywords need attention and which specific component to address. That's how you turn Quality Score improvement from guesswork into a systematic process.

Step 2: Restructure Ad Groups for Tighter Keyword Themes

Ad group structure is where most Quality Score problems start. When you cram 50 loosely related keywords into a single ad group, Google can't tell which keywords your ads are actually targeting. The result? Below Average Ad Relevance scores across the board.

The single-theme ad group principle works like this: each ad group should contain keywords that share the same core intent and can be served by identical ad copy. If you need different messaging for different keywords, they belong in separate ad groups.

Think of it like organizing a library. You wouldn't shelve mystery novels, cookbooks, and technical manuals in the same section. Keywords work the same way—they need thematic grouping to make sense.

Here's a practical example from an account I restructured recently. The original ad group was called "running shoes" and contained 60+ keywords: men's running shoes, women's trail running shoes, cushioned running shoes, racing flats, Nike running shoes, cheap running shoes, best running shoes for beginners.

That's a disaster for Quality Score. Someone searching for "women's trail running shoes" has completely different intent than someone searching for "cheap running shoes." Serving them the same generic ad tanks your relevance.

The fix: split that mega ad group into focused themes. Create separate ad groups for women's trail running shoes, men's cushioned running shoes, racing flats, and beginner running shoes. Each ad group gets 5-15 tightly related keywords and ad copy written specifically for that theme.

Now when someone searches for "women's trail running shoes," they see an ad with that exact phrase in the headline, a description highlighting trail-specific features, and a landing page showing women's trail models. Your Ad Relevance score goes from Below Average to Above Average because everything matches. This is the foundation of Google Ads Quality Score and keyword relevance.

You'll hear about SKAGs—Single Keyword Ad Groups—where each keyword gets its own ad group. This can work for high-value keywords where you want maximum control, but it's overkill for most accounts. The maintenance burden isn't worth it unless you're managing six-figure monthly budgets.

Instead, aim for ad groups with 5-15 keywords that share the same intent. That's tight enough for relevance but manageable enough to scale. If you find yourself writing different headlines for keywords within the same ad group, that's your signal to split them.

When restructuring, start with your lowest-performing ad groups—the ones with the most Below Average Ad Relevance scores. Identify natural keyword clusters based on product type, user intent, or feature focus. Create new ad groups for each cluster, move the keywords, and write theme-specific ads.

The compound effect here is real. Tighter ad groups mean more relevant ads. More relevant ads mean higher click-through rates. Higher CTRs improve your Expected CTR component. Better Expected CTR plus improved Ad Relevance equals higher Quality Scores. Everything builds on itself.

Step 3: Write Ad Copy That Actually Matches Search Intent

Ad copy is where you either win or lose the relevance battle. Google's Ad Relevance component specifically measures how closely your ad matches what the searcher is looking for. The fix is simpler than most advertisers think: include your target keyword in Headline 1.

This isn't about keyword stuffing. It's about clarity. When someone searches for "women's trail running shoes," seeing that exact phrase in your headline immediately signals relevance. It tells both Google and the searcher that your ad is directly related to their query.

Here's the formula that works in most accounts: Headline 1 includes the target keyword. Headline 2 highlights the main benefit or differentiator. Headline 3 adds urgency or a secondary benefit. Description lines expand on the value proposition and include a clear call to action.

Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) can help here, but use it strategically. DKI automatically inserts the searcher's query into your ad, which can boost relevance. The syntax looks like this: {KeyWord:Default Text}. If your ad group is tightly themed, DKI works great. If your keywords are all over the place, DKI will produce nonsensical ads.

When to avoid DKI: when your keyword list includes variations that would create awkward or grammatically incorrect headlines. Always preview how DKI will render with your longest keyword to avoid truncation issues.

The bigger principle is matching your ad's promise to what the searcher actually wants, not just what you want to sell. If someone searches for "affordable running shoes," they're price-conscious. Your ad should emphasize value, competitive pricing, or deals—not premium features or luxury materials. Learning how to improve ad relevance in Google Ads is essential for boosting this component.

In most accounts I audit, the disconnect happens when advertisers write ads focused on what they think sounds good rather than what matches search intent. A search for "how to increase quality score adwords" wants tactical guidance, not a sales pitch for a PPC course. Match the intent.

A/B testing is non-negotiable here. Create at least two ad variations per ad group—test different headlines, different benefit angles, different CTAs. Let them run until you have statistical significance (usually 100+ clicks per variation), then pause the loser and create a new challenger.

What usually happens here is advertisers set up one ad, let it run forever, and wonder why their CTR plateaus. Continuous testing is how you incrementally improve Expected CTR, which directly feeds into Quality Score.

Track which ad variations produce the highest CTR and the best conversion rates. Sometimes an ad gets tons of clicks but terrible conversions—that's not a win. You want relevance that drives both clicks and outcomes.

The mistake most agencies make is writing generic ads that could apply to any product or service. "Quality Products at Great Prices!" tells the searcher nothing. "Women's Trail Running Shoes - Waterproof & Grippy - Free Shipping" is specific, relevant, and actionable.

Step 4: Optimize Landing Pages for Relevance and Experience

Landing Page Experience is the component that trips up even experienced advertisers. You can have perfect ad copy and tight keyword themes, but if your landing page is slow, irrelevant, or confusing, your Quality Score tanks.

The first rule: your landing page headline should mirror your ad copy and keyword theme. If your ad promises "women's trail running shoes," the landing page better feature women's trail running shoes front and center—not a generic homepage or a category page showing all running shoes.

Message match is everything. The visitor clicked your ad expecting a specific experience. Delivering something else creates friction, increases bounce rates, and signals to Google that your landing page isn't relevant. That's how you get Below Average Landing Page Experience scores.

Page speed matters more than most advertisers realize. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to audit your landing pages. Aim for load times under 3 seconds on mobile. Compress images, minimize JavaScript, enable browser caching, use a content delivery network if needed.

Here's what I see in most accounts: landing pages packed with high-resolution images, autoplay videos, and bloated code that take 8+ seconds to load on mobile. Google explicitly penalizes slow pages in the Landing Page Experience rating. Fast pages win.

Mobile experience is non-negotiable. More than half of Google Ads traffic comes from mobile devices. Test your landing pages on actual phones—not just responsive design preview tools. Check that buttons are thumb-friendly, text is readable without zooming, and forms are easy to complete on small screens.

Content relevance goes beyond the headline. The entire page should deliver exactly what the ad promised. If your ad highlights "free shipping," that benefit should be visible above the fold on the landing page. If your ad emphasizes "30-day returns," don't bury that policy in the footer.

The landing page should also provide enough information for the visitor to make a decision. Thin content with just a headline and a form rarely converts well and often gets flagged for poor Landing Page Experience. Add product details, benefits, social proof, FAQs—whatever helps the visitor take action. This directly impacts how to increase conversion rate in Google Ads.

Navigation matters too. Don't send paid traffic to pages with distracting navigation menus that lead visitors away from your conversion goal. Use dedicated landing pages with minimal exit points. Every element should guide the visitor toward your desired action.

When you fix Landing Page Experience issues, you'll often see improvements in conversion rates before you see Quality Score changes. That's actually ideal—you're making your account more profitable while also building toward better Quality Scores.

Track Core Web Vitals—Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift. Google uses these metrics to assess page experience. Poor scores here correlate with Below Average Landing Page Experience ratings.

Step 5: Clean Up Your Search Terms Report Regularly

Expected CTR problems often trace back to one source: irrelevant search queries triggering your ads. When your ad shows for searches that have nothing to do with your offer, people don't click. Low CTR on irrelevant impressions drags down your Expected CTR score.

The Search Terms Report is where you diagnose this. Navigate to Keywords, then click Search Terms to see the actual queries that triggered your ads. This is where reality meets strategy—you'll discover what people are really searching for when they see your ads. Understanding how to improve your search terms is critical for maintaining healthy Expected CTR scores.

Review this report weekly at minimum. Look for search terms that are clearly irrelevant to your offer. If you're selling premium running shoes and you're showing for "cheap running shoes under $20," that's junk traffic. Add "cheap" and "under $20" as negative keywords.

Building Google AdWords negative keywords lists by theme helps you scale this cleanup across campaigns. Create lists like "price-focused terms," "competitor brands," "informational queries," and "irrelevant products." Apply these lists at the campaign or account level to prevent wasted impressions.

Here's the compound effect: cleaner traffic means your ads only show for relevant searches. Relevant searches mean people actually click. Higher CTR improves your Expected CTR component. Better Expected CTR feeds into higher Quality Scores. Lower CPCs and better ad positions follow.

What usually happens in neglected accounts is broad match keywords trigger thousands of irrelevant impressions. The advertiser wonders why their CTR is 0.5% when industry benchmarks are 3-5%. The answer is always in the Search Terms Report—90% of impressions are garbage.

Use match types strategically to control this. Exact match gives you maximum control but limited reach. Phrase match offers a balance. Broad match can work if you're diligent about negative keywords and have strong conversion tracking. Understanding how match types affect Quality Score helps you make smarter decisions about keyword targeting.

When you add negative keywords, think in themes rather than individual terms. If you're seeing irrelevant searches around "free," "DIY," "homemade," and "tutorial," you're likely attracting informational searchers rather than buyers. Add all those terms as negatives.

Track your CTR trends over time. As you clean up search terms and add negatives, you should see CTR gradually improve. That's the signal that you're tightening relevance and improving Expected CTR.

The mistake most advertisers make is treating search term cleanup as a one-time task. It's not. New irrelevant queries appear constantly as Google's algorithms test your ads against different searches. Weekly reviews keep your traffic clean and your Expected CTR healthy.

Step 6: Monitor, Measure, and Iterate

Quality Score improvements don't happen overnight. Google needs time to recalculate scores based on updated performance data. Expect 2-4 weeks to see meaningful movement after making changes.

Here's the challenge: Google doesn't show historical Quality Score trends by default. You can see today's score, but tracking how it changes over time requires manual documentation. Set up a monthly tracking spreadsheet with columns for date, keyword, Quality Score, and component ratings.

Record your baseline scores before making changes. Then check back weekly to see if scores are moving in the right direction. If a keyword's Quality Score improves from 4 to 6, document what you changed—was it ad copy, landing page, or search term cleanup? That becomes your playbook for fixing similar issues.

Set up a monthly review cadence. Block time on your calendar to audit Quality Scores, check component ratings, and identify new problem keywords. This prevents backsliding and catches issues before they become expensive. Following best practices for Google Ads Quality Score ensures you maintain gains over time.

Not every low Quality Score needs fixing. Branded competitor terms, for example, often have low Quality Scores because Google knows your ad isn't as relevant as the competitor's own ads. That's fine—if the economics work and you're acquiring customers profitably, accept the higher CPC.

Similarly, some ultra-competitive keywords will always have average Quality Scores simply because everyone in your industry is optimizing aggressively. Focus your energy where you can make the biggest impact: high-spend keywords with clear component weaknesses.

Track your average CPC alongside Quality Score changes. The real proof is in your costs. If you improve Quality Scores but your CPCs stay flat, something else is driving your costs—likely increased competition or bid adjustments.

What I see in most accounts is initial improvement followed by plateau. You fix the obvious issues, scores improve, then they stabilize. That's normal. The goal isn't perfect 10s across the board—it's eliminating the 1-5 scores that are actively hurting performance.

Keep iterating on ad copy. Even after your Quality Scores improve, continue A/B testing new variations. Small CTR improvements compound over time, gradually pushing Expected CTR from Average to Above Average.

Monitor your competitors. If you notice sudden Quality Score drops or CPC increases, check what competitors are doing. New entrants with aggressive ad copy can shift the competitive landscape and impact your relative performance. Using Auction Insights in AdWords helps you track competitive shifts.

Putting It All Together

Quality Score improvement is a systematic process, not a one-time fix. Start by auditing your current scores and identifying problem keywords—focus on high-spend keywords with scores below 6. Restructure your ad groups around tight keyword themes so each group can support highly relevant ad copy.

Write ads that include your target keyword in Headline 1 and match the searcher's intent. Test variations continuously to improve CTR. Optimize your landing pages for relevance, speed, and mobile experience—make sure the page delivers exactly what the ad promises.

Clean up your Search Terms Report weekly. Add negative keywords for irrelevant queries that hurt your Expected CTR. Build negative keyword lists by theme to scale this cleanup across campaigns.

Monitor your progress monthly. Track Quality Score changes manually since Google doesn't provide historical data. Document what works so you can replicate successful tactics across other keywords and campaigns.

The compound effect is real. Better Quality Scores mean lower CPCs. Lower CPCs mean more clicks for the same budget. More clicks mean more conversions. More conversions mean better ROI. Everything builds on itself when you get the fundamentals right.

Most advertisers leave money on the table by ignoring Quality Score. They focus exclusively on bids and budgets while paying 50-100% more per click than they should. The accounts that win are the ones that treat Quality Score optimization as a core lever, not an afterthought.

Start with your highest-spend, lowest-Quality Score keywords. Fix the component that's Below Average—whether that's Expected CTR, Ad Relevance, or Landing Page Experience. Work through your keyword list systematically, documenting changes and tracking results.

Quality Score improvements take patience, but the payoff is worth it. I've seen accounts reduce average CPC by 30-40% through systematic Quality Score optimization. That's not magic—it's just matching keywords, ads, and landing pages to what searchers actually want.

The workflow becomes routine once you establish it. Weekly search term cleanup, monthly Quality Score audits, continuous ad testing. These habits compound into significant cost savings and performance improvements over time.

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