Google Ads Quality Score: How to Get 10/10 (Complete Guide)

Master Google Ads Quality Score in 2026. Learn how to improve Expected CTR, Ad Relevance, and Landing Page Experience to lower CPC and improve ad rank.

Google Ads Quality Score: How to Get 10/10 (Complete Guide) Quality Score is the single most important metric that most Google Ads advertisers ignore. It directly determines two things: how much you pay per click and whether your ad shows at all. Advertisers with a Quality Score of 10 pay up to 50% less per click than those with a Quality Score of 5. That's not a theoretical number — it's how Google's Ad Rank formula works. Every point of Quality Score you gain lowers your cost and improves your position. This guide breaks down exactly what Quality Score is, how Google calculates it, and the specific steps to push each component toward 10/10. --- What Is Quality Score? Quality Score is Google's 1-10 rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords and ads. It's calculated at the keyword level — every keyword in your account has its own Quality Score. Google uses Quality Score as an input to Ad Rank, which determines: • Whether your ad shows at all • What position your ad appears in • How much you actually pay per click The Ad Rank Formula This means a $3 bid with a Quality Score of 10 (Ad Rank = 30) beats a $5 bid with a Quality Score of 5 (Ad Rank = 25). Higher Quality Score = lower cost, better position. --- The Three Components of Quality Score Google calculates Quality Score from three components, each rated as "Above Average," "Average," or "Below Average": 1. Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR) How likely someone is to click your ad when it appears for this keyword. Google compares your historical CTR against other advertisers targeting the same keyword, normalizing for ad position. Weight: Highest impact on Quality Score. 2. Ad Relevance How closely your ad copy matches the intent behind the keyword. If someone searches "red running shoes" and your ad talks about "athletic footwear," Google considers that less relevant than an ad specifically mentioning "red running shoes." Weight: Medium impact. 3. Landing Page Experience How relevant, useful, and fast your landing page is for someone who clicked your ad. Google evaluates content relevance, page load speed, mobile friendliness, and ease of navigation. Weight: Medium-high impact (and growing in importance). --- How to Check Your Quality Score 1. Go to Keywords in your Google Ads account 2. Click Columns > Modify Columns 3. Under Quality Score, add: • Quality Score • Expected CTR • Ad Relevance • Landing Page Experience 4. Apply and review You can also add historical Quality Score columns to see how scores have changed over time. --- Improving Expected CTR Expected CTR is the hardest component to improve because it's based on historical click data. But here are proven strategies: Use the Keyword in Your Headline The most direct way to improve CTR is to include the exact keyword (or a close variant) in your ad headline. Google bolds matching terms in search results, making your ad stand out visually. Poor: "Great Athletic Gear — Shop Today" Better: "Red Running Shoes — Free Shipping + 30-Day Returns" Write Compelling Headlines Your headline needs to accomplish three things in 30 characters: 1. Match the search query 2. Communicate a benefit or differentiator 3. Create urgency or curiosity Headlines with numbers outperform those without: "Save 40%" beats "Great Savings." Headlines with specifics beat generalities: "$49 Running Shoes" beats "Affordable Running Shoes." Use All Available Ad Extensions Extensions increase your ad's real estate on the page, which directly improves CTR: • Sitelinks — add 4-6 links to key pages • Callouts — highlight benefits ("Free Shipping," "24/7 Support") • Structured Snippets — list product categories or features • Price Extensions — show pricing for products/services Ads with extensions see 10-15% higher CTR on average. Pin High-Performing Headlines In Responsive Search Ads, pin your best headline to Position 1 so it always shows. Test different headlines in positions 2 and 3. Improve Your Offer Sometimes low CTR isn't a copywriting problem — it's an offer problem. If competitors offer free shipping and you don't, no amount of headline optimization will close the gap. --- Improving Ad Relevance Ad Relevance measures how well your ad copy matches the keyword's intent. This is the easiest component to fix. Create Tightly Themed Ad Groups The number one cause of poor Ad Relevance is ad groups with too many unrelated keywords. If one ad group contains "running shoes," "hiking boots," and "dress shoes," your ad can't be relevant to all three. Structure your ad groups with 5-15 closely related keywords. Each ad group should have a clear theme, and the ads in that group should speak directly to that theme. Match Your Ad Copy to Keywords For each ad group, ensure at least 3-5 headlines include the exact keyword or close variants. Your descriptions should also reference the keyword naturally. Ad Group: "Red Running Shoes" • Headline 1: "Red Running Shoes — Shop Now" • Headline 2