What Is Quality Score?
Quick Answer
Quality Score is Google Ads' rating (1-10) of how relevant and useful your ad, keywords, and landing page are to the person searching — a higher score typically lowers your cost per click and improves ad position.
Quality Score vs. CPC — What's the Difference?
| Quality Score | CPC | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A relevance rating (1-10) | An actual cost paid per click |
| Relationship | Higher score typically lowers CPC | Result influenced by Quality Score |
Why Does Quality Score Matter for a Small Business?
- A higher Quality Score means paying less for the same ad position — directly stretching a limited budget further.
- It rewards genuinely relevant, well-matched campaigns rather than just outbidding competitors.
How Is Quality Score Calculated?
Google factors in three main elements: expected click-through rate, ad relevance to the keyword, and landing page experience — each compared against other advertisers targeting the same keyword.
Key Takeaways
- Quality Score rates ad relevance on a 1-10 scale.
- A higher score lowers CPC and improves ad position.
- Alignment between keyword, ad copy, and landing page is the main lever to improve it.
How NetNav Helps
NetNav checks whether your landing pages actually match what your ads promise, which directly affects Quality Score.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a good Quality Score?
7 or above is generally considered strong; below 5 typically signals a real mismatch between keyword, ad, and landing page worth fixing.
How do I improve my Quality Score?
Make sure your ad copy, keyword, and landing page content are all closely and obviously related to each other and to the search term.
Does Quality Score directly cost money to check?
No — it's visible for free within your Google Ads account for every keyword you're running.