3 Components of the Quality Score Everyone Should Know

This is the second post in a series of 5 focusing on Quality Score. We all know there are numerous components to Google Adwords’ quality score. In this post I’ll outline what Google says are the top three components. It is essential that all advertisers understand that quality score is based on all components working harmoniously together. Look at it as if you were to construct a building. You have all your major components of putting together the building, but it’s not complete until everything has come together to form one solid structure. That structure provides stability, growth and a source of good ROI. Your keywords, landing page and ad text are the three most important components of quality score.

1. Keywords

Your keywords are first and foremost the most important aspect of increasing your quality score. Your keywords are the only component in your account that will actually give you a rating of poor, ok or great. However, even with keyword ratings, determining your overall quality score is much more complex than poor, ok or great.

“The Quality Score used to determine minimum bid is derived from your keyword’s click-through rate (CTR), the relevance of the keyword and ad text to its ad group, your landing page quality, and other relevance factors. “

All keywords have a minimum bid. The goal is to get the lowest minimum bid that Google will allow. In order to do this you have to improve your quality score. Your keywords relate directly to your landing page and ad text. The more you use your keywords in your ad text and landing page the more likely your quality score will improve.

2. Ad Text

The goal, as Google sees it, is for advertisers to provide the best, most relevant experience for the user. Including your keywords in your ad text is just one step in the right direction to provide relevant ad text to the search query. If you have poor ad text that isn’t getting many clicks, or has a low click-through rate then you may be experiencing a lower quality score in return. At that point you may see your keyword minimum bids increase due to low click-through rate and low relevance.

Adding dynamic keyword insertion into your ad text is another great way to make your ad text more relevant and in turn, can help in crease your quality score.

“Keyword insertion simply compromises between generic ad text and specific keywords, so you’ll need to experiment with your ad groups to see whether your Quality Scores are improved over time with this feature. “

3. The Landing Page

What you do to your landing page can have immediate affects on your minimum keyword bids, your keyword-targeted ads positions on the content network, and probably the most important to all advertisers, your ROI.

Google has outlined their top 3 components of a ‘quality website’.

1. Relevant and original content

Users should be able to easily find what your ad promises. The landing page to which your ad links to should provide the most useful information about the product or service in your ad. As for originality, feature content that can’t be found on another site.

2. Transparency

According to Google, transparency is about building trust with your customers. The nature of your business, how your site interacts with a visitor’s computer and how you intent to use a visitor’s person information if you request it should be made clear on your landing page. Read on for more in depth information on transparency.

3. Navigability

Easy navigation is an integral part of anyone’s website that is looking to sell a product or service. But making the direction you want customers to take clear is also essential to improving your quality score. People who find it easy to move around your site are more likely to move forward with a sale or service.

Google suggests providing a short and easy path for users to purchase or receive the product or offer in your ad.

Remember, these are merely the building blocks of your quality score. Work on each individually, with the other in mind to eventually provide the most relevant keywords, ad text and landing page to your customers. Was today’s blog post helpful? Stay tuned to PPC Hero, our Google AdWords Quality Score Guide is coming soon!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 16th, 2007 at 9:28 am and is filed under Google AdWords Quality Score. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.