To make sure that the search engine can show users the most relevant ads, Google uses a complex algorithm which estimates the quality of an AdWords ad. This quality estimation is performed at each ad auction in real time and determines the Ad Rank along with the maximum cost-per-click offer (max. CPC).
Ad Rank = Maximum CPC x Quality Score
The search engine giant will not reveal in detail exactly how this calculation works at an auction level. To give advertisers the ability to find out the quality of their own ads, you can retrieve a Quality Score in your AdWords account for every advertised keyword. Basic components needed for the calculation are data like:
- The expected click-through rate of ads
- The ad’s relevance
- The users’ previous experience with the landing page
The result is represented on a scale of 1 to 10. But this is only an estimate and should not be compared to the actual, auction-specific Quality Score since auction-dependent variables are not taken into account in the estimation.
AdWords Quality Score (retrievable in account) ≠ auction-dependent Quality Score (stays secret)
Factors that change with each keyword search containing the same keyword are: the respective device in use, the location of the (searching) user, the time of day, and the exact wording of the search phrase containing the keyword. The Quality Score displayed in the AdWords account on a keyword level doesn’t have a direct impact on the ad rank. But the components that are used to calculate this estimate are also incorporated into the auction-specific Quality Score. So it’s generally recommended to optimize ads so that the highest possible estimate for the AdWords Quality Score can be obtained. Let’s look at how this can affect and increase your Quality Score.