What is Quality Score, what are its components, and how do you improve it?

Quality Score is a 1-10 diagnostic at the keyword level, estimating how relevant your ad and landing page are to a search. It is reported as an aggregate of three components, each rated Below Average, Average, or Above Average.

• Expected click-through rate — how likely your ad is to be clicked when shown for this keyword, relative to competitors. The heaviest-weighted component.
• Ad relevance — how closely the ad copy matches the intent of the keyword.
• Landing page experience — relevance of the page content, transparency, ease of navigation, and mobile load speed.

How to improve each:

• Expected CTR — tighter ad groups so the ad speaks directly to the keyword, stronger headlines with the benefit and a clear call to action, and adding assets to increase the ad's footprint.
• Ad relevance — include the keyword in the headline naturally, and split ad groups where one is covering several distinct intents.
• Landing page experience — match the page to the ad promise, improve mobile load time, and remove friction from the form.

Note: Quality Score is a diagnostic, not a KPI. Do not optimise it for its own sake — the auction uses real-time quality signals, and the reported number is a directional summary. Say that, and you will sound like a practitioner.