PPC - Pay Per Click Management

Quality score, what’s the fuss with it? PPC marketers are always keeping this in the forefront of their mind. As a new PPC marketer or client, you will need to understand it as well. The objective of this post is to tell you:

• What quality scores are?
• The elements that make up a good quality score
• How to improve yours
• What will happen when you improve your score?

After each section, check off the elements to make sure your PPC campaigns have met these expectations.

1. What Are Quality Scores?

After you get your Google Ads approved, you will receive a quality score and it will appear both in Google Adwords and in your AdWords editor. The range is between 1 and 10; with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest score possible. Don’t be alarmed when you receive a low score. It shows that you have opportunities to improve. Google has given you all the tools you need to be successful with their PPC program. A low score will give you a lower ad position and raise your CPC (cost-per-click).

Check: You understand quality scores
Check: You know where to find your quality score 

2. The Elements of A Quality Score 

The elements include:

• Relevance
• Landing Page Quality
• CTR (click through rate)

To understand where Google is coming from, you must put on your “I’m a searcher” hat. Searchers get easily frustrated when they search for a term, click on an ad or a SERP (search engine results page) query, and do not get what they want. Examples of this include: promises to deliver something that was stated in the ad and wrong landing pages. In addition to giving the searcher what they want, Google is smarter than you think. They can tell if a landing page is user friendly and easy to navigate. They measure your past and current CTR. If you improve your clicks, you’ll likely improve your score.

Check: You understand what elements factor into your score 

3. How to Improve Your Score

Give a searcher what they want. If you say, “Click here for a free report”, then give deliver on your promise. Make it easy to find the report you promised them. Align your keyword(s) with the landing page. For example: if your ad is about ‘Baseball Gloves’, then make sure the landing page is about ‘Baseball Gloves’. By that I also mean the keyword be mentioned on the page too. You think that’s easy to do, but so many PPC marketers accidentally send the ads to the wrong page. Make your site easy to use and navigate. Use clear call-to-actions, get rid of flashing images & flashy banners, and keep it simple.

Check: Ad keyword aligned with capture page
Check: Deliver your promises
Check: Landing page is easy to use 

4. What Will Happen When I Improve My Quality Score?

As mentioned above, your CPC will actually decrease. This allows you to increase your advertising. How about that? It will give you an edge over your competitors. Your ads will be displayed in more prominent positions, thus getting you even more clicks. Please note that the Organic listing to PPC listing ratio is roughly 75/25%. Among all first page PPC listings, the 10 of ya are competing for that 25%. Having said that, the first 3 listings/positions get:

• 1st gets 80% of the clicks
• 2nd gets 10%
• 3rd gets 5%

It’s imperative (really important) to get a quality of 7 and above.

Check: I know how my PPC campaigns will benefit from a higher quality score.

Thanks for reading. I know that as you apply these teachings, your quality score will improve, your advertising budget will be more effective, show searchers you care about them, and have an edge over your competitors. Comment below if this will help you in your next PPC campaign.