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Quality Score: why does your competitor pay less per click?

6 minutes, 9 steps, workout 4 of 6 in this module

Your competitor shows up above you on the same search and, as far as you can tell, pays less for each click. The client asks whether you simply need to bid more. Before you raise the budget, the Quality Score column next to each keyword tells you where to look: the ad, the page it sends people to, or how likely people are to click at all. Reading it as a check-up rather than a grade to chase keeps you from spending more on a problem that money doesn't fix.

What you'll be able to do

By the end of this workout, you'll know the three parts of Quality Score, why it's a check-up and not an auction input, and how better ads and pages can lower what you pay for the same position.

A first look: What Quality Score measures

Quality Score is a 1 to 10 estimate for each keyword, built from three parts: expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Each part is rated above average, average or below average.

What this workout covers

  1. 1What Quality Score measures
  2. 2A check-up, not a dial
  3. 3Case: Why do towels cost more?
  4. 4Summary

A question from this workout

Pamora and Cloudline both show for “towel set” in similar positions. Cloudline pays $1.20 per click and Pamora pays $1.90. What most likely explains the gap?

  1. Google charges bigger advertisers less
  2. Cloudline's ad and page fit the search better, so it needs a lower price to hold its position
  3. Cloudline paid Google upfront for a discount

Pick your answer first, then open the reasoning below.

Show the answer and the reasoning

Answer: B. Cloudline's ad and page fit the search better, so it needs a lower price to hold its position

The top spot doesn't simply go to the highest bid. Higher quality ads, matched to the search and the landing page, can often hold a position at a lower cost per click. Quality is part of the price.

The other steps work the same way: you decide first, then see why each option is right or wrong.

How you practice here

  • 3 short concept cards
  • 2 multiple-choice questions
  • 1 campaign case with real-looking numbers
  • 1 matching exercise
  • 1 find-it-on-screen exercise
  • 1 slide-and-see exercise