Google Ads Low Quality Score: What It Tells You and How to Fix It

Last checked 3 October 2026 against Google's documentation. By Muhammed Abdul Kalam. Wasted spend

Quick fix

A Google Ads low quality score is a diagnostic, not a penalty: it isn't used in the auction. Add the three component columns to your keywords table, find which is Below average (expected CTR, ad relevance or landing page experience) and fix that part of the ad, keyword grouping or landing page.

Add the Exp. CTR, Ad Relevance and Landing Page Exp. columns to the keywords table.
Note which component says Below average.
Check for a dash, which means not enough data, not a low score.

Can't fix it yourself? Send me the details

What this error means

Quality Score rates each keyword from 1-10 on how relevant and useful your ads and landing page are compared with other advertisers. Google is clear that it's a diagnostic tool, not an input in the auction and not a target to optimise. The useful part is its three components, which tell you what to fix.

Google calls Quality Score a diagnostic tool meant to show how your ad quality compares to other advertisers.

Why it happens

1Expected CTR is below average

People are less likely to click your ad than competitors' ads for the same searches.

How to tell if this is you: The Exp. CTR column says Below average or Average.

2Ad relevance is below average

Your ad doesn't closely match the intent behind the searches, often because an ad group holds too many different keywords.

How to tell if this is you: The Ad Relevance column says Below average or Average.

3Landing page experience is below average

The page people reach isn't relevant or useful enough for the search they made.

How to tell if this is you: The Landing Page Exp. column says Below average or Average.

How to fix it

See the components

Open your keywords.Campaigns then Keywords
Open Modify columns for keywords, then the Quality score section.
Add Quality Score, Exp. CTR, Ad Relevance and Landing Page Exp..

Improve expected CTR

For: Expected CTR is below average

Make your offer more compelling and match the details in the ad to the intent of your keywords.
Highlight a unique benefit, such as free shipping.

Improve ad relevance

For: Ad relevance is below average

Match the language of your ad text more directly to search terms.
Split ad groups with many different keywords into smaller groups that match searches better.

Improve the landing page

For: Landing page experience is below average

Give people what they searched for on the page they land on.
Keep the message consistent from ad to page, and make sure the page delivers the ad's offer.

How long it takes

Google doesn't publish a timeline for this.

How to stop it happening again

Keep ad groups tightly themed so one ad can match all their keywords.
Write landing pages for the searches that lead to them.
Don't chase the number itself: Google says it shouldn't be optimised as a KPI.

From my desk

It depends on the account, and I would check the three components keyword by keyword. I fix whichever one shows below average. Ad groups holding too many themes often drag ad relevance down, and slow or off topic pages hurt landing page experience.

Muhammed Abdul Kalam

When to get help

Landing page experience stays below average and you need changes to the site you can't make yourself.
The account structure needs regrouping across many campaigns.

Stuck on this? Send me the details.Tell me what the platform shows and what you've tried so far.

Send me the details

FAQs

Does a low Quality Score raise my costs?

Quality Score itself isn't an input in the auction. Ad quality, which Quality Score summarises, is part of Ad Rank, so improving the components can help.

What are the three parts of Quality Score?

Expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Each is rated Above average, Average or Below average.

Will changing match types improve Quality Score?

No. Quality Score is based on impressions for exact searches of your keyword, so changing match types won't change it.

Why does my keyword show a dash instead of a Quality Score?

There aren't enough searches that exactly match the keyword to calculate a score.