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Lessons Catalog
Lesson 4a: Quality and Performance Basics
How It Works
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Objective: Learn about how quality impacts Google search results, ads, and the performance of your account. Find out how to monitor your performance.
People use Google because they find what they're looking for fast — whether it be the latest news, best candy bar, or closest pizzeria. This is the essence of relevance: Google provides users with the most relevant search results based on their search.
However, relevancy doesn't end with our search results. We also work to show the most relevant ads for every search query. This model works for users and advertisers alike: The more relevant the ads are, the more likely users are to click on your ads now and again in the future.
We measure relevancy for search and ads differently.
- For search results, relevance and ranking are automatically determined by over 100 factors, including Google's patented PageRank algorithm.
- For AdWords ads, the most important factor in relevance and ranking is the ad's quality, also called the Quality Score. This measurement is the strongest representation of how useful a user has found an ad to be and is central to the AdWords cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model.
AdWords uses a dynamic variable called 'Quality Score' to evaluate keyword relevance. Quality Score is based on your keyword's clickthrough rate (CTR) on Google; the relevance of your ad text, keyword, and landing page; and several other relevance factors.
A Quality Score is calculated every time your keyword matches a search query-that is, every time your keyword has the potential to trigger an ad. Quality Score is used in several different ways, including influencing your keywords' actual cost-per-clicks (CPCs) and the first page bid estimates that you see in your account. It also partly determines if a keyword is eligible to enter the ad auction that occurs when a user enters a search query and, if it is, how high the ad will be ranked. In general, the higher your Quality Score, the lower your costs and the better your ad position.
Quality Score helps ensure that only the most relevant ads appear to users on Google and the Google Network. The AdWords system works best for everybody-advertisers, users, publishers, and Google too-when the ads we display match our users' needs as closely as possible. Relevant ads tend to earn more clicks, appear in a higher position, and bring you the most success.
Due to the dynamic nature of search, your keywords' Quality Scores can fluctuate often. Therefore, it's a good idea to keep tabs on your performance and make adjustments as needed.
To analyze your account performance quickly, use the following resources:
- Keyword Analysis page: Check the Keyword Analysis page to get a detailed view about your keyword's
performance — including how Quality Score impacts your keyword and ad performance and how you can
improve it. You'll also find your first page bid estimate, which tells you the cost-per-click (CPC) bid likely needed for your keyword to trigger ads on the first page of search results. To launch the Keyword Analysis page, point your cursor over the magnifying glass icon beside any keyword in your
account; then click one of the 'Details and recommendations' links.
- Keyword Status: View the 'Status' column on the 'Keywords' tab of your Ad Group Details page. Your
keyword status indicates whether or not your keyword is triggering ads to appear on search results pages. As
mentioned, each of your keywords (except any negative keywords) is identified by a keyword state. Here's the full
breakdown:
- Active: Active keywords are eligible to trigger ads. You may see the following two notes beneath the 'Active' status:
- Bid is below first page bid estimate of ____: This will appear if your keyword's cost-per-click (CPC) bid doesn't meet the amount likely to place your ad on the first page of Google web search.
- Ads show rarely due to low Quality Score: This will appear if your keyword's Quality Score is very low and preventing your ad from accruing much traffic. In this case, we recommend following these optimization tips to improve your Quality Score.
- Disapproved: These keywords don't comply with our Editorial Guidelines or Content Policy and won't
trigger ads until you correct the problem.
- Paused/Deleted: These are keywords you've paused or deleted. They won't enter the ad auction and
therefore won't trigger your ads.
To learn how to enable a keyword that isn't running, visit the Keyword Status
troubleshooting topic.
- CTR Column: View the 'CTR' column on your Campaign Summary page to see how well a campaign is
performing. The higher the clickthrough rate (CTR), the better the campaign is probably doing.
For more in-depth performance tracking, we suggest that you set up conversion tracking
or Google Analytics.
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