{"id":8912,"date":"2023-04-05T12:45:42","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T12:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/"},"modified":"2023-04-05T12:45:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T12:45:42","slug":"quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/","title":{"rendered":"Quality score in paid search: Vanity or valuable?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/quality-score-ppc-394513\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quality score<\/a>. Two words that strike fear in the hearts of paid search professionals everywhere.<\/p>\n<p>OK, not really.<\/p>\n<p>But quality score can be a confusing metric that sparks debate.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#A_vanity_metric\" >A vanity metric?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#Defining_quality_score\" >Defining quality score<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#Is_quality_score_important\" >Is quality score important?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#What_the_experts_say\" >What the experts say<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#Then_why_do_advertisers_say_quality_score_is_a_vanity_metric\" >Then why do advertisers say quality score is a vanity metric?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#Settling_the_quality_score\" >Settling the (quality) score<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#Use_tightly_themed_ad_groups\" >Use tightly themed ad groups<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/05\/quality-score-in-paid-search-vanity-or-valuable\/#Improve_your_landing_pages\" >Improve your landing pages<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_vanity_metric\"><\/span>A vanity metric?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some practitioners contend that quality score is a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MrAguilar_\/status\/1631077564448948224\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">vanity metric<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Others view quality score as a KPI to be optimized and reported regularly.<\/p>\n<p>The discussion rages on.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also the question of whether quality score is a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AnthonyHigman\/status\/1626323605159133185\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">factor in ad rank<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>(Spoiler alert, it is <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jyllsaskingales\/status\/1626351490938945536?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">indeed a factor<\/a>.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Quality score might be the most confusing PPC metric ever.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Defining_quality_score\"><\/span>Defining quality score<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a step back and talk about what quality score actually is.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/quality-score-ppc-394513\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this article<\/a> by Navah Hopkins, she defines quality score as \u201ca score calculated by Google and Microsoft alongside your bid to determine your ad rank.\u201d\u00a0To understand the basics of quality score, read this excellent article if you haven\u2019t already.<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line: quality score determines where your ad appears on the page and how much you pay for each click.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_quality_score_important\"><\/span>Is quality score important?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Should you focus on improving quality score? Or is it really just a vanity metric?<\/p>\n<p>Google\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/6167118?hl=en#:~:text=Quality%20Score%20is%20not%20a,keywords%20affect%20the%20user%20experience\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">official help files<\/a> say this:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cQuality Score is calculated based on the combined performance of 3 components:<\/p>\n<p>Expected clickthrough rate (CTR): The likelihood that your ad will be clicked when shown.<\/p>\n<p>Ad relevance: How closely your ad matches the intent behind a user\u2019s search.<\/p>\n<p>Landing page experience: How relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad.<\/p>\n<p>Each component is evaluated with a status of \u201cAbove average,\u201d \u201cAverage,\u201d or \u201cBelow average.\u201d This evaluation is based on a comparison with other advertisers whose ads showed for the exact same keyword, over the last 90 days.<\/p>\n<p>If one of these components has a status of \u201cAverage\u201d or \u201cBelow average,\u201d this may indicate an opportunity to make improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2013 About Quality Score, Google Ads Help<\/em><\/p>\n<p>From reading the above, Google thinks it\u2019s important for advertisers to improve their quality score. <\/p>\n<p>However, we all know that Google often tells advertisers to focus on things that make Google money but don\u2019t help the advertiser\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n<p>Some paid search pros posit that quality score is significant as a metric. In this <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/all-hail-quality-score-king-of-the-adwords-kpis-166542\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2013 article<\/a>, Larry Kim claims that quality score is \u201cking of the KPIs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, Kim is making a circular argument. He rightly states that quality score can impact CPA.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yes, it does.<\/p>\n<p>Quality score impacts CPC, so it also impacts CPA. If you\u2019re paying a high CPC, then by definition, you will pay more for each conversion than an advertiser paying a low CPC.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s basic math. You could just as easily argue that an advertiser should reduce their max CPCs to reduce CPA.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not really that simple, but is the time spent focusing on quality score worth it?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_experts_say\"><\/span>What the experts say<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many experts in the field believe it is.<\/p>\n<p>Brad Geddes, founder of PPC tool Adalysis, has written several posts about improving quality scores. The tool also <a href=\"https:\/\/support.adalysis.com\/support\/solutions\/articles\/1000241611-quality-score-management\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">features modules<\/a> to help advertisers improve their quality score, showing quality score data at various levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/support.adalysis.com\/support\/solutions\/articles\/1000281129-keywords-with-poor-ad-relevance-quality-score\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one article<\/a>, Geddes illustrates how to improve quality score by moving low quality score keywords to a new ad group.<\/p>\n<p>Optmyzr, another PPC tool created by former Googler Fred Vallaeys, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optmyzr.com\/blog\/five-ways-optmyzr-tracks-quality-score-that-adwords-cant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">also features modules<\/a> to improve quality score.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optmyzr.com\/blog\/google-ads-quality-score\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this article<\/a> from late 2022, Ashwin Balakrishnan of Optmyzr states that quality score is still important.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I have a great deal of respect for both Geddes and Vallaeys. They\u2019ve been mentors of mine in the search industry. <\/p>\n<p>If these tool founders feel that quality score is so important that they\u2019ve invested time and resources building modules to improve it, it must be important. Right?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Then_why_do_advertisers_say_quality_score_is_a_vanity_metric\"><\/span>Then why do advertisers say quality score is a vanity metric?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are several reasons. First off, there\u2019s the fact that Google doesn\u2019t even show a quality score for every keyword.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Brady <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/robert_brady\/status\/1405868163137347584?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">showed an example<\/a> of a keyword spending over $13,000 in 30 days with no quality score showing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>I\u2019ve seen similar things in my accounts \u2013 keywords with large spend yet no quality score showing.<\/p>\n<p>Google Ads liaison Ginny Marvin <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GinnyMarvin\/status\/1405975123094609924\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a> quality scores will only show for keywords with \u201cenough\u201d exact match impressions. Keywords also need \u201crecent\u201d exact match impressions.<\/p>\n<p>If quality score is so important, why doesn\u2019t it appear for every keyword? And how does one optimize for data we don\u2019t have?<\/p>\n<p>Next, there\u2019s B2B, the world I live in. <\/p>\n<p>B2B keywords are notorious for having low quality scores. While we\u2019ll never know all the reasons for this, it likely has to do with a few factors:<\/p>\n<p>Low search volume compared to B2C searches.<\/p>\n<p>Niche, industry-specific search terms that Google doesn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n<p>Ambiguity with B2C searches (e.g., \u201csecurity solutions,\u201d \u201crenewable energy,\u201d etc.).<\/p>\n<p>Competition \u2013 many deep-pocketed advertisers vying for relatively few ambiguous searches.<\/p>\n<p>Search engine algorithms don\u2019t understand intent, especially in B2B.<\/p>\n<p>The last bullet is especially important (and frustrating). Because:<\/p>\n<p>As Geddes <a href=\"https:\/\/adalysis.com\/blog\/different-way-think-ad-relevance-quality-scores\/)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">puts it<\/a>, \u201calgorithms don\u2019t think \u2013 they just examine numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>B2B volume is lower than B2C.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s overlap with B2C.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, engine algorithms don\u2019t understand intent, and B2B advertisers are often punished with low quality scores \u2013 sometimes even on brand terms.<\/p>\n<p>Hopkins\u2019 quality score article states that:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[T]hese scores are determined based on how your campaign did against comparable advertisers. However, depending on the advertisers Google chooses [to] compare you with, it is possible for a good CTR sometimes to get downgraded to average (or even below average).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example from one of our clients:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>We have three brand keywords with middling quality scores.<\/p>\n<p>Two of the three keywords have double-digit CTR, yet one of the keywords \u2013 for a \u201cfree account,\u201d no less \u2013 shows that the expected CTR is below average!<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s enough to make an advertiser throw up their hands in frustration.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, we often do not strongly focus on optimizing quality score for our B2B clients. <\/p>\n<p>Dealing with engines that don\u2019t understand ambiguity or B2B is just banging your head against the wall. It takes time away from other, more leveraged optimizations like landing page and ad copy testing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Settling_the_quality_score\"><\/span>Settling the (quality) score<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019re back to the original question: Is quality score truly important?<\/p>\n<p>It is, but maybe not in the way you think.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Quality score shouldn\u2019t be a KPI on its own. You should not report to clients or obsess over it daily.<\/p>\n<p>But you shouldn\u2019t ignore it either. Instead, use quality score directionally. Let low quality scores point you to <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/ppc-prioritization-knowing-where-to-focus-efforts-to-make-the-biggest-impact-393064\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">other optimizations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_tightly_themed_ad_groups\"><\/span>Use tightly themed ad groups<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For example, small, tightly-themed ad groups <a href=\"https:\/\/adalysis.com\/blog\/how-to-create-proper-keyword-themed-ad-groups-for-google-ads-accounts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">are still important<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve improved quality score (and performance) by splitting up large ad groups into smaller ad groups around a theme and using ad copy that mirrors the theme.<\/p>\n<p>Even in today\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-responsive-search-ads-383941\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RSA world<\/a>, tightly themed ad groups still matter.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_your_landing_pages\"><\/span>Improve your landing pages<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Another way to use quality score directionally is to improve landing pages. <\/p>\n<p>This is an often-overlooked optimization that can pay huge dividends in quality score and in increasing conversion rates.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example from the same client I featured above, the one with lower-than-expected quality scores for brand:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>This screenshot from Adalysis shows several landing pages with below-average landing page experiences.<\/p>\n<p>Adalysis links to the <a href=\"https:\/\/pagespeed.web.dev\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PageSpeed Insights tool<\/a>, a free and useful tool to diagnose issues with page load speeds. Here\u2019s how one of the client\u2019s pages scored:<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>33 out of 100. Not so great.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to see why this landing page is pulling down quality score \u2013 and user experience along with it.<\/p>\n<p>The PageSpeed Insights tool offers diagnostics for \u201copportunities\u201d to improve pages:<\/p>\n<p>In this case, unused elements or blocking issues slow down page load time. <\/p>\n<p>Clicking the down arrow next to the \u201cestimated savings\u201d for each element gives step-by-step instructions on how to fix the issue.<\/p>\n<p>Many PPC marketers might view the PageSpeed Insights tool as an \u201cSEO thing.\u201d It\u2019s unfamiliar to us.<\/p>\n<p>But, as Hopkins points out in her article, \u201cSEO is integral to a healthy PPC performance \u2013 and a <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-search-marketing-393902\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">holistic search marketing strategy<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>See if you can work with your client\u2019s SEO team (or web dev team if they don\u2019t have an SEO team) to improve their landing pages. <\/p>\n<p>Even just speeding up page load can positively impact quality score and performance.<\/p>\n<p>So is quality score a vanity metric? In a way, it is \u2013 especially for B2B advertisers. But it\u2019s also a useful tool for improving PPC performance.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/quality-score-paid-search-vanity-valuable-395197\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quality score in paid search: Vanity or valuable?<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quality score. Two words that strike fear in the hearts of paid search professionals everywhere. OK, not really. But quality score can be a confusing metric that sparks debate. A vanity metric? Some practitioners contend that quality score is a vanity metric.\u00a0 Others view quality score as a KPI to be optimized and reported regularly. The discussion rages on. There\u2019s also the question of whether quality score is a factor in ad rank.\u00a0 (Spoiler alert, it is indeed a factor.)\u00a0 Quality score might be the most [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8912\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}