In the world of Google Ads, your budget isn’t the only thing that determines your success. Your Quality Score is a crucial metric that acts as a multiplier: a high score can lower your cost-per-click (CPC) and earn you better ad positions, while a low score can make your Australian business pay significantly more than your competitors for the same traffic.
Optimising your Quality Score is essentially Google’s way of rewarding advertisers who provide a high-quality, relevant experience for users. By following this guide, you’ll learn how to align your keywords, ads, and landing pages to maximise your ROI.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:- An active Google Ads account with at least 1-2 weeks of historical data.
- Access to your website’s CMS (e.g., WordPress, Shopify) to edit landing pages.
- A basic understanding of your target keywords.
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Step 1: Reveal Your Quality Score Columns
By default, Google Ads hides the specific metrics that make up your Quality Score. You need to see the data before you can fix it.- Log into your Google Ads account.
- Navigate to the Keywords tab in the left-hand menu.
- Click the Columns icon (looks like three vertical bars) above the statistics table.
- Search for and add: Quality Score, Expected CTR, Ad Relevance, and Landing Page Experience.
- Click Apply.
Step 2: Identify the "Low Hanging Fruit"
Don't try to fix every keyword at once. Focus on keywords with high spend but a Quality Score of 5/10 or lower. These are the ones costing you the most money. Sort your keyword list by 'Cost' and look for any scores highlighted in red or yellow.Step 3: Improve Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Expected CTR is Google’s prediction of how likely someone is to click your ad. To improve this, your ad copy must be compelling.- Write unique headlines: Use all 15 available headlines in Responsive Search Ads (RSAs).
- Include a Call to Action (CTA): Use phrases like "Get a Free Quote," "Book Online," or "Shop Our Brisbane Store."
- Highlight benefits: Instead of just saying "Plumbing Services," try "Emergency 24/7 Plumbers - No Call Out Fee."
Step 4: Maximise Ad Relevance
Ad Relevance measures how closely your keyword matches the message in your ads. If you are bidding on "organic dog food" but your ad only mentions "pet supplies," your relevance will be low.- Use Keyword Insertion: Use the
{KeyWord:Default Text}feature to dynamically insert the user's search term into your headline. - Tighten your Ad Groups: If an ad group has 50 keywords, it’s impossible for one ad to be relevant to all of them. Aim for 5-10 highly related keywords per ad group.
Step 5: Audit Your Landing Page Experience
This is where many Australian small businesses fail. Google crawls your website to see if the page you're sending traffic to actually delivers on the ad’s promise.- Content Match: If your ad is about "Solar Panel Installation in Perth," the heading (H1 tag) of your landing page should say exactly that.
- Transparency: Ensure your ABN, contact details, and privacy policy are easily accessible in the footer. This builds trust with both Google and the user.
Step 6: Optimise for Mobile Users
With over 60% of Australian searches happening on mobile devices, a slow or clunky mobile site will tank your Quality Score.- Use the Google PageSpeed Insights tool.
- Ensure buttons are large enough to tap with a thumb.
- Eliminate intrusive pop-ups that cover the whole screen on mobile.
Step 7: Improve Page Loading Speed
If your landing page takes more than 3 seconds to load, your Landing Page Experience score will suffer.- Compress large images using tools like TinyPNG.
- Use a fast, local Australian hosting provider to reduce latency for domestic visitors.
- Minify CSS and JavaScript files to streamline the code.
Step 8: Use All Relevant Ad Extensions (Assets)
While not a direct component of the 1-10 score, ad assets (formerly extensions) improve your actual CTR, which in turn boosts your Expected CTR.- Sitelink Assets: Link to other relevant pages like "About Us" or "Our Services."
- Call Assets: Show your Brisbane or local phone number clearly.
- Location Assets: Connect your Google Business Profile so locals can see how far they are from your shop.
Step 9: Use Negative Keywords to Filter Irrelevant Traffic
If your ad shows for searches that aren't relevant (e.g., someone searching for "free plumbing advice" when you offer paid services), they won't click, or they will click and bounce immediately. Both hurt your CTR.- Review your Search Terms Report weekly.
- Add irrelevant terms as "Negative Keywords" at the campaign level.
Step 10: Group Keywords into "SKAGs" (Optional but Effective)
Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs) involve creating an ad group for one specific keyword theme. This allows you to write an ad that is 100% relevant to that specific search, virtually guaranteeing an "Above Average" Ad Relevance score.---
Pro Tips for Australian Businesses
- Use Local Language: Use Australian spelling (e.g., "Specialised" instead of "Specialized") to resonate better with local users and improve CTR.
- State Your Location: If you only service South East Queensland, mention "Brisbane & Gold Coast" in your headlines. This prevents irrelevant clicks from interstate, protecting your bounce rate.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Sending all traffic to the Homepage: This is the #1 killer of Quality Score. Always send traffic to a specific service or product page.
- Keyword Stuffing: Don't just repeat the keyword 50 times on the landing page. Google’s AI is smart enough to recognise "over-optimisation," which feels spammy to users.
- Ignoring the Data: Quality Score is updated constantly. If you make a change, wait 7 days and check the "Historical Quality Score" to see if it improved.
Troubleshooting
- Score is "—": This means there isn't enough search volume or data for Google to calculate a score yet. Increase your bid slightly or wait for more impressions.
- High CTR but Low Landing Page Score: Your ad is great, but your website is letting you down. Check your mobile responsiveness or page speed.
- High Quality Score but No Conversions: This is a common trap! A 10/10 score means your ad is relevant, but it doesn't mean your product is priced right or your offer is enticing. Quality Score measures relevance, not sales ability.
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Next Steps
Optimising your Quality Score is an ongoing process of refinement. Once you have improved your scores to 7/10 or higher, your next step should be to look at your Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) to ensure that the high-quality traffic you’re now getting at a lower cost is actually turning into leads.Need a professional audit of your Google Ads account? The team at Local Marketing Group can help you identify exactly where your budget is being wasted. Contact us today to speak with a Brisbane-based specialist.