6 Google quality score misconceptions
1. There is only one quality score
False. The Google content network and search network have separate quality scores. This is generally because the content network performs very differently to the search network and if there were only one quality score this could adversely affect your overall score.
2. Using different match types improves your quality score
False. Google maintains two types of quality score: one to compute minimum cost-per-click (CPC) bids and another to determine ad position. Neither is directly impacted by match type.
So if you were to add the same keyword but with three different match types, all three would have the same quality score.
3. You can buy a good quality score
False. Many are under the impression that if they bid high and maintain a good click-through-rate (CTR) then their quality score will be high. But Google’s quality score is based on relevance so even if your ads are in lower positions Google will measure relevance relative to position.
4. High CTR = High quality score
False. As mentioned above quality score is based on delivering relevant results to keyword searches. Quality score is calculated by many factors, CTR being only one of a host.
5. Quality score is reset when optimising your account
False. After creating an account or optimising an existing account, quality score will automatically go in at an average level. Google will then calculate the true quality score and will either increase or decrease the existing average. If you optimise an account and are trying to better the relevance of results, you can be sure that Google will compensate you with a higher quality score.
6. Quality score is affected if your ads are not running
False. If you pause an account quality score will not be affected. But bear in mind that seasonal trends can affect your quality score if you reactivate an account.
For example, you have recently run an excellent Adwords campaign selling Christmas trees and Google reward you with a high quality score. But perhaps you reactivate the account in May and due to the lack of relevancy or demand, your quality score drops.
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i have some more questions...
1) How often do Google check and recalculate your quality score on a keyword level?
2) How does Google weight campaign qc, compared to ad group qc, keyword qc, and ad text?
3) Does Google reset the CTR for a keyword that is deleted, or recategorised within an account?
4) I've noticed in campaigns that the min CPC can vary for a keyword with different match types, so I'm confused as to how you said in comment 2 that they would have the same qc. Do you care to elaborate please?
The 6 misconceptions were taken directly from Google’s workshop at the SES event (Search Engine Strategies) in London earlier this year. We wanted to circulate these because of all the incorrect and misguided information available which your link serves to highlight.
Please find our reply to your questions:
1) How often do Google check and recalculate your quality score on a keyword level?
One of my accounts went from a quality score of OK to great in a few days. I had improved the adverts and increased the CTR by 500% which obviously affected the keyword quality score. But I’ve also had other accounts which have still to update after weeks. I’m sure we would all be very interested to hear what others have experienced with quality score updates.
2) How does Google weight campaign qc, compared to ad group qc, keyword qc, and ad text?
Firstly, I’m assuming by ‘qc’ you mean ‘qs’ or quality score. We know that quality score is associated with the keyword and that badly performing keywords can affect the overall ad group quality score. With the same logic, ad group quality score would affect the campaign quality score and so on.
3) Does Google reset the CTR for a keyword that is deleted, or re-categorised within an account?
This is a tricky one but personally I don’t trust AdWords enough to delete a highly performing keyword and hope it remembers its history. Instead I use AdWords editor to reorganise accounts. I dealt with this issue in a previous post: how to retain Google history in AdWords Editor. (Please view my other post: http://www.coastdigital.co.uk/whats-new/blog/2008/...).
4) I've noticed in campaigns that the minimum CPC can vary for a keyword with different match types, so I'm confused as to how you said in comment 2 that they would have the same qc. Do you care to elaborate please?
The point which Google was trying to make at the seminar is that quality score isn’t determined on something as straightforward as match types, and if you add a single keyword with all 3 match types they are all created with the same quality score.
That’s not to say that the exact match keyword won’t eventually outperform the broad match, as in the vast majority of cases it does do so.
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