In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Google Ads rates how relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad. Google says higher quality ads typically cost less per click. Fix it by sending each ad group to a page that matches the search, loads fast on mobile and makes the next step obvious.
How Google Ads judges your landing page
Google's Quality Score help page says the 1 to 10 score is built from three components: expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance and landing page experience. Each is rated above average, average or below average, compared with other advertisers whose ads showed for the exact same search over the last 90 days.
Quality Score itself is a diagnostic, not an auction input. But Google's ad quality page is clear on the effect: higher quality ads generally get better positions and lower cost, and "higher quality ads typically cost less per click than lower quality ads".
| Component | What it measures | Mainly fixed by |
|---|---|---|
| Expected CTR | How likely your ad is to be clicked | Ad copy and keyword choice |
| Ad relevance | How closely the ad matches the search intent | Tight ad groups, matching headlines |
| Landing page experience | How relevant and useful the page is to people who click | The page itself |
Google's landing page glossary entry lists what represents the experience: usefulness and relevance of information, ease of navigation, the number of links on the page, and the expectations users have based on the ad.
How to check your landing page rating
Open the Keywords view in Google Ads
Go to Campaigns, then Audiences, keywords and content, then Search keywords.
Add the Quality Score columns
Use Columns, then Modify columns, then Quality Score, and add Quality Score and Landing page experience (current).
Sort by spend, not by score
Start with the keywords that cost you the most. A below-average rating on a cheap keyword matters less.
Read a dash as not enough data
Google shows a dash when there aren't enough exact-match searches to score the keyword yet.
Check the final URL for each ad group
Note which page each ad sends people to. If most go to the home page, that is your first fix.
Ratings update as new data comes in, so give changes a few weeks before judging them.
Message match: the fix that matters most
Google's ads and landing page optimisation guide gives a simple example: if the keyword is discount shoes and the ad promises 20% off, people should be able to find and buy shoes at that price on the landing page. The page should also repeat the ad's call to action.
Strong match
- Search "aircon chemical wash Tampines" lands on an aircon chemical wash page that mentions east Singapore
- The ad's price or offer appears at the top of the page
- One clear action, such as book, call or WhatsApp
- The headline uses the same words as the ad
Weak match
- Every ad goes to the home page
- The offer in the ad is hidden or expired
- The page lists ten services and five menus
- The visitor has to search the site to find the product
That usually means one landing page per service or product group, not one per keyword. Our guide on landing page vs website explains when a standalone page beats sending traffic to your main site.
Tracking conversions without breaking privacy rules
You can't improve what you don't measure. Set up conversion tracking for the actions that matter, such as form submissions, calls from the site and WhatsApp clicks, so Google's bidding learns which clicks bring enquiries.
Under Singapore's PDPA, tell visitors what you collect and why in a privacy notice, and get consent where you collect personal data through the form. If you also advertise to Europe, Google requires consent mode signals under its EU user consent policy for measurement and personalisation features. Keep tracking pixels off pages with sensitive information, such as health or financial enquiries.
Do it yourself or get help?
If you manage your own ads, start with the highest-spend ad groups: give each its own matching page, put the offer and contact button at the top, and fix mobile speed. Check the rating again in a few weeks. If an agency runs your ads, ask which landing pages each campaign uses; our guide to choosing a Google Ads manager lists other questions worth asking.
Our Landing Page (S$690) builds a focused, fast page for one campaign with tracking set up. If the problem is an existing slow site, the Speed & SEO Fix (S$390) works on images, scripts and caching and measures the before and after.
Frequently asked questions
It is Google's rating of how relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad. It considers things like the usefulness of the information, ease of navigation, the number of links and whether the page meets expectations set by the ad. It is shown as above average, average or below average for each keyword.
It can. Landing page experience is one of the three components of ad quality, and Google says higher quality ads typically cost less per click and get better positions than lower quality ads. Results vary by competition and bidding strategy, so measure cost per click and cost per enquiry before and after changes.
Usually not. A home page serves many purposes, so it rarely matches a specific search closely. Send each ad group to the page most relevant to its keywords and offer, such as a service page or a dedicated landing page with the same headline and call to action as the ad.
Google shows a dash when there aren't enough searches that exactly match the keyword to calculate a score. Quality Score is based on historical impressions for exact searches over the last 90 days. Keywords with more search volume, or more time running, will usually get a score.
Google updates the components as new impression and click data arrive, compared against other advertisers over a rolling 90-day window. Expect to wait a few weeks, longer for low-volume keywords. Track conversions and cost per conversion alongside the rating, since those are what matter for the business.