When running a PPC campaign, quality score refers to the dynamic measurement of the relevancy that a keyword and the ad text hold in relevance to the end users search query. Quality score is vital in relation to PPC campaigns as it gives a strong indicator of the performance and profitability that your campaign is having. In general the higher the quality score, the lower the cost per click and the better the ad position.

Without knowing the Google quality score algorithm, it is largely agreed that the following main points affect quality score: Keyword relevance in relation to the end users search query, Ad word relevance in relation to the end users search query, Landing page relevance in relation to the end users search query and Click-through rate.

If these factors are not fully optimised then they will also in turn lead to a lower quality score.

Structure

When running an ad campaign it is essential to have a solid structure. Almost all of the aspects of quality score can be influenced by the manner in which the composition of the campaign is structured. When an ad account is developed it should generally have multiple campaigns attached within it and up to hundreds of closely-knit ad groups with each consisting of a number of keywords with a similar theme. As a rule of thumb it is generally recognised that if it is possible to write a better tailored ad for a keyword in an ad group, that keyword should be in its own ad group.

This approach will allow a better tailoring of creatives which in turn can: Increase CTR (Click Through Rate), Improve conversion rates, Increase Ad ranking and Reduce CPC’s (Cost Per Click).
Keywords with an ad group

It is generally regarded as best practice for each ad group to contain between 25-30 keywords. It is also worth noting that no single ad group should account for more than 2% of clicks or costs, if this is the case then it is recommended to break the keywords down into separate groups until one keyword remains. Another important factor to note is that keyword duplication should be avoided as it dilutes clicks makes testing more of a challenge and can even raise your CPC’s.

Long tail keywords

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of long tail keywords as even though Brand Viagra they may not generate the bulk of your traffic they are important none the less as they tend to be cheaper than generic keywords and allow a better tailoring of ads which benefit quality score.

Author Bio: Latitude is one of the largest and longest-established digital marketing agencies in the UK, with expertise in SEO, PPC, display advertising, social media, conversion analytics and affiliate marketing. Original article is here.

Category: Internet Marketing/Pay Per Click
Keywords: latitude, SEO, PPC, affiliate marketing, display advertising, conversion analytics, social media