How to Achieve a Google Ads Quality Score of 10: The Complete Guide

Quality Score 10. It’s the holy grail of Google Ads. But most advertisers think it’s impossible to achieve consistently.

They’re wrong.

I’ve helped hundreds of businesses achieve Quality Scores of 9 and 10 across thousands of keywords. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how we do it.

What Is Quality Score (and Why It Matters)

Quality Score is Google’s 1-10 rating of your ad’s relevance and quality. It’s based on three components:

1. Expected CTR (40% weight)
2. Ad Relevance (20% weight)
3. Landing Page Experience (40% weight)

Why it matters: A Quality Score of 10 can cost you 50% less per click than a Quality Score of 5 for the same ad position.

Let me show you the math:

• Quality Score 5: $4.00 CPC
• Quality Score 8: $2.20 CPC (45% cheaper)
• Quality Score 10: $2.00 CPC (50% cheaper)

That’s not a typo. Same keyword, same position, half the cost.

The 7-Step System to Quality Score 10

Step 1: Build SKAGs (Single Keyword Ad Groups)

This is the foundation. One keyword per ad group. No exceptions.

Why? Because Google rewards perfect keyword-to-ad alignment. When your ad group contains only one keyword (and close variants), you can write ad copy that matches that keyword exactly.

Example:

• ❌ Ad Group: “CRM Software” (contains 15 keywords)
• ✅ Ad Group: “Best CRM Software for Small Business” (1 keyword + close variants)

The second approach lets you write an ad with the exact phrase “best CRM software for small business” in the headline—perfect relevance.

Step 2: Write Keyword-Focused Ad Copy

Your headline must contain your exact keyword. This isn’t optional.

Formula:

• Headline 1: [Your Keyword]
• Headline 2: [Key Benefit]
• Headline 3: [Unique Differentiator]

Example for keyword “google ads quality score”:

• H1: “Google Ads Quality Score Experts”
• H2: “Achieve Scores of 8-10”
• H3: “Cut Your CPC by 50%”

Notice how the exact keyword phrase is in Headline 1? That’s no accident.

Step 3: Create Dedicated Landing Pages

This is where most advertisers fail. They send all traffic to their homepage.

Your landing page must:

• Contain the exact keyword in the H1
• Have sub-second load time
• Be mobile-optimized
• Have zero navigation (for PPC)
• Include the keyword 3-5 times naturally in the copy

Every keyword gets its own landing page. Yes, this is more work. It’s also why your competitors have Quality Score 5 and you’ll have Quality Score 10.

Step 4: Optimize for Expected CTR

Google looks at historical CTR to predict future performance. Here’s how to boost it:

Ad Extensions:

• Use ALL relevant extensions
• Sitelinks (minimum 4)
• Callouts (minimum 4)
• Structured snippets
• Call extensions
• Location extensions (if applicable)

Competitive Ad Copy: Study your competitors’ ads. Your ad should be MORE compelling. Use stronger benefits, more specific numbers, and clearer differentiation.

Step 5: Improve Landing Page Experience

Google’s algorithm analyzes your landing page for these factors:

Speed:

• Target: <1 second load time
• Use Google PageSpeed Insights
• Optimize images (WebP format)
• Minimize JavaScript
• Use a CDN

Relevance:

• H1 matches ad headline
• Keyword appears in first 100 words
• Content directly addresses search intent
• Clear, prominent CTA

Usability:

• Mobile-responsive design
• Easy navigation (or none for PPC)
• No intrusive pop-ups
• SSL certificate
• Clear privacy policy

Step 6: Negative Keywords

Low CTR from irrelevant searches kills Quality Score.

Add negative keywords for:

• Job seekers (“careers”, “jobs”, “hiring”)
• Free seekers (“free”, “crack”, “torrent”)
• DIY researchers (“how to”, “tutorial”)
• Wrong geography (if local)
• Competitor brands

Run a search query report weekly and add negatives religiously.

Step 7: Monitor and Iterate

Quality Score isn’t “set and forget.” Here’s the weekly routine:

Monday: Review Quality Score changes Wednesday: Analyze search query report, add negatives Friday: Test new ad copy variations

Track these metrics:

• Quality Score by keyword
• CTR by ad group
• Landing page bounce rate
• Conversion rate

The Results You Can Expect

Following this system, here’s what’s realistic:

Week 1-2: Quality Scores start improving from current baseline Week 3-4: 60% of keywords reach QS 7-8 Week 5-8: 40% of keywords reach QS 9-10

Real Example: We took a B2B SaaS client from an average Quality Score of 5.2 to 9.1 in 45 days:

• CPC dropped from $12.40 to $5.80 (53% reduction)
• Average ad position improved from 3.8 to 1.6
• Conversion rate increased from 2.1% to 4.7%
• Overall ROI increased 340%

Common Mistakes That Kill Quality Score

Mistake #1: Too Many Keywords Per Ad Group Keep it tight. 1-3 keywords maximum, ideally 1.

Mistake #2: Generic Ad Copy “Buy Product” isn’t compelling. “Get 30% Off Product - Free Shipping - 60-Day Guarantee” is better.

Mistake #3: Slow Landing Pages If your page takes 3+ seconds to load, fix this before anything else.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Mobile 70% of clicks are mobile. Your mobile experience must be perfect.

Mistake #5: Not Using Ad Extensions Extensions boost CTR by 10-15%. Always use them.

Conclusion

Quality Score 10 isn’t luck. It’s a systematic process:

1. Build SKAGs
2. Write keyword-focused ads
3. Create dedicated landing pages
4. Optimize for CTR
5. Improve landing page experience
6. Add negative keywords
7. Monitor and iterate

Follow this system, and you’ll join the elite group of advertisers paying 50% less for the same clicks.

Want help achieving Quality Score 9-10 across your account? Get a free Quality Score audit and we’ll show you exactly what’s holding you back.