How to Improve Google Ad Rank
Getting your Google Ads to the top of the search results isn't just about having the biggest budget, it's about earning a high Ad Rank. This crucial score dictates not only your ad’s position but also how much you ultimately pay for each click. This guide will walk you through exactly what Ad Rank is and the specific, actionable steps you can take to improve it, helping you achieve better visibility for less money.
What Exactly Is Google Ad Rank?
Ad Rank is the score Google uses to determine where your ad will appear on the search engine results page (SERP) and whether it will be shown at all. Every time someone searches for one of your keywords, your ad enters an auction. Google then calculates an Ad Rank for every advertiser competing in that auction. The advertiser with the highest Ad Rank claims the top spot, the one with the second-highest gets the second spot, and so on.
But it's more than a vanity metric. A strong Ad Rank doesn't just put you in a better position, it also directly influences your actual cost-per-click (CPC). Yes, you can often pay less than your competitors for a higher position if your Ad Rank is significantly better than theirs. This is because Google rewards advertisers who provide a more relevant and high-quality experience for users.
The core formula looks like this:
Ad Rank = Maximum CPC Bid x Quality Score (+ Ad Assets / Extensions Impact)
To improve your Ad Rank, you need to improve the components of this formula. Let's break down each lever you can pull.
Deconstructing the Ad Rank Formula: The Key Levers
Understanding and optimizing each part of the Ad Rank formula is the foundation for a successful Google Ads strategy. While bidding matters, your primary focus should be on the quality and relevance components that Google values most.
1. Your Maximum CPC Bid
Your Maximum CPC Bid is the highest amount you're willing to pay for a single click on your ad. While it’s a direct input into the Ad Rank formula, simply having the highest bid does not guarantee the top spot. You could bid $10 for a keyword, while a competitor bids $3. If their Quality Score is high enough, they can still outrank you.
Bidding more aggressively can be a short-term fix to compensate for a low Quality Score, but it’s an inefficient and expensive way to operate. The real goal is to enhance the other components of Ad Rank to secure a great position without overpaying.
Manual Bidding: When starting out, using Manual CPC gives you direct control and a hands-on feel for how your bids impact performance.
Automated Bidding: Once you have sufficient conversion data, strategies like Maximize conversions, Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition), or Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) can help optimize your bids automatically toward your business goals.
2. Your Quality Score (The Game-Changer!)
Quality Score is by far the most impactful lever you can pull to improve your Ad Rank and lower your advertising costs. It's Google's rating, scored from 1 to 10, of the overall quality and relevance of your keywords, ads, and landing pages.
A high Quality Score tells Google that you are providing a great user experience that is highly relevant to what the searcher is looking for. In return, Google rewards you with a higher Ad Rank and lower CPCs. Quality Score is made up of three primary components.
Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Expected CTR measures how likely your ad is to be clicked when shown for a specific keyword. Google analyzes historical performance data for your ad and the ads of your competitors to predict this. It is a measure of your ad copy's relevance and appeal. A "Below Average" rating means your ad copy is not resonating as well as a competitor's.
How to improve it:
Write Compelling Ad Copy: Address the user's pain points and offer a clear solution. Use powerful action verbs and highlight what makes your offer unique (e.g., "Free Shipping," "24/7 Support," "Exclusive Offer").
Align Ad Copy with Search Intent: Your ad needs to match what the user is looking for. If someone searches for "emergency plumber in brooklyn," your ad headline should reflect that, not a generic "Plumbing Services."
Include Potent Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Tell users exactly what you want them to do next. Use phrases like "Shop Now," "Request a Free Quote," "Download the Guide," or "Sign Up Today."
A/B Test Everything: Constantly test different headlines, descriptions, and CTAs to find what converts best. Even small changes can lead to significant CTR improvements.
Ad Relevance
Ad Relevance measures how closely the message in your ads matches the keywords in your ad group. A "Below Average" score here means there's a disconnect between your keywords and your ad's messaging.
How to improve it:
Create Tightly-Themed Ad Groups: This is a non-negotiable best practice. Avoid creating one giant ad group with hundreds of loosely related keywords. Instead, break your keywords down into small, highly specific groups. For example, keywords like "blue running shoes for women" and "womens trail running sneakers in blue" should be in a separate ad group from "men's black formal shoes."
Speak to the Keyword: Each tightly-themed ad group should have ad copy written specifically for it. If the ad group is about blue running shoes, the headlines and descriptions must talk about blue running shoes. This sounds obvious, but it's a common mistake.
Use Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) Sparingly: DKI automatically inserts the user's search query into your ad text. It can boost relevance but can also lead to awkward-sounding ads if not used carefully. Test it in specific, highly controlled ad groups first.
Landing Page Experience
Landing Page Experience measures how useful and relevant your landing page is to the person who clicks your ad. Your job isn't done once you get the click, you have to deliver a seamless experience that fulfills the promise made in your ad. Google wants to send users to pages that are helpful, trustworthy, and easy to navigate.
How to improve it:
Maintain Message Match: The headline, offer, and language on your landing page must align with the ad copy. If your ad promises a "50% Off Blue Running Shoes," that exact offer should be front and center on the landing page.
Prioritize Mobile-Friendliness & Page Speed: Most searches happen on mobile devices. Your website must load quickly and be easy to use on a small screen. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights tool to check your site's performance.
Simple is Better: Your landing page should have a clean design, clear and concise copy, and a single, obvious call-to-action. Don't distract visitors with unnecessary links or pop-ups.
Be Trustworthy: Include trust signals like testimonials, customer reviews, security badges, and clear contact information.
3. Ad Assets & Extensions Impact
Ad Assets (formerly known as Extensions) are additional pieces of information that "extend" your ad with more details, such as sitelinks, a phone number, locations, promotional offers, and more. While Ad Assets don’t have a separate score, Google factors in their expected impact when calculating Ad Rank. Using relevant assets makes your ad larger and more useful, which often leads to a higher click-through rate.
Here are some of the most effective Ad Assets to use:
Sitelink Assets: Add links to specific pages on your website, like "About Us," "Contact," or a best-selling product category.
Callout Assets: Highlight key selling points like "Free Shipping," "24/7 Customer Service," or "Eco-Friendly Materials." These are not clickable.
Structured Snippets: Provide context for your products or services by listing things like brands, styles, or types (e.g., Brands: Nike, Adidas, New Balance).
Call Assets: Add your phone number directly to the ad, allowing mobile users to call you with a single tap.
Location Assets: Show your business address, map, and hours, which is essential for attracting local customers.
The key is to enable all the assets that are relevant to your business goals. Google’s system will automatically show the combination most likely to drive performance for each individual auction.
An Actionable Strategy to Boost Your Ad Rank
Ready to put it all into practice? Follow these steps to diagnose and improve your account's Ad Rank.
Step 1: Diagnose Your Quality ScoreGo into your Google Ads account, navigate to the Keywords report, and add the columns for "Quality Score," "Exp. CTR," "Ad Relevance," and "Landing Page Exp." Sort by impressions to focus on your most important keywords first. Identify keywords with a low Quality Score (anything 6 or below needs attention) and see which of the three components is rated "Below Average." This tells you exactly where to start fixing things.
Step 2: Restructure Ad Groups for RelevanceLook for ad groups with a poor "Ad Relevance" score. Are they bloated with keywords that cover different topics? If so, pause the low-performing keywords and move them into new, tightly-themed ad groups. A good rule of thumb is that if a keyword doesn't perfectly fit with the ad copy you've written, it needs its own ad group and dedicated ad.
Step 3: Write Hyper-Relevant Ad CopyFor your new, specific ad groups, create ad copy that speaks directly to the keywords within. Set up an experiment or use Responsive Search Ads to test at least 2-3 radically different headlines and descriptions against each other. Let the data tell you which message resonates most with your audience. The goal here is to improve your "Exp. CTR" rating.
Step 4: Audit & Optimize Your Landing PagesReview the "Landing Page Experience" column. For any keywords with a "Below Average" rating, click through your ad and experience the page as a customer would. Does it load quickly? Does it deliver on the ad's promise? Is the call-to-action clear? Work with your web developer or use a landing page builder to make the necessary improvements.
Step 5: Max Out Your Relevant Ad AssetsReview your assets at both the account and campaign levels. Are you using Sitelinks, Callouts, and Structured Snippets? If you have a physical location or take phone calls, have you enabled Location and Call assets? Add every asset that makes sense for your business to give Google more options to enhance your ad.
Final Thoughts
Boosting your Google Ad Rank is not about a single gimmick, it's a strategic process focused on delivering relevance and quality at every step of the user's journey. By meticulously improving your Quality Score, optimizing your landing pages, and using all relevant ad assets, you can achieve better ad positions while often paying less per click than your competitors.
Keeping track of Quality Score trends, CTR fluctuations, and CPC changes across dozens of campaigns and ad groups can feel overwhelming. This is where we built our tool for business intelligence, Graphed. Instead of getting lost inside complex interfaces or manually exporting data to spreadsheets, we let you connect your Google Ads account and use simple, natural language to build real-time dashboards that monitor performance. You can just ask, "Show me my top 20 keywords with the lowest Quality Score and high impressions," and instantly get the answers you need to start making smarter decisions.