An advertiser wants to increase the Quality Score of a low-performing keyword. Which approach would you recommend?
Correct Answer
Modify the ad associated with that keyword to direct to a highly-relevant landing page
Why is this the correct answer?
To increase the Quality Score of a low-performing keyword, you should modify the ad associated with that keyword to direct to a highly-relevant landing page. Quality Score is determined by three factors: expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. A highly-relevant landing page directly improves the landing page experience component, which Google evaluates based on how useful and relevant the page content is to someone who clicked the ad. When the landing page closely matches the keyword intent and ad message, Google rewards the campaign with a higher Quality Score, which lowers CPC and improves ad position.
Why are the other options incorrect?
Repeat the keyword as many times as possible in the ad text.
Repeating a keyword excessively in ad text is keyword stuffing — it makes ads look spammy, hurts CTR, and violates Google Ads policies. It does not improve Quality Score.
Delete the keyword and add the keyword to the campaign again
Deleting and re-adding a keyword resets its history but does not address the underlying quality issues. Google will simply re-evaluate it and assign a similar low score.
Increase the daily budget for the campaign in which the keyword is located
Increasing the daily budget has no effect on Quality Score — budget controls how often ads show, not how relevant they are to users.
Real-World Example
A software company had a keyword project management tool with a Quality Score of 4. They updated the landing page to match the keyword exactly — headline, features, and CTA all referencing project management. Quality Score rose to 8 within two weeks, reducing CPC by 35%.