Does a keyword's Quality Score affect the position of an ad, beyond just controlling the minimum bid requirement? (and I mean the initial QS displayed under the Keywords tab, prior to any CTR history for an ad group - I know that their internal, undisplayed QS is what determines positioning) And is whether it does or not known for sure, or just speculated on?
Yes, in theory, the person above you could be paying less. Read Step 3 https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=49174
If your ad has low QS, it may not show up 100% of the time even if your position is on the first page. amir
YES!!! Absolutely it does. Your bid is adjusted using your quality score, so if your quality score is twice as high as somebody else's, then you only need to bid half as much as them to appear in the same position. And even if an improvement to your quality score doesn't improve your position, it still reduces your bids. See this blog for more details: http://www.epiphanysolutions.co.uk/...your-adverts-position-and-why-it-matters.html