The guidelines for Adwords Quality Score can be found here: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=10215 There are 2 lines under I. Search Network (expand the "+" sign) which say: # The relevance of the keyword to the ads in its ad group # The relevance of the keyword and the matched ad to the search query So the first one means that the keywords chosen must be relevant to the ad they're connected to? In other words, if I write an ad that says "Find a Dentist" and one of the keywords I choose to go along with it (in the adgroup) is "garden hose" ... that would result in a lowered QS? And the second means that the keywords must be relevant to what the user searches for on Google? (which is obvious) And the fact that Google placed those 2 lines in that order means that keyword relevance to it's own ad is more important than relevance to what the user searched on? (if so, why?)
yeah you got both definitions right, but I don't think keyword relative to ads in the adgroup outweights the importance of a strong relationship between keyword and ad text (plus landing page). So you bid on "find a dentist", your headline is "Need to find a dentist?" and your landing page is all about finding dentists, then your quality score will be nice and high But, the biggest factor, is ctr. If you have a low ctr, regardless of your keyword->query->ad text->landing page efficiency, your quality score will suck! Focus on getting this up through optimising ad copy, and testing testing testing.
Correct. Makes perfect sense of course. Google will look at your ad and make a judgment that your ad is related to dentists. If it's not, the keyword relevancy portion of your QS will suffer somewhat. Your landing page has to be about dentists too of course which is part of the relevancy score. Keyword relevancy (keyword to ad to landing page) accounts for about 25% of the total QS. As Plucky said, CTR is most of the rest. So get good relevancy, all you have to do is get your CTR up. Read more in the Adwords FAQ.
Thanks, yes CTR is certainly the biggest thing of all (and the LP is important too) but I'm just trying to figure out those 2 lines, and which matters more, even if only slightly. In other words, which of these 2 is probably more important to QS: 1. kw relevance to the ad copy 2. kw relevance to the users search query ??
First, your keywords have to be relevant to your page. Does it make sense to use "garden hose" as a keyword when your page is about dentists? No. The error that many people make is to fit the page to the keywords they choose. It's the other way around. You fit your keywords to your page. And you don't need to have each keyword on your page. Google mostly figures out the theme of your page, not looking for each and every keyword variation. So create a great converting page about your product/service. Then come up with targeted keywords to that product/service. The user's search query relevance will happen naturally since if you choose the proper ones that people would use to find you. All you then have to do is come up with great ads to get those clicks.
Thanks, I'm aware that the kw's need to be relevant to the LP, but that's not the question I was asking, Given a choice, Which of these 2 is probably more important to QS: 1. kw relevance to the ad copy 2. kw relevance to the users search query
Your original question had two different points: # The relevance of the keyword to the ads in its ad group # The relevance of the keyword and the matched ad to the search query In this case, the second is more important. With the two in your last post, number 2 is more important. How will your ads even display if your keyword doesn't match the search query!!
After some thought and understanding the question, I would agree with Plucky. Not that Google puts more importance on the relevancy of the keyword and the ad, but because the searcher does. Let's say you sell "toyota camry brakes" and use that phrase as a keyword. Your landing page is selling brake pads for the Toyota Camry so it's relevant. Your ad blares out that you sell the best and cheapest Camry brakes, etc. No problems. However, if I searched "how to install toyota camry brakes", your ad is irrelevant to me. I've got the brakes, I just want to find out how to install them. In this case, it would be a good idea to have negative keywords on "install". Even though your ad is irrelevant to that search, people still click on them. Bad for you because it's a non-targeted and wasted click. Those who do not click negatively affect your CTR and QS. So in other words, the relevancy of the search query to your keyword (taking into account negatives) and ad is most important.