Keeping Your Quality Score HighChristopher Kenney

June 8, 2010 – IRCE 2010

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Agenda• Introduction• What is Google Quality Score• Quality Score Fact or Fiction?• How to Impact Quality Score

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Introduction• Chris Kenney

o Search Marketing Manger – Vistaprinto 4+ years SEM experienceo 2010 DM News ‘30 Under 30’

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What is Quality Score?• Quality Score is an objective measurement of the quality of an

advertiser’s keywords.

• Quality Score helps ensure that only the most relevant ads appear to users on Google.

• A Quality Score is calculated every time your keyword matches a search query -- that is, every time your keyword has the potential to trigger an ad.

• A keyword's Quality Score updates frequently and is closely related to its performance.

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What Determines Quality Score?• Click-through Rate

o The historical click-through rate (CTR) of the keyword and the matched ad on Google

• Relevanceo The relevance of the keyword to the ads in its ad groupo The relevance of the keyword and the matched ad to the search queryo Your account's performance in the geographical region where the ad

will be shown

• Landing Page Qualityo The site should have relevant and original contento An easily navigable site with quick load times and a minimum of pop-

ups or pop-unders

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Google Quality ScoreFact or Fiction

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Fact or Fiction?

• Quality Score isn’t normalized for position

Fiction

FactQuality Score is normalized to compensate for differences in performance for ads in different positions An ad in a higher position is predisposed to get a better CTR An ad above the search results is predisposed to get a better

CTR This prevents buying your way to the top of the SERP

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Fact or Fiction?

• Broad match hurts Quality Score

Fiction

FactQuality Score is based only on the performance of the exact match subset of a broad keyword

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Fact or Fiction?

• Quality Score is saved during an optimization

Fiction

FactHistory of landing pages, ad copies and keywords are saved during an optimization. If you do not see an improvement after the optimization you can simply roll back to the old format.

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Fact or Fiction?

• The Google Search Network can’t impact your quality score

Fiction

FactOnly your performance on Google.com has an impact on your quality score.

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Fact or Fiction?

• Landing Page load time can improve your quality score

Fiction

FactLanding page quality is only used as a penalty. It is meant to prevent phishing sites, bridge pages, and arbitrage sites.

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How to Impact Quality Score?

• Organize your account for Maximum Effectiveness

• Choose Relevant Keywords

• Create Highly Relevant Ads

• Create Relevant Landing Pages with Unique Content and Fast Load Times

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How to Impact Quality Score?

• Organize your account for Maximum Effectiveness• Create Tight Knit Ad Groups

o Built based on brand, service or part

• Avoid Using Duplicate Keywords across ad groupso Creates unnecessary competition in your own account

• Optimize your campaigns settingso Select the correct languageso Target appropriate locationso Set the correct budget constraintso Day-parting (if applicable)

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How to Impact Quality Score?

• Choose Relevant Keywords• Use negative keywords

• Bid on multiple keyword variations o Pluralso Singluarso Common misspellings

• Send the users to the most relevant landing page based on the keyword (use unique keyword urls)

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How to Impact Quality Score?

• Create Highly Relevant Ads• Use your keyword(s) in your ad copy or title

• Avoid using Keyword Insertion

• Include Differentiators or discounts in your ads

• Use call to actions:o Buyo Sell o Order o Browseo Sign upo Call

• Test ad copies head to head

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How to Impact Quality Score?

• Create Relevant Landing Pages with Unique Content and Fast Load Times

• Page should include unique, highly relevant content to searched keyword

• Keep the page ‘light’ to improve load time (avoid javascript/flash)

• Hero shot of the call to action

• Keep everything above the fold

• KISS – don’t confuse the customero You have 5 seconds to catch the customers eye – create a single

focal point that should match your ad copy and the users search.

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Questions?This presentation can be found at:

slideshare.net/Vistaprint