One of the sessions at SMX Advanced in Seattle centered on Quality Score optimization within paid search campaigns. Because quality score is a largely secret algorithmic formula that is employed on the engine side, there are many myths that tend to circulate about what can and cannot affect the metric. The below are the key points identified at the session as things to watch out for, and things that likely have no bearing.

Top 5 Things to Be Aware Of Related to Quality Score:
1. Quality Score (QS) is calculated in real time for an ad/keyword pairing. The numbers displayed in the Google interface, for example, are an average score over time. While traditional quality score metrics are displayed on a scale of 1-10, true quality score was said to have metrics up to 30 (the larger, the better.)

2. There is no human intervention in the calculation of Quality Score. It’s an algorithmic formula.

3. The following factors were quotes as having NO bearing on QS: Match type (the search query must equal the keyword for the metric to be calculated), deleting paused keywords, positioning of the ad (though some tests were quoted to have shown that this may not be entirely the case), and specific to Google, impressions occuring on the content network or search partners do not affect QS.

4. What CAN impact Quality Score? Click through rate was quotes at the number one factor. This includes historical CTR of specific ad/keyword combination, historical CTR of account, historical CTR of display URL, and historical CTR in a given geography (even if geographic targeting is not being utilized in the campaign.) A second factor is relevance (how closely ad copy ties to keyword). Thirdly is the not very well defined “other” category, which can include landing page relevance, load time, some redirects, pop-ups, and privacy policy use. The “other” segment can also include industry or business models.

5. While moving keywords between accounts, campaigns, and ad groups will not impact quality score for the keyword/ad combination, moving them between accounts WILL lose the historical account QS information.