The Tortoise Didn't Win the AdWords Quality Score Race

Posted by rod on March 21, 2008 at 08:12 AM

Is it true that another aspect is going to be implemented into the mysterious Google Quality Score?

As of this exact second a quality score is assumed to be determined by:

• Click Through Rate
• Historical Account Performance
• Relevance of Keyword to Ad
• Relevance of Keyword to Ad Group
• Landing Page Quality

As we set sail into the future of PPC marketing, there is a new determinate of AdWords quality score seen on the horizon. Google has confirmed that a landing page's load time will aid in determining a quality score.

Why is Google doing this?

According to Google, it's all about the 'user experience'. A faster load time equals a better user experience. A better user experience will generate more qualified leads for a business translating into more money earned for the business.

What does this mean for PPC campaigns?

It means that we must watch our landing pages and make sure they are properly loading (as if this isn't already done). A slow landing page typically means a user will be discouraged and go elsewhere. The consideration of landing pages affecting quality score seems scary at first, but after you wade through the murk you realize slow landing pages are not beneficial at anytime.

No one wants to click on a link to wait 30 seconds before the landing page appears. This discourages the user and the user will ultimately go elsewhere. The purpose to a successful PPC advertisement is to get people to click on a link to be directed to a page that fulfills their internet needs.

And now for the definitive question: What is considered slow?

The answer to this is still up in the air. Google has not yet released what they consider a slow load time. Without knowing what slow is, how can we improve our load time before Google lays the iron fist down?

What happens when (and it will happen) a site has a server issue and Google decides to audit that site at that exact moment? Will this impact the quality score of the PPC campaign until another audit sails into town?

Tags
Google
Quality Score
Oneupweb

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