In a previous post, we discussed the three keys to a successful PPC campaign, and focused on keyphrases, ad text and landing pages. Now that your PPC is running, you have no doubt noticed that some of the keyphrases have incurred a lower quality score than other keyphrases.

Quality score is the grade  applied by the search engines to your paid search, on a keyphrase basics. Factored into the making of your keyphrase’s quality score is:

  • The average click-thru rate
  • The relevance of the keyphrase to the adgroup in which it is contained
  • The relevance of the keyphrase to your ad text
  • The quality of the landing page
  • The performance of your overall AdWords account

When your ad campaigns have a good quality score, your overall costs are lowered with lower minimum and first place bids. Additionally, Google looks at your maximum CPC bid and quality score to determine your ad position. What you pay for this ad position is determined by your maximum bid in combination with your Quality Score.

So, how can you possibly improve your campaign results with those keywords with a low quality score?

First, pick out the keywords with a low quality score – say, anything below 3/10. From this list, your best picks would be any of these low quality phrases that have any historical conversion. If none have converted, then look at those phrases that have a specific landing page for them. Take these low quality historically converting phrases or phrases that have an exiting landing page, and make a separate campaign for these lower quality keywords. In order to avoid draining your existing budget on this new campaign, use your keyphrases in “exact” or “phrase” match only.

Basically, you are creating a new segmented campaign based on these keyphrases with lower quality scores. Make sure your adgroups within this campaign are targeted, just as your regular campaign is. Your keyphrases should be similar, and have relevance to the adgroup in which it contained, the ad text for which it is being served, and the landing page to which it directs visitors.

Test several ads in each adgroup for performance. Be very targeted and relevant to your keyphrases! And, if you plan on using your existing ad budget to cover this new campaign, choose your budget wisely. Give it enough budget to allow your keywords to get enough clicks to convert, but not something that will skew your monthly metrics.

If you find that your low quality keywords don’t have a relevant landing page, you can create new landing pages for them in your new campaign.

Watch your results – just like your other campaign, keep an eye on your low quality score campaign and see if your are seeing improved results. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!