After introducing the Quality Score metric in August, Google has been working to improve the user experience with AdWords; today Google began incorporating landing pages into the Quality Score.
Google disclosed the addition of a new factor to the Quality Score, a familiar metric to AdWords advertisers. The new factor is the landing page, and how the content and layout measure up in Google’s eyes will affect the minimum bid for running keywords aimed at that page.
Google wants to see advertisers embrace the mantra echoed by SEO professionals everywhere: publish quality content. On the AdWords blog post about the change to Quality Score, Google makes it pretty clear how this will impact sites:
Advertisers who are providing robust and relevant content will see little change. However, for those who are providing a less positive user experience, the Quality Score may decrease and in turn increase the minimum bid required for the keyword to run.
In making landing pages part of the quality score, Google hopes to increase the trust users have in AdWords and the value they are perceived to have. “Have you ever searched on a keyword, found an ad that seemed to be exactly what you wanted, and then clicked on it only to find a site that had little to do with what you were searching for? It’s not a great experience,” Sarah from the AdWords team posted.
Google isn’t just throwing site publishers out to dry with this change. They have published landing page and site quality guidelines to help their advertisers. Improved relevance should be a goal for advertisers anyway, with or without Google’s prodding.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
