Advertisers have been chasing Excellent ad strength scores since responsive search ads (RSAs) became the default format for Search campaigns.
But here’s the problem: ad strength doesn’t measure PPC success, and it certainly doesn’t guarantee it.
Launched in beta in 2018, RSAs let advertisers supply up to 15 headlines and four descriptions.
To guide them, Google introduced ad strength – a score meant to reflect how well an ad aligns with platform best practices.
But over time, that score has been misunderstood, misused, and overvalued.
This article unpacks what ad strength really measures, where it falls short, and how to use it without letting it steer your strategy.
Understanding ad strength in Google Ads
Ad strength is a feedback tool that provides advertisers with a score for their RSA, ranging from Incomplete, Poor, Average, Good, to Excellent.
The higher the score, the more potential Google Ads believes the ad has for strong performance.
The ad strength section includes both a score and recommended actions to improve it.
It can be found in the ad editor or added as a column under the Attributes folder.
How is ad strength calculated?
Ad strength is calculated by looking at the four main elements of an ad:
Variety of assets
Google recommends that advertisers maximize the number of ad combinations their RSA can make by providing:
- 15 descriptions.
- 4 headlines.
The more options they have, the more combinations they can create.
Uniqueness of assets
A unique asset describes the USPs (unique selling points) of the product/service, while avoiding repetition and broad phrases.
These headlines and descriptions differ from what other advertisers are saying in their ads, as the goal is to stand out in the auction.
Use of keywords
Ad group keywords should be included in the headlines and description to help improve their relevance.
Ad pinning
Google states that pinning assets reduces the number of combinations they can create, and recommends against using them.
These factors are analysed by Google’s machine learning model, which then assigns an ad strength score based on how well your assets align with their best practices.
Why does ad strength matter?
Internal Google data claims that advertisers who improved their ad strength from Poor to Excellent saw an average of 12% more conversions.
This is because according to Google, ad strength is designed to help advertisers to make the best first impression possible, by providing potential customers with the most relevant ad combination to drive action.
The ad strength recommendations also offer advertisers actions to take to improve their assets, making it quicker and easier for them to make improvements.
For example, the prompts for relevant keywords to be added to headlines can help advertisers ensure that their ads are clearly relevant to their target audience in search results.
Common ad strength misconceptions
While it has existed for over seven years, ad strength is still greatly misunderstood in the PPC industry.
Here are some of the biggest misconceptions about the ad strength tool:
Misconception 1: If your ad is rated Poor, then it won’t be eligible to run
Ad strength does not directly dictate your ads eligibility to be served.
Even if you have a Poor ad, your ad will still be eligible to appear, as long as it has no errors or policy infringements.
Misconception 2: Ad strength determines how well an ad will perform
Ad strength looks for ways to improve the performance potential of your ads based on the platform’s best practices. It does not dictate how well your ad performs.
Even with an Excellent ad, an ad may still not generate a single conversion, while an ad rated Average may be a strong conversion driver.
Misconception 3: You should not pin assets
Pinning can reduce impressions because it limits the number of ad combinations Google can generate. Fewer combinations mean fewer chances for your ad to show.
However, if pinning helps an advertiser to ensure that important (or legally required) assets are always present, then it should still be done.
Misconception 4: I have to add 15 headlines and 4 descriptions
Providing the maximum number of assets allows Google to create more combinations, and in turn Impressions.
However, Impressions do not guarantee results, and there is nothing to stop advertisers from providing a smaller batch of assets during ad creation.
Misconception 5: Ad strength is the same as ad rank
Ad strength and ad rank are two very different metrics.
- Ad strength determines how well your ad is expected to perform and how many Impressions it can get based on best practices.
- In comparison, ad rank determines where on a search result page your ad will appear, by looking at numerous factors, including ad quality and how competitive the bid is.
Ad strength is not an ad rank factor.
Dig deeper: Google: Ad Strength not used in Ad Rank
Misconception 6: Ad strength is static
Ad strength can change, and as such, an ad that was once deemed Excellent could be downgraded to Poor and vice versa.
How to use ad strength effectively
Ad strength is a great tool for advertisers to use to see how well their ads align with Google Ads best practices.
However, with there being no direct causation between ad strength and overall performance, it is important to keep the following points in order to use the tool effectively:
- A Poor or Average ad rating does not automatically mean that your ad will not perform.
- Always prioritize what you want your ads to say, especially if you need to pin to control, test or fulfill legal obligations.
- Do not chase ad strength as your primary performance metric. Instead, review more account-specific performance metrics, such as CTR and conversion rate, to see how your ads are performing.
- While the recommendations are a great source of inspiration, make sure that you review them before applying, as they will not always be suitable for your product OR service. For example, the system may recommend a headline for “Lowest Price Guarantee,” but this is not a service you offer.
Ad strength doesn’t equal RSA success
Ad strength can be a useful guideline for advertisers, but it is best used as a tool and not a rulebook for RSA asset creation.
Advertisers should instead use it as a tool to explore best practice recommendations while ensuring they use real-world performance data to optimize their ad copy.