Ad Rank is the score Google Ads uses in each auction to decide whether your ad is eligible to show at all and, if it shows, where it appears compared to other advertisers.
Ad Rank is calculated at the moment someone searches, so it can change from one search to the next, even for the same keyword. Google does not publish one fixed formula, but in practice you can think of Ad Rank as a mix of (1) what you are willing to pay, (2) how good the ad and landing page are for that search, and (3) how much your ad assets (like sitelinks, callouts, call extensions, and other formats) are expected to help the searcher. There are also minimum thresholds your ad must clear to show in certain spots (like top of page), plus auction factors like competition and the search context (location, device, time, and the exact query).
| Ad Rank factor | What it means in plain English | What to do to raise it |
|---|---|---|
| Bid (manual or automated) | Your max CPC (or what Google expects it can pay to hit your goal under smart bidding) | Bid to match your real lead value, and separate high value services (like “emergency dentist”) from lower value ones so budgets and bids fit the math |
| Ad quality and landing page quality | How likely your ad gets clicked and how well your page answers the search | Write tighter ad groups, match the headline to the keyword theme, and send clicks to a page that answers pricing, service area, and next step fast |
| Expected impact of assets and formats | Whether your extensions are likely to improve usefulness and CTR | Add relevant assets per campaign, keep them specific (services, financing, locations), and remove anything generic that never gets used |
| Ad Rank thresholds | Minimum bar to show, and a higher bar to show in premium positions | Fix weak relevance first, then raise bids, because big bids can still fail the threshold if quality is low |
| Auction competition and search context | Who else is bidding and what the search looks like (Orlando mobile search at 8am can be different than desktop at 8pm) | Use location targeting, ad schedules, and device bid adjustments (or segmented campaigns) so you compete hardest when leads close |
Where Quality Score fits: in Search campaigns, Google reports Quality Score on a 1 to 10 scale at the keyword level, and it reflects three things, expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience. It is not the full Ad Rank, but it is a clear window into the quality side of the auction. If you want help setting up campaigns that win auctions without overpaying, our PPC management work focuses on cleaning up targeting, tightening relevance, and building conversion tracking that matches your actual pipeline.
A quick example: Two Orlando competitors bid on “personal injury lawyer consultation.” Advertiser A bids higher but sends traffic to a generic homepage with a slow contact flow, while Advertiser B bids a bit less but has a dedicated landing page, strong ad relevance, and useful assets like “Free consultation” and “24/7 calls.” Advertiser B can appear above A and often pays less per click because Ad Rank rewards relevance and usefulness, not just spend.
If you want to judge whether your Ad Rank is moving the right way, track the outcomes that matter (leads, booked calls, cost per lead, and lead quality) and use impression share and top of page rate as supporting metrics. Our FAQ on SEO metrics to track maps cleanly to paid search too, because the goal is the same, more qualified conversions, not vanity numbers.
