Google Ads: Why Average Ad Strength Outperforms Excellent
▼ Summary
– Google Ads often perform better with “Average” ad strength rather than “Excellent,” as blindly following Google’s recommendations can negatively impact campaign results.
– Google’s ad strength metric evaluates factors like headline diversity and keyword inclusion, but pushing for “Excellent” ratings can lead to irrelevant, robotic ad combinations.
– Data analysis of 3,660 non-brand campaigns shows that Average-rated ads have lower cost-per-click, stronger click-through rates, and comparable return on ad spend compared to Excellent-rated ads.
– Successful advertisers prioritize real-world performance over algorithmic scores, using strategic pinning to align with search intent and treating Google’s guidelines as flexible rather than absolute.
Google Ads performance often thrives when ad strength hovers around “Average” rather than chasing the elusive “Excellent” rating. Many PPC specialists have discovered that blindly following Google’s recommendations for unpinned headlines can actually hurt campaign results. The platform’s ad strength metric serves as a guideline, not a definitive performance indicator, and smart marketers know when to prioritize real-world results over algorithmic scores.
Understanding how ad strength works reveals why this happens. Google evaluates ads based on factors like headline diversity and keyword inclusion, assigning ratings from Poor to Excellent. While improving from Poor typically boosts conversions by 12%, pushing for Excellent often backfires. The platform favors completely unpinned headlines, but this frequently creates awkward, robotic ad combinations that sacrifice relevance.
Major brands like Nike, Best Buy, and Sweetwater demonstrate why pinning strategic headlines outperforms Google’s ideal ad structure. These advertisers consistently pin keyword-rich headlines in position one while placing value propositions in position two. This approach maintains search intent alignment while delivering compelling messaging – even though it prevents achieving Excellent ratings.
Recent data analysis of 3,660 non-brand campaigns confirms this pattern. Accounts with predominantly Average-rated ads showed:
- Lower cost-per-click (CPC) than Excellent-rated ads
- Stronger click-through rates (CTR)
- Comparable return on ad spend (ROAS)
The performance dip in Excellent-rated ads likely stems from relevance issues when unpinned headlines generate mismatched combinations. Without pinned elements ensuring keyword alignment, Quality Score suffers, driving up costs.
Marketers can replicate this analysis by:
- Exporting campaign-level ad strength data
- Creating pivot tables comparing metrics by rating
- Testing pinned vs. unpinned headline strategies
Three key recommendations emerge from these findings:
- Avoid Poor ratings that indicate fundamental relevance problems
- Resist chasing Excellent at the expense of ad quality
- Use strategic pinning to maintain search intent alignment
The most successful advertisers treat Google’s recommendations as starting points rather than strict rules. They balance platform guidelines with performance data, often settling on Average-rated ads that convert better than their Excellent counterparts. As machine learning improves, completely unpinned ads may eventually outperform human-crafted structures – but for now, a hybrid approach delivers superior results.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
