How to Get Lower Cost-Per-Click in Google Ads

If you are looking to achieve lower cost-per-click in Google Ads, read on as I cover the fundamental factors that influence your click prices in your Google Ads campaigns.

Appearing at the top of Google search results via Google Ads does not necessarily mean you need to pay the highest click prices. The amount you are willing to pay for a click only matters to Google when someone actually clicks on your advert. This makes perfect sense.

Click prices and your ad’s position in the search results

The key factor when determining your Google Ads advert position is what Google calls AdRank (ad position), which is calculated using the following formula: AdRank = Max. Bid x Quality Score. This formula helps determine how much you will pay per click in Google Ads.

As the formula shows, your maximum bid does not solely determine your ad’s position – your quality score also matters. The crucial elements for lowering your click prices, without compromising your ad placements, are found in your quality score. But what exactly does that involve?

What is the Google Ads quality score?

What the quality score specifically consists of is a closely guarded secret at Google. The quality score is a rating assigned to each keyword, based on algorithms designed to deliver the most relevant results to users. There are three key aspects to understand about the quality score, which you can also view in your Google Ads interface:

1. Expected click-through rate
   The expected click-through rate is Google’s estimate of the likelihood of a click on an advert for a given keyword. It is a forecast, so it may not always match your actual click-through rate. Google also considers historical click-through data, as well as ad position and extensions. Read here how you can increase your click-through rate with ad extensions.
2. Ad relevance for users
   To lower your click prices, it is essential that your advert is relevant to the search. A generic advert that is not tailored to the search will not help – users will not click on your advert if it is not relevant to them.
3. Landing page experience for your Google Ads advert
   How relevant is your landing page (the page users arrive at) to the individual search? Is it about the keyword, or something else entirely? The look and usability of your landing page also play a role – is it user-friendly and intuitive, or cluttered and disorganised? You have probably experienced the frustration of landing on a page that provides no value. With landing page experience, Google assesses whether your page delivers value to the visitor.

When creating campaigns in Google Ads, it is important to remember that Google is a business that needs to earn money from user clicks – not only now, but in the future as well. Delivering irrelevant results only encourages users to turn to Bing, Yahoo, or other search engines in future.