You may have noticed that Google have an โad strengthโ rating system, classifying your ads and asset groups as one of the following โ
- Poor
- Average
- Good
- Excellent
This is Googleโs stamp of approval that your assets are complete and diverse.
Google uses your headline and descriptions to get a rating inside search ads, and for Performance Max, all creative assets are taken into consideration; text, images, videos, feed items.
Now, while we donโt like making optimisation or adcopy decisions just to satisfy Google, there are some pretty nifty benefits from having โExcellentโ ad strength
Ad Strength and lower CPCs
Ad strength does NOT directly change your CPC. But better ad strength usually improves your Ad Rank.
And Ad Rank (which includes expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience) is what directly influences CPC.
Better ad strength โ often leads to better ad relevance and CTR โ higher Ad Rank โ lower CPCs or better positions for the same CPC.
(But ad strength alone wonโt save a bad offer, weak targeting, or irrelevant landing pages.)
Faster learning and optimisation
In Search and Performance Max, Excellent ad strength means Googleโs AI has more โpuzzle piecesโ (assets) to test and learn from.
It can quickly find which ad assets perform better for different audiences and devices.
Prevents asset fatigue
Performance can decline if you donโt feed Google enough assets.
Without variety, youโll hit a wall where CTR drops, CPCs climb, and ROAS tanks.
Excellent ad strength gives Google more assets to rotate over time.
Think of it like going to a party โ if youโre wearing an excellent outfit, youโll likely get VIP treatment ๐
So how do you get that coveted โExcellentโ rating?
- Use a minimum of 10 headlines (but shoot for 12โ15 for โExcellentโ) that are relevant to your keywords
โ - Only pin if absolutely necessary (pinning too much can lower ad strength)
โ - Include a clear call-to-action that matches your landing page
โ - Aim for 4 descriptions, with a mix lengths and tones
โ - Avoid repetition
โ - Try different angles (for example, problem solving, benefits etc)
โ - When writing ads, pay attention to the light blue bar at the top as that will tell you what elements are missing โ easy peasy!
Pro tip: Use dynamic keyword insertion, which can insert someoneโs search term into the adcopy, if the search term matches an existing keyword.
Aim for excellent ad strength wherever possible. Sometimes itโs not possible, but itโs handy when you have it ๐ฅณ
Want more Google Ads strategies that actually move the needle? Join the waitlist for Profitable Promotion, and weโll show you how itโs done.
