Running a successful Google Ads campaign is not just about setting a budget and bidding high. For law firms, where clicks are expensive and competition is steep, efficient ad performance is essential. One of the key metrics that influences both cost and visibility is Quality Score. Understanding how this score works—and how to raise it—can lead to lower costs per click and better placement on the search results page.

What Quality Score Actually Measures

Quality Score is Google’s way of rating the relevance and usefulness of your ads, keywords, and landing pages. It’s reported on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. A higher score generally means better ad placement and lower costs.

Google looks at three main factors when calculating Quality Score:

• Expected click-through rate (CTR): How likely your ad is to be clicked when shown.

• Ad relevance: How well your ad matches the intent behind the user’s search.

• Landing page experience: How useful and relevant your landing page is to people who click your ad.

This score doesn’t impact your account directly, but it plays a major role in how your ads compete in auctions. It helps determine your Ad Rank, which affects both your ad position and the actual amount you pay per click.

Why Quality Score Matters for Legal Ads

In the legal industry, the average cost per click can be among the highest across all sectors. A low Quality Score means you could be paying more for worse ad placements. Conversely, improving your score can reduce your cost per click while helping your ads appear higher on the page. That translates to better visibility and more qualified traffic without inflating your ad spend.

If your campaign is underperforming, looking at your Quality Scores can help identify which parts need adjustment—whether it’s your ad text, your keywords, or your landing page.

Improving Click-Through Rates with Smarter Ads

Expected CTR is a predictive measure based on how often your ad has been clicked in the past relative to others. One of the best ways to improve this score is by making your ads more appealing and specific.

Start by writing ad copy that matches the user’s intent. If you’re targeting people searching for “car accident lawyer in Tampa,” your ad should include that phrase—or a close variation—in both the headline and description. This shows users that your firm offers exactly what they’re looking for.

Using ad extensions—such as sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets—can also make your ads more clickable. These features give users more information and offer additional opportunities to engage with your firm.

A/B testing different versions of ad copy is another smart tactic. Over time, you’ll learn which messages generate the most engagement.

Making Ads More Relevant to the Search

Ad relevance is about how closely your ad matches the keywords being used. If your keywords and ad text are mismatched, your Quality Score will drop.

To fix this, group similar keywords into tightly themed ad groups. For example, instead of putting all your personal injury keywords into one group, you might create separate ad groups for “car accident lawyer,” “slip and fall attorney,” and “wrongful death law firm.” Each group would then have its own specific ads and landing pages.

This makes your campaigns more organized and your ads more targeted, which helps improve both relevance and CTR.

Creating Better Landing Page Experiences

The landing page is the final step in the user’s journey. If the page they land on is slow, confusing, or irrelevant, your Quality Score will suffer—even if your ad gets a lot of clicks.

Make sure your landing page is directly related to the ad. If someone clicks on an ad about truck accident representation, they should arrive at a page that talks specifically about truck accident cases—not just a general personal injury overview.

The page should also be fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate. Include clear contact options, such as a phone number and a consultation form. Adding client testimonials, trust badges, or case results can also help build credibility.

Keep content focused and user-friendly. Avoid jargon and give people a clear path to take action.

Monitoring and Maintaining Strong Quality Scores

Raising your Quality Score isn’t a one-time project. It takes ongoing monitoring and optimization.

Regularly review your keyword performance. Remove underperforming keywords and identify new ones based on search trends. Keep refining your ad copy based on performance data, and update your landing pages to reflect changes in services, offers, or practice focus.

Use Google’s Quality Score breakdown to see which component—CTR, ad relevance, or landing page experience—needs the most work. This helps you prioritize improvements instead of guessing.

When to Bring in a Legal Marketing Expert

Managing Google Ads effectively takes time, testing, and technical knowledge. For law firms already managing caseloads and client needs, maintaining a high-performing campaign in-house can become overwhelming.

A legal marketing partner brings experience with keyword research, ad copywriting, landing page optimization, and campaign management. More importantly, they understand how law firm advertising differs from other industries. They’ll ensure your campaigns stay compliant with advertising guidelines while driving better results.

Conclusion

Quality Score is one of the most important—and most overlooked—factors in running successful Google Ads campaigns for law firms. By focusing on relevance, user experience, and engagement, you can improve performance without increasing your budget. If you want help identifying where your campaign stands and how to raise your scores, reach out to our law firm marketing team today. We’ll help you build a more effective campaign that turns clicks into real clients.

 

We will continue to update SDM; if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us!