Adwords Broad Match Quality Score

[Searchout]

** This question is about QS of Broad Match and how it pertains to THE AUCTION ONLY.  Not looking for opinions on campaign/ad group structure/strategies.

For an Adwords account where all the ad groups are using modified broad match keywords I see that some keywords are assigned quality score.  Obviously a broad match keyword can be triggered by a very wide variety of actual keyword searches.  So I assume/guess that Adwords assigns a quality score for every single keyword entered that matches with that broad match and then makes the quality score for the broad match an average of the actual search term used quality score weighted by the volume of searches for that search term?

Or am I wrong and the quality score for a broad match is the exact match quality score for that term (I doubt that since broad match the words can be in any order.)

So for example, let's same I have this broad match score: +auto +insurance

This is going to match with: auto insurance companies, auto insurance prices, luxury auto insurance, auto insurance brokers, and on and on and on.

Let's say my landing page happens to have a lot of content about ratings for auto insurance brokers.  If the CTR for that terms is high, when it's matching my modified broad match, does that mean Adwords assigns a higher quality score, internally, to the search term "auto insurance broker" so if that term is entered, for the purpose of the auction, Adwords doesn't use the quality score of the broad match but the quality score it has calculated for that specific search term -- I just can't see what it is because I don't have that term as an exact match term on my account.

Or, does it use the broad match quality score no matter what search term is used that matched the broad match?  I would be highly surprised if that was true.  If this were true, then you would want to break out the important terms into their own exact match keywords.  In many cases, the more efficient strategy for an account is to have fairly narrow modified broad match terms coupled with a very large negative keyword list.

The question is mainly, is there any advantage from the perspective of competing in the auction to have the term be an exact match versus matching a modified broad match keyword?  If QS is stored for the actual search term, then I would assume the answer is NO.  I know it would provide more granular reporting and the ability to more fine tune landing pages etc etc etc but I'm just talking purely from the perspective of the auction.

[Andrew-SEO]

Quality score is to do with how closely you have matched the search term with your keyword, your ad text, and your landing page. It is much easier to get high quality scores with exact match as you are tailoring your ads far more sharply.

A broad match should only be used in a tiered ad campaign.

If you use broad matches as a general option you will waste money. You will easily double your costs or worse. A high quality score ad has a fraction of the click cost. Don't run anything below 9.

[R0bin_L0rd]

This thread suggests that the quality score you see in the interface is only activated by searches which exactly match your broad match keyword, but that anything which activates your broad match keyword can impact Google's back end calculation of QS.

I initially agreed with Andrew, above, and the thread doesn't make me change my mind. Using a lot of broad match terms will result in lower control over what the ads are showing for, which is likely to reduce relevance and impact QS. This is just compounded by the fact that apparently the interface won't show accurate QS data in this scenario so you don't know how much you're being impacted. I'd lean towards closer matches wherever possible.

I know you said above you're not interested in account structure advice but that seems the most important outcome of this discussion. Do feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!

[Searchout]

I agree broad match will waste some money especially at the beginning of the campaign but as you examine search terms and build the negative keyword list, you eventually hit 'equilibrium' in that the advantage of catching long-tail keywords you have not thought of through modified broad match equals and eventually outweighs trying to add every long-tail keyword you find in the search terms as an exact (or phrase) match.  In my experience, it depends on how competetive the industry is .  Of course the account would not start out 100% broad match.  You would include the obvious, high-volume exact and phrase match.  But in most circumstances, if you place value on your time (which many fail to do), it's more cost effective for me to build a huge negative keyword list over time, then build a huge list of exact match and phrase match keywords for every possible search term you uncover has been used or think will be used.

QS is related to the search term used, not the keyword.  Obviously an exact match keyword the search term will be identical.  So I'm assuming the QS for a broad match is just an average for all the search terms that matched weighted my impression volume for each term.  (I know I'm probably repeating what has already been claimed here or elsewhere.)

I've been around the block too many times to see people advocating very granular account structures which are very time consuming where the increased ROI didn't cover the cost of the extra labor to get so anal about the account structure.  This of course is not true in many circumstances for very high cost accounts, but there's always the bias to justify your job.

[Andrew-SEO]

Fair enough. Sounds like you know your stuff.

Honestly i'm not sure how quality score is calculated from the broad match. I get it's the potential for the match to be a quality one. As you say the more potential matches may create a lower average. So the less strict you are, the lower the average as the is more of a potential for lesser relevant phrases to match.

All i know is a £1.24 click may look close to a £1.48 click but it's 16.2% on top of your cost. So if you don't have a 16.2% increase in ROI you need really think about what is being wasted. A rule that has served me well is: If most of your clicks are from quality scores of 5-7 you are pouring money down the drain, especially if these leads are rarely converting.

All the best.