The Facebook ad quality score is a measurement used by Facebook to evaluate the quality and relevance of advertisements on their platform. The quality score is one of the key factors that determines how much an advertiser pays for their ads on Facebook.
What does the Facebook ad quality score measure?
The Facebook ad quality score aims to measure the overall quality and expected performance of an ad. It takes into account several factors related to the ad itself as well as the landing page experience after clicking on the ad.
Specifically, the Facebook ad quality score evaluates:
- Relevance of the ad content
- Design and creatives used in the ad
- Historical performance of the ad and landing page
- Positive or negative feedback on the ad and landing page
Facebook’s algorithm analyzes these factors to generate a quality score between 1 and 10 for each ad. The higher the score, the better quality Facebook considers the ad.
Why does Facebook use a quality score?
Facebook introduced the quality score system to improve the experience for users on their platform. Low quality and irrelevant ads negatively impact user experience. The quality score aims to incentivize advertisers to create higher performing ads that are more relevant to users.
Specifically, the quality score system helps Facebook:
- Reward advertisers who create great ad experiences with lower costs
- Incentivize improvements in ads and landing pages to increase relevance
- Limit poor performing ads by charging more for them
- Improve overall ad relevance for a better user experience
This quality-based pricing model helps ensure that advertisers are optimizing their creatives, targeting, and landing pages to deliver a positive experience on Facebook.
How is the Facebook ad quality score calculated?
While Facebook does not publicly share the exact algorithm used to calculate quality scores, they have provided some insights into the key components involved:
Relevance
Relevance measures how well the ad matches the interests of the target audience. Factors considered include:
- Ad creative – Does the wording, imagery, and format appeal to the intended audience?
- Targeting – How closely does the target audience match the promoted product, service, or content?
- Placements – Does the ad appear in ad slots that are relevant to the audience?
Landing page experience
The landing page experience evaluates whether the user finds the promoted content valuable and engaging. This includes assessing:
- Design – Is the landing page visually appealing and easy to navigate?
- Speed – Does the page load quickly without technical errors?
- Content – Does the landing page deliver on the promised value from the ad?
- Functionality – Do forms, buttons, and other features work as expected?
Ad history
Facebook looks at historical performance data to predict future quality. Metrics assessed include:
- Click-through rate – Does the ad generate a high number of clicks?
- Conversions – Does the ad effectively drive desired actions like sales or email signups?
- Cost per result – How efficiently does the ad deliver results?
Ads with better historical performance suggest higher quality and receive higher scores.
Negative feedback
The score also accounts for negative signals like:
- High ad skip rate – Do many users skip the video ad quickly?
- Low engagement – Are reactions, comments, and shares low for the post?
- Negative comments – Do users complain about the ad being irrelevant or annoying?
- Low conversion rates – Do users who click the ad not take any intended action on the landing page?
These signals indicate poor ad quality and can significantly hurt the score.
What is a good Facebook ad quality score?
According to Facebook, the average quality score for an ad is around 5 or 6. Here are the general quality tiers:
| Quality score | Rating |
|---|---|
| 8 – 10 | Excellent |
| 7 | Good |
| 5 – 6 | Average |
| 3 – 4 | Fair |
| 1 – 2 | Poor |
Ideally, advertisers should aim for a quality score of at least 7 to be considered “good”. A score of 8 or above is exceptional.
How does the quality score impact Facebook ad costs?
The quality score has a direct impact on the costs paid by advertisers on Facebook. Ads with higher quality scores generally result in lower costs per click or conversion.
Specifically, the Facebook ad quality score influences:
- Ad auction – Ads with higher scores are more likely to win Facebook’s ad auctions and gain more impressions at lower costs.
- Ad position – Higher quality ads appear higher up in Facebook’s ad placements for increased visibility.
- Delivery – Better quality scores can lead to more ad impressions and reach.
- Optimization – Facebook’s system will spend more optimizing and showing high scoring ads.
In contrast, a low quality ad may cost 2x to 3x times more to achieve the same results. As an example, here are estimated costs for different quality tiers:
| Quality score | Estimated cost per click |
|---|---|
| 10 | $0.05 – $0.10 |
| 8 | $0.10 – $0.15 |
| 6 | $0.15 – $0.20 |
| 4 | $0.20 – $0.25 |
| 2 | $0.25 – $0.30 |
Given this relationship between score and cost, it’s critical for advertisers to maintain a high-quality score to get the best value from Facebook ads.
How to improve your Facebook ad quality score
Here are some top tips to improve the quality score for Facebook ads:
Create relevant and appealing ad creatives
Ensure your ad resonates with your target audience. Use compelling imagery, videos, and text focused on their needs and interests.
Provide a seamless landing page experience
Design fast loading, mobile-friendly landing pages that instantly convey the value offered by your ads.
Target ads precisely
Use precise targeting to only reach the audiences most likely to engage with your ad and content.
Test multiple variations
A/B test different versions of your ads and landing pages to improve performance.
Monitor metrics for insights
Analyze click-through rates, conversions, relevance scores, and other metrics to identify issues and opportunities.
Gather feedback from users
Ask for feedback from a sample of users on your ads and landing pages to guide improvements.
Fix identified issues quickly
Address any known problems with ad relevance, loading errors, or design flaws to prevent further negative impact.
Review placements for relevance
Ensure your ads appear on Facebook pages and feeds relevant to your audience for optimal context.
Provide valuable content
Deliver truly useful and engaging content that satisfies user needs and delivers on your ad promises.
Conclusion
The Facebook ad quality score significantly impacts both the visibility of your ads and how much you pay for results. Invest time into understanding your score and take actions to achieve at least a “good” rating of 7+. This will ensure you gain more impressions at lower costs to boost your Facebook advertising performance.