If you really want to succeed with Google Ads, you'll need to review and refine your account's performance regularly. In particular, you'll want to monitor the status and progress of both your ads and their keywords. This article explains where to find and how to interpret performance data in your account.
View your ad performance
- In your Google Ads account, go to the page menu on the left and click Ads & assets.
- Click Ads from the drop-down menu.
On the 'Ads' page, you can review the following details about your ad performance:
- Status: Shows the eligibility and approval status of your ads. For example, an ad with an 'Eligible' status complies with Google Ads policies and may be shown to all audiences. Learn What your ad statuses mean.
- CTR (Click-through rate): Shows how often customers click your ad after it’s served to them. A high CTR indicates that customers find your ads helpful. Generally, a CTR under 1% on the Search Network indicates that your ads aren’t targeted to a relevant audience. Learn how to Write successful text ads.
- Avg. CPC (cost per click): Shows the average cost each time a potential customer clicks on your ad. Google divides the total cost of all of your clicks by the number of clicks to determine your avg. CPC. For example, if your ad receives two clicks, one that costs £2.00 and one that costs £4.00 , your avg. CPC is £3.00.
View your keyword performance
- In your Google Ads account, go to the page menu on the left and click Keywords.
- Select the appropriate keyword option from the drop-down menu.
- You can choose from Search keywords, Negative keywords, Search terms, Local competitive search terms, or Auction insights.
On the 'Keywords' page, you can review the following details about your keyword performance:
- Status: Shows the eligibility and approval status of your keywords. For example, a keyword with an 'Eligible' status complies with Google Ads policies and may trigger ads. You can hover over each keyword’s status to learn about performance details like Quality Score.
- CTR (Click-through rate): Shows how often customers click your ad after it’s served to them. A high CTR indicates that customers find your ads helpful. Generally, a CTR under 1% on the Search Network indicates that your keywords can be improved. You can remove or refine keywords with a low CTR and add more specific or targeted keywords in Google Ads.
- Quality Score: Shows how your ad quality compares to other advertisers. Quality Scores are measured on a scale from 1–10 and based on your Expected CTR, Ad Relevance and Landing page experience.
- Note: The Quality Score column is disabled in new accounts. To view these metrics, click the columns icon
on the 'Keywords' page, then select Modify columns. In the 'Attributes settings', click Quality Score, then click Apply. Learn more About Quality Score.
- Note: The Quality Score column is disabled in new accounts. To view these metrics, click the columns icon
on the 'Keywords' page, then select Modify columns. In the 'Attributes settings', click Quality Score, then click Apply. Learn more Tip
Bear in mind that the performance of your ads or keywords can fluctuate. Web traffic varies from day to day, and this normal fluctuation may affect the performance of your campaign. Current events also have the potential to dramatically influence the number of impressions and clicks you receive.
