Google ad strength strategy refers to the set of practices aimed at improving the “ad strength” rating within Google Ads. Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are rated from Poor to Excellent based on how flexible, keyword-rich, and diverse your ad copy is.
The ad strength score is intended to encourage better ads. Google wants advertisers to provide multiple, unique headlines and descriptions, allowing its machine learning systems to find the best performing combinations.
But the big question is: Does chasing Excellent ad strength actually lead to better results?
What Google Recommends
Here’s what Google says you should do to improve your ad strength:
- Add many unique headlines and descriptions
- Include high-volume keywords in the ad copy
- Avoid pinning headlines to specific positions
Unpinned ads give Google’s system maximum flexibility to test combinations. According to Google, advertisers that improve ad strength from Poor to Excellent see an average 12 percent increase in conversions.
However, what Google recommends is not necessarily what the best advertisers do. Big-name brands like Nike and Best Buy often pin their most relevant headlines in Position 1. Why? Because relevance drives better performance.
The Case for Pinning Headlines
One of the most important aspects of your Google ad strength strategy should be relevance. Pinning allows you to lock in control. You can ensure that your top-performing, keyword-rich headlines are always seen first.
Let’s say you are an emergency plumber. Your best-performing headline might be “24/7 Emergency Plumber Near You.” If you pin that in Position 1 and follow it with a trust signal like “Thousands of 5-Star Reviews,” you are building a powerful, relevant ad. But if you leave it all unpinned, your RSA might mix and match low-performing or repetitive headlines like:
- “Emergency Services Plumber”
- “Call a Plumber Today”
- “We Are a Plumbing Company”
That’s not the message you want showing when someone urgently searches for help.
Big advertisers understand this. Brands like Sweetwater or Best Buy make sure their first headline reflects exactly what the user is searching for. They don’t leave that to chance.
Why Excellent Ad Strength May Backfire
Data tells a deeper story about Google ad strength strategy. Marketers have found that ads rated Excellent often perform worse than ads rated Average or Good.
Why? Because completely unpinned headlines can produce irrelevant or awkward combinations. You lose control of your message. Multiple keyword-stuffed headlines may appear together, or repetitive value statements may be shown without context.
That lack of consistency hurts ad relevance. And when ad relevance goes down, so does your Quality Score. The result is higher CPCs and lower CTRs, even if your ad strength score says Excellent.
The Data Behind the Strategy
In one audit across 3,660 non-brand search campaigns, ads with Excellent ad strength showed weaker performance compared to those rated Good. CPCs were higher and ROAS didn’t improve.
The takeaway was clear: Ad strength is a helpful guideline, but it is not the north star. Performance should always be the final metric you optimize for.
That’s why some advertisers intentionally create ads that are rated as Average. They prioritize pinning key phrases, using dynamic keyword insertion, and crafting a clear structure that performs.
How to Analyze Your Own Data
If you want to see how ad strength is affecting your own campaigns, here’s how:
- Go to your Campaigns > Ads report in Google Ads.
- Include columns for Ad Strength, CTR, CPC, and ROAS.
- Export the data and create a pivot table grouping by ad strength rating.
- Add calculated metrics for average CPC and ROAS per ad strength.
Look for patterns. Do your Excellent-rated ads cost more? Are your Good-rated ads generating better ROI? You’ll likely find that the best Google ad strength strategy is not about hitting an arbitrary score but controlling for relevance and performance.
Recommendations for Better Performance
If you want to improve your Google Ads without getting trapped by vanity metrics, here’s what you should do:
- Avoid Poor ad strength scores. These often signal missing keywords or insufficient headline variety.
- Do not chase Excellent ratings blindly. Many high-performing ads are rated as Good or Average.
- Pin important keywords in Position 1 to ensure relevancy.
- Use dynamic keyword insertion sparingly to support relevance without overdoing automation.
- Test different combinations, but monitor CPC and CTR closely.
- Remember that machine learning is only helpful when fed the right inputs.
Ultimately, Google ad strength strategy should serve your business goals, not Google’s internal guidelines. Machine learning is a tool, not a replacement for marketing judgment.
When to Break the Rules
There are times when following Google’s guidance makes sense—especially when starting from scratch or testing new campaigns. But once you have a clear sense of what performs well, use your own data to shape your ads.
If pinning improves your conversion rates and lowers your CPCs, do it. If unpinning causes irrelevant or robotic combinations, avoid it. Your strategy should be performance-based, not rating-based.
At Stratus Analytics, we help clients build PPC campaigns that drive real results by focusing on what works, not just what scores high. We specialize in full-funnel optimization across search, display, and LinkedIn ads. Reach out at [email protected] if your paid search efforts need a smarter, data-led strategy.
Hi there! I’m Scott, and I am the principal consultant and thought leader behind Stratus Analytics. I have a Master of Science degree in marketing analytics, and I’ve have been providing freelance digital marketing services for over 20 years. Additionally, I have written several books on marketing which you can find here on Amazon or this website.
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