Landing page experience below average? How to fix it

A "Below average" landing page experience in Google Ads means Google thinks the page people land on is less relevant and useful for that keyword than what other advertisers offer for the same searches. The fix is rarely a redesign. It is usually making the page match the exact search and ad that sent the click, cutting distractions, and making it fast on a phone. Here is how to find the affected keywords and what to change first.

What Google actually measures

Google defines landing page experience as how relevant and useful your page is likely to be to someone who clicks your ad. Pages that score well are well organised and use text that relates to what people searched for.

Google's Search Ads 360 help page is a bit more specific. It lists four inputs:

• how useful and relevant the information on the page is
• how easy the page is to navigate
• how many links the page has
• whether the page meets the expectation set by the ad

Landing page experience is one of three parts of Quality Score, alongside expected CTR and ad relevance. Each is rated Above average, Average or Below average against other advertisers whose ads showed for the same search over the last 90 days.

One correction to a common belief: Google states that Quality Score itself is "not an input in the ad auction". It is a diagnostic. The underlying quality signals still affect what you pay, so a Below average rating is a symptom worth treating, not a score to chase.

How to find the keywords affected

1. Go to Keywords in your Search campaign.
2. Open the columns icon, expand Quality score, and add Quality Score, Landing Page Exp., Exp. CTR and Ad Relevance.
3. Add the historical versions (Landing Page Exper. (hist.)) to see how ratings changed over your date range.
4. Sort by cost and filter for Landing Page Exp. = Below average.

Focus on the keywords that carry spend. A Below average rating on a keyword that cost ₹300 last month is not worth an afternoon. One that cost ₹3 lakh is.

Then group the affected keywords by the URL they send traffic to. In our experience, the problem is almost always one or two pages, not dozens.

The five fixes that move it most

These are our working priorities, mapped to the factors Google lists.

1. Match the page to the search, not to your brand

If someone searches "2 BHK flats in Whitefield under 80 lakh" and lands on a page about your whole Bengaluru portfolio, the page fails the relevance test. Build or pick a page whose headline and first screen answer that search. For a D2C brand, that means sending "vitamin C serum for oily skin" to the product page for that serum, not the skincare category.

2. Keep the ad's promise above the fold

If the ad says "Free site visit this weekend" or "Flat 20% off", that line must appear on the first screen of the page on mobile. A mismatch between ad and page is the clearest case of failing "meets the expectation set by the ad".

3. Cut links and navigation

Google names the number of links as a factor. A full site header, mega menu, blog sidebar and footer full of links pull people away. On paid landing pages, keep a slim header, one primary call to action and only the links that support the decision, like pricing, RERA details or a returns policy.

4. Make it fast and usable on a phone

Most Indian search traffic is mobile, often on patchy 4G. Heavy hero videos, sliders and pop-ups hurt here. Compress images, delay chat widgets until after load, and make the form or buy button reachable with a thumb. Every redirect between the ad click and the final page also costs time and can strip tracking parameters.

5. Show the details people look for before they trust you

Price or a price range, delivery or possession timelines, a physical address, phone number and clear policies all count as useful information. For healthcare and real estate, this also keeps you on the right side of Google Ads policies. A page that hides the price behind a form is a common reason for poor ratings in Indian lead-gen.

How long until the rating changes

Ratings are based on comparisons over the last 90 days, so improvements show gradually rather than overnight. Don't rebuild a page, check two days later, and rebuild again. Change one page, then watch the historical column and, more importantly, conversion rate on that page for two to four weeks.

Large changes to landing pages can also affect bidding. If you are on Smart Bidding, read our note on what resets the Google Ads learning period before swapping URLs on your top campaigns. And if you want to know which pages Performance Max is quietly sending traffic to, see what Performance Max hides from you.

What to do this week

• [ ] Add the four Quality Score columns, plus historical columns, to your Keywords view.
• [ ] List keywords rated Below average for landing page experience, sorted by spend.
• [ ] Group them by final URL and pick the single page with the most spend behind it.
• [ ] Rewrite that page's headline and first screen to match the top three search terms sending it traffic.
• [ ] Put the ad's main offer on the first mobile screen.
• [ ] Remove the full site navigation and any links that don't help the visitor decide.
• [ ] Test the page on a mid-range Android phone on mobile data and remove anything that makes it slow.
• [ ] Note today's conversion rate and rating, and check again in three weeks.

FAQ

Does a Below average landing page experience stop my ads from showing?

No, but it signals your page is less useful than competitors' pages for that search. That usually means paying more per click and converting fewer visitors.

Is Quality Score used in the Google Ads auction?

Google says Quality Score is a diagnostic and not an input in the auction. The quality factors behind it still influence ad performance and cost.

Can I use one landing page for all my keywords?

You can, but broad pages tend to rate worse for specific searches. Group keywords by intent and send each group to the most relevant page.

How quickly will my rating improve after I fix the page?

Ratings compare the last 90 days, so expect gradual change over weeks. Judge the fix by conversion rate first.