The Ad Strength rating is a critical diagnostic tool used by Google Ads specifically for Responsive Search Ads (RSAs). It shows you how well your ad creative follows Google’s best practices for optimal performance, mainly focusing on the quantity, diversity, and relevance of the headlines and descriptions you provide.
Here is where you can find this rating in your Google Ads account:
Step-by-Step Location Guide
There are two main places where you can view the Ad Strength rating:
Inside the Ad Editor (During Creation/Editing)
This location is the most useful, as it provides live feedback and actionable suggestions for improvement.
Navigate to the Campaigns > Ads.
Click the pencil icon next to your Responsive Search Ad and select Edit.
On the right side of the screen, above the ad preview, you will see a gauge or bar labelled Ad strength.
The bar will fill up, moving through the different levels of strength.
Below the rating, you will see a list of specific Recommendations from Google (e.g., “Add more unique headlines,” “Include popular keywords in your headlines”). This is the most important part, as it tells you exactly what steps you can take to move to the next level.
Expert Advise on Ad Strength
1. Ad Strength is a Diagnostic Tool
Statistic/Advise: The Ad Strength score is an indicator of flexibility and diversity, not a direct guarantee of campaign performance. It does not replace core metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR), Conversion Rate, or Cost Per Acquisition (CPA).
Opinion: While it is a good practice to aim for ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ to ensure Google has enough assets to work with, do not get caught up trying to achieve ‘Excellent’ if it means adding weak or redundant headlines. Focus on high-quality, relevant, and unique messaging first.
2. What Affects the Score?
The score is primarily based on three factors:
Quantity: Having close to the maximum of 15 headlines and 4 descriptions.
Diversity/Uniqueness: Ensuring your assets don’t repeat the same message or use too many similar phrases (e.g., don’t use “Salesforce Development Services” and “Salesforce Development” as two separate unique assets).
Relevance: Including your target keywords in several of your headlines.
Pinning: As discussed previously, pinning assets will almost always reduce your Ad Strength score, as it restricts the AI’s testing capability.
3. The Best Way to Use It
Use the recommendations as a checklist. If your score is ‘Poor,’ the suggestions (like adding more headlines or diversifying your copy) are essential to get the RSA working effectively.
Always prioritise real-world performance. If an ad has an ‘Average’ strength but is converting at a fantastic CPA, leave it alone! If an ad has ‘Excellent’ strength but a poor CTR, the copy may be too generic, and you should test a new ad with more specific, powerful messaging.
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