Google Ads glossary

What Is Ad Rank?

Definition

Ad Rank is the set of auction-time calculations Google uses to decide whether an ad can show and where it appears.

How Ad Rank Works

Google considers the bid, auction-time ad quality, Ad Rank thresholds, the competitiveness and context of the search, and the expected impact of assets and formats.

A Simple Example

Two advertisers can enter the same search with different bids. The advertiser with the lower bid may still appear above the other if its ad is more useful in that auction.

Why Ad Rank Matters

Ad Rank explains why raising bids is only one way to improve visibility. Relevance, landing pages and useful assets can also matter.

Common Misreading

Ad Rank is not the same thing as Quality Score. Quality Score is a reported diagnostic; Ad Rank is calculated for each auction.

Go deeper

Continue with the practical guide

The glossary gives you the definition. The guide covers the decisions and implementation in more depth.

See how Ad Rank works →