Updated January 12, 2023
Reading Time: 2 minutesNull is the New 6?
Recently Google announced that the default value of 6 for a keyword in Adwords is going to be replaced with a null value. So when you create a new ad, instead of it receiving a 6 as its default quality score, it will now be given a null (displayed as: –).
Quality Score in AdWords is calculated based on how ads perform. It is built around how many times an ad is shown in search results, how often the ad gets clicks, and the content and relevance of the landing page it links to. Without this data, it’s not possible to generate an accurate Quality Score. Previously if there was no data, Google would give you a 6. Now you get a “–”.
Google will officially launch the AdWords null values on September 12th in an attempt to “provide more transparent Quality Score reporting.” Put simply, it will be easier to tell the difference between a keyword the has a quality score of 6, and a new keyword that hasn’t yet received any impressions or clicks.
AdWords Null Values
However, this change will have a knock-on effect if you have any automated reports set up. So you will need to make changes to include the new null “–” scores if you want your reports to display accurate data after the update.
Another question, as yet unanswered by Google, is if this will make any changes to bids. Before it was assumed that your opening bids were calculated as if your keyword had a Quality Score of 6. This would mean that even if your QS ended up being a 3, your initial bids would be charged to you as if the QS had been a 6. So far Google has not mentioned if your opening bids being made from null will change this.
What do you think of the new AdWords Null Value?
Photo credit – Top: Mark Jensen
Photo credit – Bottom: Nogran SRO
Mathew N
I actually feel that having a null QS means having a QS of 7, not as a dafault but on having no penalty (increase bids for some percent) for low QS since null QS does not fall into same category like QS 1-10, therefore there’s no penalty place for them.
Massimo Paolini
One of the reasons we think Google changed from the default to null is to stop advertisers from abusing the reclassifications. As with all Google changes, we’ll need to experiment and see how it affects overall QS and bidding.
Mahew N
I agree, no better way of understanding changes made through data 🙂