Troubleshooting Quality Score Issues in Church Google Ad Grant Ads

The Google Ad Grant lets churches run ads on Google without spending their own funds. It’s a helpful program that many ministries use to spread the word about events, missions, or programs. But running these ads isn’t always a smooth ride. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your ad doesn’t get shown enough or deliver the kind of results you were hoping for.

One common snag is something called quality score. This invisible number plays a big role in how well your ads perform. If the score drops too low, your ads slow down or stop altogether. Churches often run into problems with low quality scores, and figuring out why can feel confusing.

Let’s walk through what a quality score really is, what can damage it, and how churches can fix those issues for better results in their Google Ad Grant campaigns. At Faithworks Marketing, we help churches with exactly these kinds of problems.

Understanding Quality Score

Think of quality score like a report card for your ads. Every time you run an ad using the Google Ad Grant, Google looks at three main things to decide how good your ad is:

1. Click-through rate (CTR): Are people actually clicking on your ad after they see it?

2. Ad relevance: Does your ad match what people searched for?

3. Landing page experience: After someone clicks your ad, does the page they land on help them? Is it easy to read and useful?

If your ad checks all three boxes, your quality score goes up. If it misses the mark on one or more, the score goes down. And when that score dips, Google makes your ad less visible or even stops it from running altogether.

For example, if your church runs an ad for a fall food drive, but the keywords don’t match the words people are searching or the page they land on has very little info about the event, that ad won’t do very well. Google sees it as a poor connection and lowers the score. That’s why learning how to keep your quality score high makes a big difference in how far your church’s message can reach.

Identifying Common Quality Score Issues

Churches using the Google Ad Grant often struggle with the same quality score problems. Most of these come down to how people interact with ads and what’s on the website those ads lead to.

Here are a few of the most common trouble spots:

- Low Click-Through Rates

If people keep seeing your ad but don’t click it, Google takes that as a sign it’s not very useful. Sometimes it’s the wording. Maybe the ad doesn’t grab attention. Other times it’s something simpler like using the wrong keywords. Church ads that say too little or are too vague tend to miss the point of what someone is actually looking for.

- Weak Ad Relevance

When the text in your ad doesn’t line up with the keyword or the person’s search, that mismatch hurts your score. Using keywords carelessly or stuffing too many broad terms into an ad group makes your ad feel off-topic. Think of it like inviting people to a youth picnic but writing your ad like you’re announcing a sermon series. It just doesn't fit.

- Poor Landing Page Experience

Once people click your ad, they land on your church website. If the page is slow, hard to read on a phone, or doesn’t talk about the thing they clicked on, they may just leave. A good page should clearly continue the story your ad started. If you’re advertising summer camp registration, don’t send users to a general homepage. That disconnect will lower your score quickly.

When any one of these areas collapses, the rest struggle too. Ads don’t get shown much, budgets go unused, and you’re left wondering why your outreach isn't working the way it should. Fixing quality score issues means addressing each of these parts head-on so your ads can start being helpful and get noticed again.

Steps to Improve Quality Score

Once you’re aware of where your Google Ad Grant ads are falling short, the next step is improving the parts that matter. Quality score doesn’t move overnight, but small changes can make a big difference over time. If your church is struggling with click-through rates, poor ad matching, or clunky landing pages, there are some focused areas to work on.

Here are a few ways churches can help improve their quality score:

- Write clearer ad copy

Use words people would actually search for instead of church jargon. If you’re running an ad about a Sunday school program, say that upfront. Keep headlines simple and make the message clear.

- Choose stronger keywords

Instead of broad or generic terms like "church," focus on terms that reflect what you're offering, such as "Vacation Bible School registration" or "youth worship night." Group ads around specific topics so each one connects better with what people actually want.

- Match keywords with ad text

Don’t just drop a keyword into the ad once. Make sure the whole message centers around that idea. If people search "free marriage classes near me," the headline and body should call that out clearly.

- Use negative keywords

These help keep your ads from showing up on searches that don’t match your ministry. For example, if you're advertising free events, you might want to exclude the word "jobs" to avoid people searching for church employment opportunities.

- Improve your landing pages

Make sure the webpage you link to speaks directly to the ad’s message. If your ad promotes a worship night, the landing page should include details like date, time, and location, not just a general about page. Keep the content readable, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly.

A church once had ads centered around "family events," but their landing page was just a calendar with no details. Once they created a simple events page explaining what each event was about, their ad performance noticeably improved.

Taking time to shape each part of your ad strategy to better match what people are searching for really does help the quality score go up. It also makes the online experience smoother for potential visitors.

Monitoring and Adjusting Campaigns

Once you’ve made updates, it’s easy to think the job is done. But that’s when the real work starts. Quality score and ad performance change over time, and what used to work can slowly lose traction. Regular monitoring helps you stay ahead.

Set a routine for checking your ad dashboard at least every couple of weeks. Look for changes in impressions, clicks, and cost-per-click. Pay attention to warnings or drops in performance. If you notice click-through rates falling, go back and revise your wording or check if better keywords are available.

Here are a few helpful steps to stay on track:

1. Review your search terms report to find new keyword ideas or flag bad matches.

2. Pause underperforming ads and create fresh ones with tighter copy or new angles.

3. Test different ad versions (called A/B testing) to see which phrases or headlines get more clicks.

4. Make sure all landing pages have updated content and load quickly, especially on mobile.

5. Check the mobile preview of your ads to see how they appear across devices.

Staying consistent with updates doesn’t mean changing everything at once. It just means being ready to tweak things when you notice signs of poor performance. Ads improve with steady adjustments over time.

Why This Work Really Matters

Keeping your quality score high isn’t just about pleasing Google. It’s about making sure your outreach works. When each part of your ad campaign, from keywords to landing page, lines up well, your message has a better chance of reaching the right people. That could mean more families at your events, more interest in your ministry, and more impact from your efforts.

Tackling all of this takes time. Church teams are often stretched thin, especially when trying to balance digital outreach with everything else going on. That’s why many turn to help from those who’ve handled these exact issues before. If you’re tired of guessing or need someone to get your Google Ad Grant campaigns back on track, Faithworks Marketing is here to help make it work for you.

To make the most of your outreach efforts and ensure your message reaches the community effectively, understanding and leveraging the Google Ad Grant for churches is key. Faithworks Marketing helps churches navigate tracking challenges so they can use their campaigns with confidence. If you're looking to improve how you measure success online, this is a solid place to start.