Question: What determines whether a Search ad shows in the results for a query, and in what position?
- Asset impact, which includes sitelinks and image assets.
- Bids, which is how much marketers will pay for a click.
- Ad quality, which is based on ad and website relevance.
- Ad Rank, which is based on a variety of factors to show useful ads.
The correct answer is: Ad Rank, which is based on a variety of factors to show useful ads.
The position and visibility of a Search ad in Google’s results are determined by its Ad Rank—a value calculated using multiple factors to ensure the most relevant and helpful ads appear for each query.
Explanation: Google uses Ad Rank to determine whether your ad is eligible to appear and where it shows on the search results page. The main goal of Ad Rank is to show the most helpful and relevant ads at higher positions in Google Search results.
Ad Rank is calculated using several key factors, including:
- Bid amount
- Ad quality (expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
- Ad formats and extensions
- User context (like device, location, time of search, and search terms)
- Advertisers are only charged when someone clicks on their ad, not just when it appears.
According to Google, Ad Rank is a value used to decide if your ads can appear, and if they do, where they will be placed compared to other advertisers’ ads. Understanding how Google Ads, Search ad placement, and Ad Rank factors work is essential for improving your ad performance, click-through rates, and campaign success.