Ad Rank
The score that determines your ad position and whether your ad will show.
Definition
Ad Rank is Google's calculation that determines where your ad appears in search results and whether it appears at all. It combines your bid amount, ad quality (including expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience), and expected impact of extensions and other ad formats.
Why It Matters
Higher Ad Rank means better ad positions at potentially lower costs. Since Ad Rank includes quality factors, you can outrank competitors who bid more by creating more relevant, higher-quality ads and landing pages.
Examples in Practice
An advertiser with a $3 bid and excellent quality score might rank above a competitor bidding $5 with poor quality. Adding sitelink extensions improves expected impact and increases Ad Rank without raising the bid.