What Is Optimisation Score In Google Ads And Should You Chase 100%

If you have ever logged into your Google Ads account and been greeted by a score out of 100 sitting prominently on your dashboard, you will know the feeling. There is something instinctively compelling about wanting to push that number as high as it can go, and Google certainly knows how to make that feel urgent. But understanding what the optimisation score in Google Ads actually represents, and whether chasing a perfect 100% is the right use of your time and budget, is something every advertiser needs to think carefully about.

What Is The Optimisation Score In Google Ads?

The optimisation score is a real-time estimate, expressed as a percentage, of how well your Google Ads account is set up to perform. Google calculates this figure based on a range of recommendations it generates for your campaigns, and the score sits between 0% and 100%. A score of 100% means you have either applied or dismissed all of the recommendations Google has presented to you at that point in time.

It is important to understand from the outset that this score is driven entirely by Google's automated recommendation engine. Google looks at your current campaign settings, bidding strategies, ad assets, keywords, and broader account structure, and then surfaces suggestions it believes would improve performance. Each recommendation carries a weighted impact on your score, so applying or dismissing suggestions moves the number up accordingly.

The score is visible at campaign, account, and manager account level, which makes it easy to monitor across multiple clients if you are working within an agency environment.

How Google Calculates The Score

Google does not publish the exact formula behind the optimisation score, but it has confirmed that the scoring is based on the potential impact of each recommendation relative to your account's specific activity and goals. Recommendations that Google considers high impact will carry more weight in the calculation than minor tweaks.

Recommendations can span a wide range of areas, including adding new keywords, switching to automated bidding strategies, enabling broad match, adding responsive search ad assets, setting up Performance Max campaigns, and adjusting target CPA or ROAS values. Some of these suggestions are genuinely valuable and worth acting on. Others need to be looked at with a more critical eye before you apply them.

Should You Actually Chase 100%?

This is the question that matters most, and the honest answer is no, not unconditionally. A 100% optimisation score does not mean your campaigns are performing at their best. It simply means you have acted on, or chosen to dismiss, everything Google has recommended at that particular moment. The two things are very different.

Google's recommendations are generated algorithmically and are not always aligned with your specific business objectives. For example, Google may recommend switching from manual CPC to a fully automated bidding strategy like Target CPA. In some accounts, especially those with a strong history of conversion data, this could be a sensible move. In a newer account with limited data, or one where conversion tracking is not perfectly calibrated, blindly applying that recommendation could do more harm than good.

Similarly, Google frequently recommends enabling broad match keywords. Broad match can work extremely well in the right context, particularly within Smart Bidding campaigns, but it can also drain budget on irrelevant searches if your account does not have the right guardrails in place. Applying a recommendation simply to nudge your score upward is not a sound strategy.

The Right Way To Use Recommendations

Rather than treating the optimisation score as a target to hit, treat it as a prompt to review. When you visit the Recommendations tab in Google Ads, go through each suggestion on its own merits. Ask yourself whether it aligns with your campaign goals, your budget, your audience, and the stage your account is at. If a recommendation makes sense, apply it. If it does not, dismiss it with a clear reason in mind.

Dismissing a recommendation does still improve your score, because Google considers an intentional dismissal as a form of account management. This is actually a useful mechanic, because it means you can maintain a reasonably healthy score whilst staying in full control of your account decisions.

There are certain recommendations that tend to be worth reviewing carefully every time they appear. Suggestions around ad asset coverage, adding sitelinks, updating conversion goals, or fixing disapproved ads are generally low risk and high value. On the other hand, recommendations to significantly increase bids, expand to new campaign types, or broaden targeting should always be assessed against your current performance data before acting.

What The Score Should And Should Not Tell You

The optimisation score is a useful indicator of account hygiene and engagement, but it is not a proxy for campaign performance. Your actual key performance indicators, whether that is cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, conversion volume, or impression share, should always take priority over a score on a dashboard.

An account with a score of 72% and excellent conversion performance is in a far stronger position than one sitting at 98% with poor return on investment. Always keep that perspective front of mind.

It is also worth noting that the score changes constantly. Google adds new recommendations regularly, which means an account that was at 100% yesterday might be at 84% today simply because new suggestions have been generated. The score is a moving target, and obsessing over it daily will pull your focus away from the things that genuinely drive results.

Using The Score As Part Of A Broader Review Process

The most productive way to work with the optimisation score is to incorporate a review of the Recommendations tab into your regular account management routine. Set aside time on a weekly or fortnightly basis to go through what Google is suggesting, evaluate each recommendation against your goals, apply what makes sense, dismiss what does not, and document your reasoning. This keeps your account tidy, ensures you are not missing genuinely useful insights, and maintains a score that reflects considered decision-making rather than blind compliance.

Understanding what is optimisation score in Google Ads is straightforward once you strip away the noise. It is a tool to prompt action and review, not a definitive measure of success. Use it wisely, stay critical of automated suggestions, and always let your business objectives lead the way.