Fluency put Google’s Optimization Score (aka OptiScore) to the test in an independent study. In it, we tested the impact that improving Google optimization scores in digital marketing campaigns has on key metrics. Here’s what we found looking at 2 million account-days of data during the period of August 2020–November 2021. The results were interesting to us—they help us figure out which best practices have the greatest impact on clients’ advertising portfolios.
What is Google’s OptiScore?
Google’s Optimization Score is “an estimate of how well your Google Ads accounts are set to perform.”*
The OptiScore is based on a 100-point scale. It includes factors like budget, bidding, ad creatives, account hygiene, audiences, keywords, smart display campaigns, and more. Google says improving your OptiScore by enabling various Google Ads features leads to “performance uplift” in the form of more conversions.
Fluency’s OptiScore Study, Explained
It’s one thing to hear Google talk about the benefits of improving your OptiScore, but it’s another thing to see for yourself. That’s why the Fluency team conducted a totally independent study. Our goal was to test Google claims around OptiScore on a broad third-party dataset.
What Did We Find?
According to Roderick Cushing, Data Scientist at Fluency, “Our Google OptiScore study broadly finds that applying optimization recommendations, and increasing an advertising account’s OptiScore, decreases cost per conversion and cost per click.”
Higher OptiScore Leads to Major Improvements in Key Metrics
The Fluency OptiScore study revealed that accounts applying optimization recommendations to increase their Google OptiScore by at least 10 points saw:
- A median 12.7% decrease in cost per conversion
- A median 10.3% increase in total conversions
The results of the study prove that Google's published statements are true and increasing your Google OptiScore leads to improvement in key metrics that directly impact your campaign results. Cushing adds, “This is especially true when OptiScore is optimized for accounts where there is also a conversion goal applied.”
Fluency’s Insights Into OptiScore Are Just Getting Started
Fluency's platform allows our users to implement Optimization Score recommendations quickly across an entire portfolio or a single account. A 10% optimization score improvement seems to be the sweet spot, giving brand leaders something to strive for. After all, improved efficacy and trimmed cost are a part of any digital marketing team’s goals.
For Fluency, we saw the biggest improvement in two specific industries: Automotive and flooring. Any industry can benefit by putting Google’s OptiScore to the test.
Get ready for more! Fluency is preparing to drop additional insights into our independent OptiScore study. Stay tuned on the Fluency blog to see how our research compares to Google’s claims and what our own experts have to say about the data.
*Google’s Optimization Score Search Playbook
