Introduction
Running ads on Facebook and Instagram isn’t just about setting the right budget or targeting the right audience—it’s also about how Meta perceives the quality of your ads. Every time your ad enters the auction, Meta ranks it against other advertisers competing for the same audience. This ranking, known as Ad Quality Ranking, directly influences how often your ad is shown, what it costs, and how effective it will be. Simply put, if you want to maximize your ad spend and achieve better results, you must focus on strategies that improve ad quality ranking.
Ad Quality Ranking is determined by a combination of signals, including how relevant your ad feels to users, how much engagement it generates, and how consistent the post-click experience is. If your ad looks spammy, gets negative feedback, or drives people to a poorly designed landing page, its quality ranking drops—and so does its performance. On the other hand, ads that are engaging, relevant, and trustworthy are rewarded with broader reach at lower costs.
The good news is that improving your ranking isn’t about guesswork. By following a set of proven best practices, advertisers can systematically optimize their ads to win more auctions and stretch their budget further. In this article, we’ll explore 10 actionable ways to improve ad quality ranking on Facebook and Instagram, giving you the tools to drive stronger engagement, lower costs, and more consistent campaign success.
1. Understand How Meta Measures Ad Quality
To improve ad quality ranking, you first need to understand how Meta evaluates your ads. The platform uses three core pillars to determine where your ad stands compared to competitors targeting the same audience: quality, engagement, and conversion.
Quality reflects how users perceive your ad’s content. If people find the ad relevant, authentic, and valuable, Meta assigns it a higher quality score. On the other hand, if users consistently hide, report, or ignore it, the quality signal declines. That’s why polished creative and truthful messaging are essential to improve ad quality ranking.
Engagement measures how your audience interacts with your ad. This includes likes, comments, shares, and clicks. Ads that spark natural interaction signal to Meta that they resonate with viewers. When users positively engage, Meta rewards the ad with more visibility at a lower cost, making engagement a crucial metric to improve ad quality ranking.
Conversion focuses on the post-click experience. It’s not enough to get users to click; they need to take meaningful actions such as signing up, making a purchase, or booking a call. A seamless landing page and relevant call-to-action reassure Meta that your ad delivers on its promise.
Advertisers must track all three pillars—quality, engagement, and conversion—because neglecting even one can hold back results. By monitoring these signals and optimizing accordingly, you create a cycle of improvement where every ad iteration works harder to improve ad quality ranking and drive better campaign performance.
2. Create Highly Relevant Ad Creatives
One of the most effective ways to improve ad quality ranking is by ensuring your ad creatives are highly relevant to the audience you’re targeting. Relevance begins with understanding your audience’s intent—what they’re searching for, what problems they want solved, and what motivates them to take action. When your visuals and copy speak directly to those needs, Meta’s algorithm recognizes that your ad is useful and rewards it with a stronger ranking.
Start with visuals that reflect your audience’s lifestyle and aspirations. For example, if you’re targeting young professionals, show relatable scenarios such as working remotely in modern spaces or enjoying experiences they value. Avoid generic stock photos that lack emotional connection, as these often result in weaker engagement and lower relevance. The more your creative feels personalized, the more it will improve ad quality ranking.
Equally important is your ad copy. Use clear, benefit-driven language that addresses the audience directly. Instead of generic statements, highlight specific outcomes your product or service delivers. For instance, a fitness brand should replace “Get fit today” with “Transform your mornings with 20-minute workouts designed for busy professionals.” This type of tailored messaging resonates stronger and increases positive interactions.
When both your visuals and copy align seamlessly with audience intent, users are more likely to engage, click, and convert. Each of these actions signals to Meta that your ad is valuable, which helps improve ad quality ranking and ensures you achieve better performance at lower costs.
3. Optimize Your Landing Page Experience
To improve ad quality ranking, your job doesn’t stop at creating a great ad—what happens after the click is just as important. Meta evaluates the post-click experience to determine whether your landing page delivers on the promise of your ad. If users find it easy to navigate, quick to load, and consistent in messaging, they are more likely to stay, engage, and convert—sending strong signals back to Meta that your ad is valuable.
The first step is mobile responsiveness. Since most traffic on Facebook and Instagram comes from mobile devices, a page that isn’t optimized for smaller screens will cause users to bounce instantly. A responsive design ensures that buttons, forms, and content display correctly across all devices.
Next, focus on fast loading speed. Every extra second of delay increases the risk of abandonment. Compress images, use lightweight code, and consider hosting enhancements like content delivery networks (CDNs) to keep load times under three seconds.
Equally important is message consistency. If your ad promises “Luxury apartments in London Zone 2 from £475,000,” your landing page must open with the same value proposition. Any disconnect between ad copy and landing page content creates confusion, lowers trust, and can harm conversions.
A seamless post-click journey reassures both users and Meta that your ad is relevant and trustworthy. By prioritizing responsiveness, speed, and consistency, you’ll not only improve user satisfaction but also directly improve ad quality ranking—giving you better reach, lower costs, and stronger campaign results.
4. Avoid Clickbait and Misleading Content
One of the fastest ways to harm your performance—and make it harder to improve ad quality ranking—is by using clickbait or misleading messaging. Meta’s system is designed to spot ads that over-promise and under-deliver, and users are quick to report or hide content that feels deceptive. Both of these signals lower your ad’s quality score and increase your costs.
Clickbait tactics often include exaggerated headlines, sensational claims, or bait-and-switch copy that doesn’t match the product or service being advertised. For example, promising “Get Rich Overnight” when promoting a financial service, or advertising a “Free Trial” that secretly requires payment information, can damage both user trust and your ad’s ranking. Not only does this create negative feedback, but it also increases bounce rates once users realize they’ve been misled.
Instead, focus on honest, transparent messaging. Clearly state what your product or service offers and emphasize real benefits backed by proof. If you’re selling an online course, highlight tangible outcomes such as “Learn proven strategies to generate leads in 30 days” rather than making vague promises. This approach sets accurate expectations, attracts the right audience, and reduces negative engagement.
Transparency not only strengthens trust but also encourages meaningful interaction, which Meta rewards. When users feel your ad is authentic and reliable, they’re more likely to click, engage, and convert—key actions that help improve ad quality ranking. By avoiding shortcuts like clickbait and focusing on integrity, you build long-term success and stronger campaign performance.
5. Leverage Audience Targeting Smartly
Targeting the right audience is one of the most powerful levers you have to improve campaign performance. When your ads reach people who are genuinely interested in your offer, you naturally generate more positive engagement and fewer negative signals. This alignment not only increases conversions but also improves ad quality ranking because Meta sees your ads as relevant and valuable.
Rather than casting a wide net with generic audiences, focus on narrow targeting to your ideal buyers. Start by analyzing your existing customers—what are their demographics, interests, and online behaviors? Use this data to build custom audiences that closely mirror your best-performing segments. For example, a property agency can target investors by location, income bracket, and investment interests instead of running generic “real estate” ads.
Leverage Meta’s advanced tools like Lookalike Audiences to expand reach without sacrificing relevance. These allow you to find new prospects who share characteristics with your existing customers, which often results in higher engagement. Additionally, use retargeting to reconnect with people who already interacted with your brand, as they are more likely to engage and convert.
Finally, avoid stacking too many interests or keeping your audience overly broad, as this dilutes relevance and reduces performance. Smarter segmentation creates stronger resonance with viewers, leading to clicks, shares, and conversions that signal Meta your ad deserves wider delivery. By targeting intelligently, you not only maximize ad spend efficiency but also improve ad quality ranking for sustained campaign success.
6. Use High-Quality Visuals and Engaging Formats
When competing for attention on Facebook and Instagram, visuals are the first thing users notice. Low-quality images or poorly designed graphics can cause people to scroll past your ad instantly, signaling to Meta that your content is irrelevant. On the other hand, high-quality visuals and engaging formats not only capture attention but also encourage interaction—both of which help improve ad quality ranking.
Video is one of the most powerful ad formats. Short, engaging clips showcase your product or service in action, making it easier for viewers to connect emotionally with your brand. Adding captions ensures accessibility and keeps users engaged even without sound. Carousels are another effective option, allowing you to highlight multiple features, products, or benefits in a single ad. This interactive format encourages swiping, which increases engagement and time spent with your ad.
Interactive creatives, such as polls, quizzes, or augmented reality filters, go a step further by making the user part of the experience. These formats often generate higher participation and stronger engagement signals, both of which Meta rewards.
Equally important is maintaining visual consistency with your brand. Use clear, bold imagery that reflects your message and aligns with the promise in your copy. Authentic visuals—whether professional photography or user-generated content—tend to outperform generic stock images.
By investing in high-quality visuals and exploring engaging ad formats, you’ll not only stand out in crowded feeds but also drive more meaningful interactions, which directly improve ad quality ranking and overall campaign performance.
7. Encourage Authentic Engagement
One of the strongest signals Meta looks at when ranking your ads is user interaction. Ads that spark likes, comments, shares, and clicks are considered more relevant and engaging, which helps improve ad quality ranking. However, not all engagement is created equal—Meta penalizes “engagement bait” tactics such as “Like this post if you agree” because they generate low-quality interactions. The key is to encourage authentic engagement that feels natural and meaningful to your audience.
A great way to do this is by asking thoughtful questions in your ad copy. For example, a travel brand could ask, “Which city is at the top of your 2025 bucket list?” Such prompts invite users to share their opinions, creating real conversations.
Polls and interactive features on Instagram Stories and Facebook Ads are another powerful tool. These allow users to participate instantly with a single tap, boosting engagement rates while keeping the interaction simple and fun.
You can also create relatable angles by tapping into everyday experiences or challenges your audience faces. Ads that resonate with people on a personal level naturally attract comments and shares because users feel understood.
By designing ads that foster genuine interaction rather than forced responses, you not only build trust and loyalty but also signal to Meta that your content is valuable. This cycle of authentic engagement improves ad quality ranking, leading to lower costs, better reach, and stronger overall campaign performance.
8. Refresh and Rotate Ads Regularly
One of the biggest challenges advertisers face is ad fatigue. When your audience sees the same creative over and over, it quickly loses its impact. People start ignoring the ad, engagement rates drop, and negative feedback may increase. Meta interprets this decline in interaction as a sign of reduced relevance, which lowers delivery efficiency and increases your costs. This is why consistently refreshing and rotating your ads not only keeps them effective but also improves ad quality ranking.
Rotating creatives allows you to maintain momentum and prevent audience burnout. Even small variations—such as changing headlines, swapping images, or testing different calls-to-action—can give your ad new life. By doing this regularly, you keep your content feeling fresh, which encourages more engagement and positive responses.
Another benefit of ad rotation is that it allows you to test multiple creatives simultaneously. This helps identify which formats, visuals, or messages resonate most with your audience. Once you discover top performers, you can scale those while phasing out weaker versions, ensuring that your campaigns stay efficient and impactful.
Consistency in refreshing ads doesn’t mean abandoning your core message—it means finding new ways to present it. Whether it’s introducing seasonal themes, experimenting with different ad formats like Reels or carousels, or using user-generated content, regular updates help maintain interest and relevance.
By proactively managing ad fatigue and rotating creatives, you signal to Meta that your ads continue to provide value, which directly improves ad quality ranking and leads to stronger, more cost-effective campaign results.
9. Monitor and Analyze Feedback Signals
To improve ad quality ranking, it’s critical to pay close attention to how users are responding to your ads beyond just clicks and impressions. Meta evaluates both positive and negative signals when determining your ad’s ranking. Positive signals include likes, shares, comments, and conversions. Negative signals, however, such as users hiding your ad, reporting it as irrelevant, or scrolling past without engaging, can quickly drag down your performance.
Monitoring feedback signals gives you valuable insights into how your audience perceives your content. For example, if you notice a spike in ad hides, it could mean your creative is being shown too often, leading to fatigue. If reports are increasing, your messaging might come across as misleading or intrusive. By identifying these patterns early, you can adjust your targeting, visuals, or copy to reduce negative interactions.
One effective strategy is to run split tests on different audiences or creatives to identify which versions generate fewer negative responses. This not only helps minimize wasted spend but also ensures your ads are reaching people who are genuinely interested in your offering.
Reducing negative engagement isn’t just about protecting your reputation—it directly impacts your costs and delivery. Meta rewards ads with stronger positive-to-negative feedback ratios by showing them more often and at lower CPMs. By consistently tracking and responding to these signals, you create a feedback loop that helps improve ad quality ranking, strengthens audience trust, and drives better campaign results.
10. A/B Test Constantly
One of the smartest habits advertisers can develop is consistent A/B testing. Instead of relying on assumptions about what will resonate with your audience, testing allows you to gather real data on how different versions of your ads perform. This process not only improves campaign efficiency but is also one of the fastest ways to improve ad quality ranking.
A/B testing works by comparing variations of the same ad, changing one element at a time. For example, you might test two headlines to see which generates higher click-through rates, or two images to determine which grabs more attention. Other elements worth testing include ad copy, call-to-action buttons, video lengths, audience targeting, and even placements (such as Stories, Reels, or News Feed).
The key is to run tests long enough to gather meaningful results while avoiding audience overlap that could skew performance. Once you identify the winning version, scale it, and continue testing new variations to keep your ads fresh and relevant. This cycle of testing and optimizing ensures you’re always improving.
Continuous A/B testing also helps prevent ad fatigue by regularly introducing updated creatives. More importantly, it sends strong signals to Meta that your ads are relevant and engaging. Ads that consistently earn positive responses and conversions are rewarded with better delivery at lower costs.
By making testing a non-negotiable part of your ad strategy, you not only learn more about your audience but also create a proven system to improve ad quality ranking and maximize campaign success.
Conclusion
Improving your ad quality ranking on Facebook and Instagram is not just a “nice-to-have”—it’s a critical factor that determines how far your budget stretches and how successful your campaigns become. Meta rewards advertisers who deliver value to users, and that value is measured through ad relevance, engagement, and post-click experiences. By applying the ten strategies we’ve covered—ranging from creating highly relevant ad creatives to refreshing your campaigns regularly—you can systematically improve ad quality ranking and enjoy lower costs, stronger engagement, and more reliable results.
The reality is, advertising has never been more competitive. With countless businesses vying for the same attention in crowded feeds, those who understand how to optimize ad quality will always have the advantage. Instead of spending more money to compete, you can spend smarter by ensuring your ads rank higher, resonate better, and convert faster.
If you’re serious about mastering this subject and want to ensure your ad spend delivers the maximum return, now is the time to take action. At 6 DIMENSIONS Business Growth Agency, we help businesses like yours implement proven strategies that improve ad quality ranking, strengthen brand presence, and drive measurable growth.
👉 Book a discovery call with us today to explore how we can tailor these strategies to your business and transform your advertising into a powerful, cost-efficient growth engine.
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