Quality Score moved to per-query calculation, replacing minimum bids with first page bid estimates

Google announced that Quality Score would be evaluated each time an ad matched a search rather than stored as a static per-keyword value. As a result keywords would no longer be marked inactive for search, and the minimum bid shown in accounts was replaced by a first page bid estimate.

First page bids estimated the bid needed to reach the first page of Google results, based on the exact match version of the keyword, its Quality Score and current competition. The changes rolled out over the following weeks.