You're missing the biggest part of the whole equation: Google shows ads, because by every metric Google knows how to throw at it, people who search on Google W

You're missing the biggest part of the whole equation: Google shows ads, because by every metric Google knows how to throw at it, people who search on Google WANT to see those ads. Google tries very hard to show only high-quality ads. That's a win-win-win. It's good for the users who find what they're looking for, it's good for the businesses who get a sale, and it's good for Google. It's like you're pissed there are ADS in the YELLOW PAGES. Yes, AT&T would list businesses with a vanilla entry, or a business could pay to show up a bit more prominently. The difference is, AT&T didn't give a crap about whether people found what they were looking for, or how high quality the ads were. It wasn't really their fault, there was no feedback loop. Google, fundamentally, is the largest feedback loop ever invented. Every human who uses it teaches Google how to help other humans find what they're looking for. A lot of the time, ads are the most relevant result.