There's several examples where Google's SEO has actively made things worse, even before you look at ads. And to be clear, I do agree that advertising has also done massive damage to the web.
All the long, rambling stories you see before recipes? That's just there so the recipes can rank higher.
I can't remember the source, but I also remember a website adding AI generated slop to cater to Google's wishes, and leaving a page to explain to normal users why they did so.
It's also seen when you look at YouTube videos, where now it's basically necessary to have a clickbait thumbnail + title + reminders to like and subscribe.
All the long, rambling stories you see before recipes? That's just there so the recipes can rank higher.
I can't remember the source, but I also remember a website adding AI generated slop to cater to Google's wishes, and leaving a page to explain to normal users why they did so.
It's also seen when you look at YouTube videos, where now it's basically necessary to have a clickbait thumbnail + title + reminders to like and subscribe.