

Those same people probably have no problem paying more than that for YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience. Truth is, ad-supported search will always go to shit because it’s in direct competition with its own product. It’s the same reason YouTube with ads keeps getting worse.
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted, you’re right. The value prop is different for different people. But I use search a lot more than I use YouTube, so I pay for the former and not the latter. I think that over time, people will get more used to the idea of paying for search. Not everyone, but plenty of people who want the premium experience it offers. I know I could never go back.