> Linking to company websites so people looking to buy stuff that company makes can find it is a scam, because company websites are biased in favour of that company
This isn't a faithful interpretation of the argument. Most people don't use Google to look for things to buy. They use it to find accurate information.
Most people clicking on a link to a company website - ads or otherwise - do so because they want to hear what that company has to say about themselves and their products, not because their childlike grasp of the world makes them expect every result to provide utterly impartial information.
This isn't a faithful interpretation of the argument. Most people don't use Google to look for things to buy. They use it to find accurate information.