> most developers have to buy ads directly because of the current flaws.

I wouldn't say it's because of the flaws. It's because of the design: regardless of how well search works, the top hit is always an ad. At best, even with search working perfectly, a search for your own app would return your app as the #2 hit at highest. The search ad system still incentivizes developers to buy ads for searches of their own app, if only as a defensive measure to prevent other developers from inserting their apps at the #1 spot. And Apple makes money, and you pay money, if App Store users click on your own ad for your own app at the #1 spot rather than the "free" search result at the #2 spot.

Oh yeah, and you can't block App Store search ads with an ad blocker. Consider how the App Store is entirely native and has no web-based purchases or downloads.

I hear you, and agree that is true. But consider this angle:

Without buying an ad, but with a competent organic search:

Customer searches "Ublock origin". Results: (This is actually a real life test)

1. (Ad) Adblock Pro for Safari

Note: The rest are actual organic "results"!

2. Brave Browser & Search Engine (WTF?)

3. Ublock: Ad Blocker, Speed Test

4. Firefox Focus: Privacy Browser

5: Same as #1 but organic

6: AdGuard

I gave up trying to find actual Ublock Origin Lite in these results, but I did install it on my phone earlier so it must be in there somewhere.

A working search would have Ublock Origin Lite as #2 after the ad. If I'm Ublock Origin Lite, I might be satisfied with this and trust that anyone who isn't too easily distracted should be able to find me right there above the fold. So I'd be less likely to buy an ad than I am in our real world. #2 isn't as good as #1, but it's good enough for a lot of people. Combine this with not allowing people to infringe trademarks in their keywords or whatever shenanigans is going on above, and the App Store would be a lot less of a scamware cesspool. And boy, do scams pay well!