Steam's killer feature

I've tried to love Itch, EGS and GOG, but the thing that keeps me coming back to Steam is the ability to say "No, I'm not going to play that, stop showing it". The other stores shove unwanted ads in my face every time I visit, and it's always for the same old games I have no interest in. Steam helps me on my quest to find the diamonds in the rough, and every time I check the front page I usually see 5+ games that I'd consider playing.

Anyone else feel game shops should do more to help us find the right games? What's your strategy for finding good games with so much trash out there?