The Google Play Store is becoming more personalized with local recommendations

Do you really open the play store and look for recommendations? I always either already know or search online for recommendations and then already know what I want to install before I open it.

Translation: play store will be showing even more ads.

I had assumed that was always the case

Avoid Google Play Store. Use Aurora store instead.

What I'd like is it to show the app I want when I search the specific app name. Then, once it can do that I'd like it to show apps that are relevant to my search term.

Something something, targeted ads?

neo store has no ads :)