I would imagine that "adding value to the user" translates to "adding value to the business" in a lot of ways for Google.
If, on average, users perceive more value from Google, they use Google more, and Google earns more ad rev. Even if this lowers value substantially for the "relative few".
It's basic utilitarianism, and it sucks to be in the "relative few"...
I too, wish that quotes were respected, and Google would stop giving results for what it thinks I meant to search for like it knows what I meant better than I do - even if that is the case...sometimes.
