Yes, but I believe this is the intent. It's not a matter of it being good for the business when the CEO of said business intentionally wants it to fail.
SEO was/is a good thing because it made search a lot better for many years. The real problem are the individuals gaming/abusing the hell out of the system. Add AI content to the mix and I do fear it's a problem that can't be sorted out by Google Search, at least as how we know it now.
It still has its uses and I personally still turn to it (well DuckDuckGo usually) to find specific things. But like all things, it's one tool that serves a certain purpose.
It seems stupid, yes. However he would've been hunted the remainder of his life and likely assassinated, regardless. He may have hoped too that by sacrificing himself, he would keep his family safe.
I don't have that strong of a will to give myself over to Putin the way he did. Navalny is immensely brave and principled and while his sacrifice ultimately will likely end in vein, I hope beyond hope that it inspires and motivates those in Russia who prefer Putin be eliminated from power. Time will tell.