It generally works better when you put your search query within quotes and scroll down to check at least 4-5 results to see whether any worthwhile results are there.
Other than that I don’t think there is much of a problem with the search function.
Any place where anyone can register for an account without much of a background check and anonymity is doomed to become full of shit in due time. Hence active moderation is a very important aspect of Reddit or any social media platform.
Unfortunately it is still early days for lemmy or kbin and the moderation tools are yet to mature. There are a few bad post on this account but I don’t think it is full doom and gloom.
I am more in a wait and watch situation and will see how it goes in a few months before taking a call.