# SEA (search engine advertising): what it is and how it works
> SEA (search engine advertising) is paid advertising on search engines, with adverts shown alongside search results.
URL: https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/digital-marketing/sea.html

# SEA (search engine advertising)

SEA, short for search engine advertising, is paid advertising on search engines, in which adverts appear alongside search results

What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.

[The whole glossary](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary)

## What it is and how it works

Advertisers bid on keywords or topics on platforms such as Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising, and their adverts are shown according to bid, estimated quality and relevance to the query. They usually pay per click.

Terminology varies: in one convention, SEM is search engine marketing as a whole and includes both SEA and SEO; in common usage in Spain and in much of the English-speaking world, SEM is often used as a synonym for paid search, just like SEA. It is worth clarifying the meaning in each context to avoid misunderstandings in budgets and reports.

Also known as

Paid search, Search advertising, PPC search

Topics

[Marketing and sales](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/category/marketing-y-ventas)

## Related concepts

- [SEM](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/digital-marketing/search-engine-marketing.html)
- [SEO](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/digital-marketing/search-engine-optimization.html)
- [Google Ads](https://www.zorraquino.com/en/dictionary/advertising/google-adwords.html)