Paid search, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, is a form of digital marketing where businesses pay to place ads at the top or bottom of search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords or phrases. When a user clicks on the ad, the business pays a fee to the search engine.

PPC advertising can also include display ads on other websites, as well as on social media platforms. Ads can be targeted to specific demographics, locations, interests, and behaviors to reach a highly targeted audience.

PPC advertising offers several benefits for businesses, including:

1. Immediate visibility: Ads can be up and running within minutes, providing immediate visibility to potential customers.
2. Targeted reach: Ads can be targeted to specific audiences based on demographics, locations, and interests, increasing the chances of reaching the right people.
3. Measurable results: Businesses can track the performance of their ads and adjust their strategy as needed to optimize their return on investment (ROI).
4. Cost-effective: PPC advertising can be a cost-effective way to drive traffic to a website and generate leads, as businesses only pay when someone clicks on their ad.

To create a successful PPC campaign, businesses need to identify their target audience, choose relevant keywords, create compelling ad copy and landing pages, and monitor and adjust their campaign based on performance metrics such as click-through rates and conversion rates.