Skip to content
The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryBrand & Performance MarketingPaid Search (PPC)

Brand & Performance Marketing

Paid Search (PPC)

Ads bought on search engines, usually paid per click.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Paid search is advertising bought on search engines such as Google and Bing, usually priced per click, which is why it is often called pay-per-click (PPC). Advertisers bid on keywords, and ads appear alongside search results. It captures active demand from people searching for products or answers.