SEA (Search Engine Advertising)
SEA refers to ads purchased at auction on search engines, displayed above organic results. Visibility is immediate and disappears the moment the budget runs out — the exact opposite of organic search.
In practice
The two channels complement each other more than they compete: SEA tests messages in days that SEO would take months to validate, and covers queries where organic rankings are not yet established. A sound management principle is to reinvest in durable assets a share of what paid acquisition proves profitable.