Consider an example: let's say search "Wedding photo services". You will get many choices on the search engine results page. Let's consider the results in more detail.

The links you see on the main page are called "organic" Result. It's free to appear here. This is where sites with relevant content information are displayed in the search engine.

Now look at the first two results at the top of the page, this is the list Paid ads.

Search engine marketing allows you to use this space to advertise to potential customers when they search for words and phrases relevant to your business.
They are called keywords.
Another unique thing about Google Ads is that you pay when someone clicks on your ad. So if your ad appears on Google but no one clicks on it, you don't have to pay anything. That's why it's called "pay per click" advertising.
Let's say you are a wedding photographer. You may want your ad to appear on Google when someone searches for "wedding photography services". But you only pay if someone clicks on your ad.

There is a huge difference between advertising on Google and traditional advertising such as in newspapers, magazines or billboards.
If you use these types of ads for wedding photography services, the ad will be seen by a lot of people regardless of whether they want the service or not, and you will end up paying more than you need..

By using Google Ads, people who click on your ad because they were told to do so have a much higher chance of being interested in your offer.

Rather, they told the search engine that when they searched for "wedding photography services," they then saw your ad on Google and "clicked" on it.

Unlike traditional marketing, search engine marketing shows ads to people who are actively searching for a specific product or service. This is different from other forms of advertising to people who may or may not be interested in concrete advertising.
To sum it up: Advertising on Google aka Search Engine Marketing is a powerful tool for your business. It's effective, people search for what they want, and it allows you to advertise for a specific search, but you only pay when someone clicks on it.