Short for search engine marketing, SEM is often used to describe acts associated with researching, submitting and positioning a Web site within search engines to achieve maximum exposure of your Web site. SEM includes things such as search engine optimization, paid listings and other search-engine related services and functions that will increase exposure and traffic to your Web site.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a subset of (SEM) that aims a facilitating site crawling and influencing a more prominent search engine organic ranking with an end goal of driving traffic from natural listings.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) refer ta a form of sponsored search advertising where advertisers are only charged where their ads are clicked on by users.