Multi-level marketing is exactly that. You market a certain product/s and you recruit people, who recruit people, who recruit people and so on. Some structures go to 10 levels.
Be careful with multi-level marketing. Most of the organizations are blood sucking "gurus" that havent the slightest clue about internet marketing. In fact I'd like to interview one of these "gurus" one time.
So watch out for anything that wants you to join a google hangout, or some "get you excited" seminar, or join some group called "the money team" or some crazy clique name.
Matter of fact I've only found one MLM that I agree with and thats the new Social network tsú. It's free, there's no gimmicks, and you just use the network as you would any other social network.
Now I can trust that.