Google has teamed-up with Thomson Directories - the first European directory publisher to sell advertising through the Google AdWords network.

Thomson, holding a sales force of more than 500 sales-reps, will target the AdWords pay per click services to UK small and medium sized businesses. On the other hand, Thomson's business partners "will benefit of the extensive reach and targeting of the Google Network" - at least that is the opinion of Laurence O’Toole, business information and new media director of Thomson Directories.

Thomson Directories is an appealing resource for Google AdWords, because this partnership gives even more sense to its Geotargeting feature (one can target a geographical area by simply specifying the region, the city or even the latitude and longitude points).

Thomson can send click-throughs via links directly to a business's website. If the business in cause doesn't have a web presence, the link goes to a specially created business profile on ThomsonLocal.com.

Google's AdWords popularity in UK is over 75% among Internet users (according to Nielsen//NetRatings).