Deutsche Telekom will become the first operator to offer Google AdWords across Europe, it has announced.

The group has extended its partnership with the internet giant to offer the advertising platform to small and medium-sized enterprises in the region.

It marks the first time that Google AdWords has been offered across multiple countries by a single multi-national provider.

Companies are increasingly turning to search advertising as a way of attracting new customers, with spending on this form of marketing expected to increase by 12.7 percent over the next three years.

Announcing the move, Deutsche Telekom said Google AdWords provides small firms with a new way of increasing sales while at the same time remaining focused on their business operations.

The group's vice president for strategy execution in Europe, Dr Gunnar Pahnke, said the move would "further improve our customer value proposition across our footprint".

He added: "Our partnership with Google builds on Deutsche Telekom's existing relationships with small and medium-sized businesses and encourages them to use online advertising to find and target new customers, whether they are just around the corner or across the globe."