Google AdWords’ Chinese Menu

Google expanded its AdWords paid search listings this week by unveiling a Chinese language interface and new payment options.

Chinese-speaking advertisers can now buy and manage their AdWords campaigns both in traditional and simplified Chinese characters. The traditional system is used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, while people in mainland China and Singapore use the simplified system. With the addition of the Chinese interfaces, AdWords can now be bought in 16 different languages and over 180 countries, the company said.

The introduction is intended to win Google customers in fast-growing Asian markets. It will also enable the search player to attract advertisers eager to reach consumers in those countries. Advertisers could already use interfaces in other languages to target the Chinese, Hong Kong, Singaporean, or Taiwanese markets.

“The introduction of Google AdWords in Chinese provides a substantial marketing opportunity for businesses of all sizes across all industries,” said Omid Kordestani, Google’s senior vice president of worldwide sales and field operations.

The rapid growth of Internet usage in China, along with the huge size of its population, has drawn a wide variety of foreign companies to try to capitalize on the business opportunities.

Google has been more internationally focused with its AdWords and AdSense programs in recent months. The company in December expanded the self-service portion of AdSense, which lets publishers host contextual ads on their sites, to Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan.