Google To Sell Performics

performics.jpgGoogle has announced that it will sell Performics, the search engine marketing arm of Doubleclick.

As we reported March 12, Performics presented a major conflict of interest for Google as the service offered SEO services that were focused on improving site rankings in Google.

Tom Phillips, Director, DoubleClick Integration at Google wrote on the Google Blog:

It’s clear to us that we do not want to be in the search engine marketing business. Maintaining objectivity in both search and advertising is paramount to Google’s mission and core to the trust we ask from our users. For this reason, we plan to sell the Performics search marketing business to a third party. We believe this will allow us to maintain objectivity and the search marketing business to continue to grow and innovate and serve its customers. While we have not yet identified a buyer, we’ve received preliminary interest from a number of our current partners. Search Marketing will continue to run as a separate entity until the division is sold.

Phillips noted that Google will keep the affiliate marketing arm of Performics and integrate it into existing Google services.