SmartMoney reports that Google has sold off the search marketing division of DoubleClick, Performics, to a French company named Publicis Groupe.

When Google purchased DoubleClick, they acquired Performics with it. Google promised to sell off the Performics division, due to the conflict of interest in owning such a company. Today, they sold it to Publicis Groupe.

It is actually interesting that they sold it to Publicis Groupe. Google has partnered with Publicis in the past to “expand in the fast-growing digital advertising market . . . [and that] Google would exchange its technological know-how for Publicis’s analytical and media planning expertise.”

The transaction is still subject to some customary closing conditions, but it is expected that the deal will close something in the third quarter of 2008.

Related Topics: Google: Acquisitions | Google: Business Issues | Google: Critics | Google: DoubleClick | Google: General | Google: SEO

About The Author: Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry's personal blog is named Cartoon Barry and he can be followed on Twitter here. For more background information on Barry, see his full bio over here. See more articles by Barry Schwartz