Google Wants to Expand Offline Ads

In its first significant expansion beyond the Internet, Google has bought advertising in a handful of technology-industry magazines and resold chunks of the space to merchants already participating in its booming Internet marketing network.

The company confirmed the test Wednesday, but provided few other details in a statement.

"This limited test is part of Google's continuing effort to develop new ways to provide effective and useful advertising to advertisers, publishers and users," the Mountain View-based company said.

Spokesman Michael Mayzel declined to say whether the experiment will include general-circulation magazines or newspapers.

Some of the first print ads arranged by Google appeared in the Sept. 6 issue of PC magazine. Ads from five different companies appear on a full page punctuated with the tag line, "Ads by Google."

Despite all its technological prowess, Google remains highly dependent on online advertising. Internet ads, mostly text-based links that appear alongside search results and other related Web content, accounted for virtually all of Google's $712 million profit through the first half of this year.

Ironically, Google doesn't advertise to promote its own brand and services.