Google has revealed it intends to sell Performics, the search engine marketing division of DoubleClick.Tom Phillips, director of DoubleClick integration, revealed that the decision had been taken because Performics represented a conflict of interest for the search engine provider.
In a company blog, he wrote: "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."
He added that, while Google has not yet identified a buyer, it has received interest from a number of its current partners.
As a result of its sale of Performics, Google is set to cut around 300 jobs, a source close to the firm revealed.
According to the New York Times, the move represents the "first sizeable" layoff in the search engine provider's history and will see DoubleClick's US workforce of 1,200 reduced in size by around a quarter.
Although Google declined to comment on the redundancies, it did state: "As with many mergers, this review has resulted in a reduction in headcount at the acquired company."
Some of the staff losing their jobs are being offered transitional roles, which are expected to end after the two companies are fully integrated.
