Google into offline ads now

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 on Wednesday, but provided few other details in a statement.

"This limited test is part of Google's continuing efforts 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 would include general circulation magazines or newspapers.

Some of the first print ads arranged by Google appeared in the September 6 issue of PC magazine. Advertisements 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.