Google abandons newspaper ad program

Search engine giant Google has abandoned its print advertisement sales business, after introducing the measure two years ago. Google started to sell print ads in 2006 but has abandoned the service as part of cost-cutting initiatives. The company is attempting to boost its profits during the downturn by focusing purely on its internet advertising sales, and cutting programs that aren’t delivering the goods.

The move is expected to affect 800 US newspapers, but Google says it is prepared to help those publications find revenue from other areas.

“While we hoped that print ads would create a new revenue stream for newspapers and produce more relevant advertising for consumers, the product has not created the impact that we, or our partners, wanted,” Google’s leader of the program, Spencer Spinnell, wrote in a blog post.

While Google remains one of the biggest internet companies around, it is still making sure to shield itself from the downturn. While it decided to cut an unspecificed number of workers late last year, last week 100 more HR staff were let go.