Google Boosts Analytics Offer with PostRank Buy

Search giant Google has acquired PostRank, a specialist in measuring engagement in social media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2007, Waterloo, Ontario by Ilya Grigorik (pictured), Francis Lau and Kevin Thomasen, PostRank tracks content on social media sites to provide data to help users gauge influence and reach with audiences.

The company also offers a tool analysing how and where audiences engage with content, enabling publishers to harness real-time online conversations and track trends to improve sites and boost audience size and engagement. The resulting data is already integrated within Google Analytics.

Google says the acquisition will bolster its social media capabilities, adding in a statement: 'We're always looking for new ways to measure and analyse data. The PostRank team has developed an innovative approach to measuring web engagement, and we think they can help us improve our products for our users and advertisers.'

As part of the deal, PostRank's team will be moving to Google's Mountain View offices in California.

Grigorik comments: 'We are extremely excited to join Google. We believe there is simply no better company on the web today that both understands the value of the engagement data we have been focusing on, and has the platform and reach to bring its benefits to the untold millions of daily, active Internet users.'

Web site: www.postrank.com .