Technorati: From blogs to buyouts

Privately-held Technorati is a leader in aggregating blogs. In fact, the company tracks more than 72 million blogs and somehow has held its own against players like Google inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

Now Technorati is trying to leverage its massive platform with acquisitions. The company today announced the purchase of Personal Bee for an undisclosed amount.

Like other New Age web sites, Personal Bee has a funky vibe. For example, it calls its users "beekeepers." It's a useful service in which the beekeepers can keep track of the news they want to see and build personal sites around this.

As for Technorati, the acquisition is a way to provide more tools for its users (I'm not sure if they are referred to as "technoratians"). But it's more than just fun and games. That is, Technorati sees this as a way for advertisers to create their own communities.

It's an intriguing idea and advertisers certainly realize they need to better leverage on the blogosphere. By using a service like Technorati, they can do it without the risks of placing ads on edgy or controversial sites. As validation, the company has the support of marketing powerhouse, Ogilvy and Mather.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&A Handbook and the EDGAR-Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.