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In addition to providing feed distribution and management tools, FeedBurner helps publishers to analyse and monetise their content. It also has technologies for the targeting and delivering of advertising via RSS, both as an adjunct to content and as the main feed itself. It is easy to envision, for example, websites using RSS to subscribe to Google Adwords.

Susan Wojcicki, Google's VP of Product Management, said that the acquisition reflects a constant search for new tools for content creators and website publishers.

'We're excited to continue

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offering the exceptional tools of FeedBurner to content creators throughout the world, and our teams will work together to improve the experiences of feed users, advertisers, and publishers,' she said.

FeedBurner described its reaction to Google's interest as 'general euphoria with intermittent periods of off-the-rails delight'. Founder Dick Costolo noted on the company blog that there will be significant advantages for publishers from the merging of its technologies with Google's.

'Publishers want a single dashboard and single source for the metrics that give them feedback about the value of their content and its impact on their business,' Costolo said. 'By combining our market leading feed metrics with Google's market leading site and marketing analytics, publishers now get a comprehensive, 360-degree view of their audience. This "total perspective" has long been a goal of ours, and we think our combined analytics offering is going to provide publishers with previously undiscovered insights and opportunities.'

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, though estimates put it in the region of £50 million.