• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, September 11, 2008

Aegis Group, already the biggest player in digital media services, has expanded its range - literally. The U.K.-based agency holding company's Isobar unit this morning said it has acquired Range Online Media, a Fort Worth, Texas-based search marketing shop that has estimated gross assets of $12 million.

Founded in 2001, Range Online Media now ranks as one of the top search agencies in the U.S., and is known for dominating the retail and travel sectors, though it has recently begun expanding into technology luxury brands, financial services, utilities, and entertainment industries.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Range's account roster includes: Toshiba, Burberry, Aveda, Accor Hotels, Neiman Marcus and Macys.com.

Following the acquisition, Range will become re-branded as part of Isobar's iProspect unit, and will effectively form the forth U.S. office in iProspect's global search network.

The deal comes as other big agency holding companies are heavying up on their search marketing expertise. Publicis' VivaKi unit recently announced a deal to acquire the search marketing assets of Google's Performics division, and WPP Group recently announced a reorganization of its search operations worldwide.

According to RECMA's 2007 interactive media services report, Isobar ranked as the world largest digital marketing services network by a wide margin, but had one of the lowest concentrations of search-related services of the big agency holding company units. RECMA estimated that only about 20% of Isobar's services came from search, vs. nearly a third from Havas' Media Contacts, and about 30% from WPP's digital media units.

Aegis said Range is the sixth acquisition Isobar has made in search marketing this year alone, and that the deal boosts iProspect's reach to 21 offices in 17 markets worldwide.