Adobe to Buy Semrush for $1.9B

Adobe has announced that it will acquire Semrush in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $1.9 billion. The move brings the popular SEO platform into Adobe Experience Cloud and its AI marketing suite, signalling Adobe’s intent to strengthen its position in search and AI-driven marketing.

Under the terms of the agreement, Adobe will pay $12 per share for Semrush. The companies expect the transaction to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approval and the consent of Semrush’s shareholders. This timeline allows both firms to continue operating independently during the transition.

Semrush is a Boston-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform widely used for search marketing. Its tools include keyword research, competitive analysis, site audits, and online visibility tracking, making it an essential resource for marketers, agencies, and in-house teams alike.

In recent years, Semrush has expanded its offerings to focus on AI-driven insights. Its platform now includes enterprise products that monitor how brands appear in AI-generated content from large language models, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, in addition to traditional search engine results.

The acquisition will see Semrush integrated into Adobe’s Digital Experience business. By folding these tools into its ecosystem, Adobe aims to offer marketers a unified platform for tracking brand performance and visibility across multiple digital channels.

Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe’s Digital Experience business, emphasised the importance of brand visibility in the AI era. He noted that generative AI is reshaping how users discover and interact with brands, and companies that fail to adapt risk losing both relevance and revenue.

Semrush’s focus on “generative engine optimisation” (GEO) aligns with Adobe’s vision. GEO expands traditional SEO by helping brands remain discoverable not only in organic search listings but also within AI-generated responses, ensuring comprehensive visibility in today’s digital landscape.

Adobe plans to integrate Semrush with its existing products, including Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics, and the newer Brand Concierge platform. These integrations aim to streamline workflows and provide marketers with a more complete view of brand performance across search and AI channels.

The deal represents a significant premium over Semrush’s previous market valuation, with the stock rising sharply following the announcement. Both Adobe and Semrush boards have already approved the agreement, which was formally signed on 18 November.

Semrush has grown not just through product development but also through acquisitions. Notable purchases include educational and community resources like Backlinko and Traffic Think Tank, as well as media properties such as Third Door Media, publisher of Search Engine Land. These additions further enhance the platform’s value to Adobe’s ecosystem.

This acquisition also raises practical considerations for existing users. Marketers and agencies will want to know how Semrush will be packaged within Adobe Experience Cloud, whether it will maintain a degree of independence, and how pricing or access may change after the merger.

Regulatory review will play a critical role in the timeline for the deal. Adobe’s history of large acquisitions in the digital experience space suggests that antitrust considerations may influence how quickly the transaction can be completed and under what terms.

In the near term, Adobe must decide how quickly to integrate Semrush into its broader suite of tools. Key considerations include API access, reporting formats, and plan structures, which will determine how smoothly current Semrush users can transition to the combined platform.

Strategically, the acquisition reflects a broader trend of consolidating core search and visibility tools into larger enterprise suites. By combining Semrush’s SEO and AI-driven capabilities with Adobe’s marketing cloud, businesses will gain a more unified view of brand visibility across search engines and AI-generated content.

Ultimately, the Adobe–Semrush deal positions both companies to capitalise on the growing importance of AI in digital marketing. Users can expect deeper integrations, new capabilities, and a more connected approach to brand visibility, making SEO and AI-driven marketing workflows more efficient and comprehensive than ever before.