Adobe Acquires Semrush for $1.9 Billion to Dominate AI-Driven Search Optimization

Adobe to buy Semrush for $1.9 billion | TechCrunch

Adobe said on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire search engine optimization company Semrush for about $1.9 billion in cash, as the Photoshop maker seeks to augment its suite of marketing offerings. In a statement, Adobe said it would offer $12 per share for Semrush, almost double the latter's closing price of $6.89 on Tuesday, before news of the deal. Semrush had a market capitalization of about $1 billion as of Tuesday's close. By acquiring Semrush, Adobe is betting that companies will choose to invest in optimizing their content and webpages to be more visible to AI tools, as people increasingly use AI chatbots, agents, and AI browsers to do everything from getting the news and finding recipes to shopping and booking their travel. This is a fresh, big market for existing search engine optimization players like Semrush, particularly as this change in consumer behavior drives increasing traffic to websites from generative AI tools. Indeed, as of October, traffic to retail websites from generative AI chatbots increased 1,200% compared to a year earlier, per Adobe Analytics data. Semrush has been investing in what it calls "generative engine optimization," and recently launched a tool for tracking and improving website performance using both traditional SEO techniques and optimization for AI engines, like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Grok, and Perplexity. "Brand visibility is being reshaped by generative AI, and brands that don't embrace this new opportunity risk losing relevance and revenue," said Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe's Digital Experience Business. "With Semrush, we're unlocking GEO for marketers as a new growth channel alongside their SEO, driving more visibility, customer engagement and conversions across the ecosystem."

Adobe to Acquire Semrush for $1.9 Bn as AI Changes How SEO and GEO Work | AIM

The company's acquisition enhances Adobe's customer experience and brand visibility, which are crucial as generative AI changes consumer interactions. Adobe has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Semrush for $1.9 billion in an all-cash deal, the companies announced on November 19, 2025. The move aims to strengthen Adobe's customer experience and brand visibility offerings as generative AI reshapes how consumers discover and engage with brands. Under the agreement, Semrush shareholders will receive $12 per share. The Boston-based visibility platform, known for its Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) tools, will be integrated into Adobe's Digital Experience business after regulatory and shareholder approvals. The companies expect the deal to close in the first half of 2026. Adobe has already secured voting commitments from Semrush founders and other major shareholders representing more than 75% of the voting power. Adobe said the acquisition comes at a critical moment, with LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini emerging as new interfaces for product discovery. The company noted that brand visibility is becoming a priority for CMOs as consumers increasingly depend on AI platforms for recommendations and purchasing decisions. Semrush, which recently reported 33% year-on-year ARR growth in its enterprise segment, provides GEO and SEO capabilities to help brands stay discoverable across AI search, traditional search and the broader web. Its customer base includes Amazon, JPMorganChase and TikTok. Adobe said combining products like Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics and its new Brand Concierge with Semrush's technology would give marketers a unified understanding of how their brands appear across channels and AI ecosystems. "Brand visibility is being reshaped by generative AI, and brands that don't embrace this new opportunity risk losing relevance and revenue", said Anil Chakravarthy, Adobe's digital experience president. Semrush CEO Bill Wagner added that the merger will help marketers better understand customer engagement across emerging AI-driven touchpoints. Adobe cited internal data showing that traffic from generative AI sources to US retail sites grew 1,200% year-on-year in October, underscoring the rapid shift in consumer behaviour.

Adobe to acquire Semrush in $1.9B deal to boost generative engine optimization capabilities - SiliconANGLE

Adobe to acquire Semrush in $1.9B deal to boost generative engine optimization capabilities Adobe Inc. revealed today that it had entered a definitive agreement to acquire digital marketing and search engine optimization company Semrush Holdings Inc. for $1.9 billion in an all-cash transaction. Founded in 2008, Semrush provides digital marketing and search engine optimization tools for businesses and agencies. The company's platform is used for keyword research, competitive analysis, site audits, backlink tracking, domain authority tracking and online visibility insights. The platform allows marketers to identify which keywords their competitors are ranking for, examine backlinks pointing to their sites and scan for website health issues such as broken links, slow pages, or missing tags that affect SEO rankings. Using the platform, marketers can make informed decisions about content strategy, paid-search campaigns and technical SEO improvements. The platform does so by aggregating and visualizing large amounts of SEO-related data such as search volume, cost-per-click and keyword difficulty. Semrush also offers more advanced features for agencies and larger enterprises, including custom reporting dashboards, team collaboration tools, market research modules and cross-channel analytics that span organic search, paid search, social media and display advertising. While best known for its SEO services, Semrush has more recently introduced products to help brands monitor how they appear not just in search engine results but within the responses of large-language-model platforms and chatbots. The shift towards LLMs, such as ChatGPT and Google's Gemini and the need to optimize content in what is being called "generative engine optimization" (GEO) is one of the reasons Adobe cites for the acquisition. "Bringing its GEO capabilities and more than ten years of SEO expertise, Semrush helps brands enhance their brand visibility and expand audience reach," Adobe wrote in its acquisition announcement. "Semrush's solutions address a growing, essential need for marketers: remaining discoverable in AI search." Adobe says that with Semrush's technology, it will be able to deliver a comprehensive solution that gives marketers a holistic understanding of how their brands appear across owned channels, LLMs, traditional search and the wider web. "Brand visibility is being reshaped by generative AI and brands that don't embrace this new opportunity risk losing relevance and revenue," said Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe's Digital Experience Business. "With Semrush, we're unlocking GEO for marketers as a new growth channel alongside their SEO, driving more visibility, customer engagement and conversions across the ecosystem." Coming into its acquisition, Semrush had raised a single round of $40 million in April 2018, according to data from Tracxn. Investors in the company included Greycroft Partners, Headline Management Company and Siguler Guff & Company LP. Subject to customary closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2026.

Adobe to buy digital marketing platform Semrush for $1.9 billion

The company will pay $12 per share for Semrush, representing a premium of around 77.5% to its stock's last closing price. Semrush shares jumped 75% to $11.83 in premarket trading. Semrush designs and develops AI software that helps companies with search engine optimization, social media, and digital advertising. The acquisition, expected to close in the first half of next year, would allow Adobe to help marketers better understand how their brands are viewed by online consumers through searches on websites and generative AI bots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.

Adobe buys Semrush for $1.9 billion to chase the AI-driven future of search

Adobe has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Semrush, a leading platform for online visibility management, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.9 billion. Announced today, the deal is priced at $12.00 per share and marks a significant expansion of Adobe's capabilities in the "agentic AI" era. The acquisition is designed to equip marketers with comprehensive tools to manage how their brands appear not just on traditional search engines, but across the rapidly growing ecosystem of Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI platforms. As consumer behavior shifts toward AI interfaces like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, Adobe is positioning this merger as a bridge between traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the emerging practice of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). New data from Adobe Analytics underscores this trend, revealing that traffic from generative AI sources to U.S. retail sites surged by 1,200% year-over-year in October. By integrating Semrush's deep SEO expertise and data with Adobe's Experience Cloud products -- such as Adobe Experience Manager and the newly introduced Brand Concierge -- the company aims to provide a holistic view of brand visibility across owned channels and the wider AI-driven web. Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe's Digital Experience Business, noted that brand visibility is being fundamentally reshaped by generative AI, warning that brands failing to adapt risk losing relevance. The combination of Adobe's customer experience orchestration and Semrush's market intelligence is intended to help companies remain discoverable in this new landscape. Semrush CEO Bill Wagner added that the partnership will provide marketers with critical insights into how customers engage with brands through these evolving digital channels. Semrush brings over a decade of SEO market leadership to the table, having recently achieved significant traction among large organizations. In its most recent quarter, the company reported 33% year-over-year Annual Recurring Revenue growth in its enterprise segment, serving major clients such as Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and TikTok. The platform's ability to optimize content for AI search aligns directly with Adobe's strategy to support the content supply chain for the Fortune 100 companies that rely on its software. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Adobe has already secured commitments to vote in favor of the transaction from Semrush founders and stakeholders representing over 75% of the voting power. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal advisor to Adobe, while Centerview Partners LLC and Davis Polk & Wardwell are advising Semrush.

Adobe's Massive Reach Will 'Unlock' Semrush's True Potential: Analyst - Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE)

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) is pushing deeper into data-driven marketing with a plan to acquire SEMrush Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SEMR) for $1.9 billion in cash. The move is seen as bolstering its enterprise reach and competitive strength in search engine optimization and emerging generative engine optimization. By integrating Semrush's robust artificial intelligence-powered search technologies into the Adobe Experience Cloud, Adobe aims to give marketers sharper insights into keywords, competitors, and demand signals while expanding its influence in brand visibility solutions. Also Read: Wall Street Gives Adobe's AI Future A Thumbs-Up, But Investors Sell The Stock Anyway Analyst Take JP Morgan analyst Mark R Murphy maintained an Overweight rating on Adobe with a price forecast of $520. Murphy said Adobe plans to acquire Semrush in an all-cash deal valued at about $1.9 billion, paying $12.00 per share. The analyst viewed Semrush as a strong and innovative leader in both search engine optimization and the emerging generative engine optimization market. However, he mentioned that Semrush recently struggled to sustain 20%+ revenue growth after setting aggressive expectations, putting pressure on valuation despite a solid technology foundation. Murphy argued that Adobe can provide Semrush with the enterprise scale the company could not fully unlock on its own. The analyst said Semrush historically focused on the midmarket and only recently began gaining traction with enterprise customers. By bringing Semrush into Adobe's portfolio, he noted that Adobe can deliver key advantages such as brand recognition, global sales reach, and mature enterprise distribution channels. According to Murphy, Semrush fits Adobe's strategy of merging "robust, well-designed technology" with Adobe's distribution power -- capabilities that smaller software vendors often struggle to develop. The analyst expected Semrush to strengthen the Adobe Experience Cloud, especially in the strategy and activation layer, helping marketers analyze trending topics, keyword performance, competitive movement, and demand signals. He stated this as enhancing Adobe's data-driven marketing stack and expanding its influence in brand visibility solutions. Murphy commented that the boards of both companies have approved the transaction. Adobe expects to close the deal in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory clearance and other closing conditions. The analyst also pointed out that Semrush's founders and major stockholders, representing over 75% of the company's voting power, have already committed to supporting the deal. Murphy remains positive on Adobe's fundamentals, highlighting "fairly durable" growth, early AI monetization opportunities, and encouraging customer and partner feedback. He acknowledged rapid technological shifts and evolving AI pricing models, but emphasized Adobe's fast innovation pace and its progress in building an end-to-end creative ecosystem. In his view, the company is well positioned for continued IT vendor consolidation and long-term growth, backed by strong profitability and a scaled, diversified customer base. Murphy projected fourth-quarter revenue of $6.1 billion and adjusted EPS of $5.37. SEMR Price Action: SEMrush Hldgs shares were up 0.47% at $11.82 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Next: Struggling Marvell Turns To India Expansion As AI Demand Soars And Buyout Buzz Swirls Photo via Shutterstock ADBEAdobe Inc$313.85-1.34%OverviewSEMRSEMrush Holdings Inc$11.810.47%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs