Adobe to buy Semrush for $1.9 billion

Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 3:42 pm

Adobe to Acquire Semrush in $1.9 Billion Deal

Adobe announced on Wednesday its agreement to acquire Semrush, a search engine optimization (SEO) company, for approximately $1.9 billion in cash. The move is designed to bolster Adobe's existing marketing offerings.

The deal will see Adobe offer $12 per share for Semrush, a significant premium over the company's closing price of $6.89 on Tuesday. Semrush's market capitalization was roughly $1 billion prior to the announcement.

Adobe's acquisition of Semrush reflects a strategic bet on the evolving landscape of online content consumption. The company anticipates a surge in demand for optimizing content and web pages to enhance visibility within AI tools. This shift is driven by the increasing reliance on AI chatbots, agents, and browsers for various online activities, including news consumption, recipe searches, shopping, and travel bookings.

Adobe believes this trend presents a substantial opportunity for SEO companies like Semrush. Data from Adobe Analytics indicates a remarkable 1,200% increase in traffic to retail websites from generative AI chatbots in October compared to the previous year.

Semrush has been actively developing generative engine optimization (GEO) tools, including a recent launch for tracking and improving website performance. These tools incorporate both traditional SEO techniques and optimization strategies tailored for AI engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Grok, and Perplexity.

According to Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe's Digital Experience Business, generative AI is reshaping brand visibility. He emphasized that brands that fail to adapt to this new environment risk losing relevance and revenue. The acquisition of Semrush is intended to unlock GEO for marketers, providing a new growth channel alongside SEO to drive greater visibility, customer engagement, and conversions.

BNN's Perspective:

This acquisition signals Adobe's proactive approach to the rapidly changing digital marketing landscape. While the price tag is substantial, the potential benefits of integrating Semrush's expertise in AI-driven SEO could be significant. It will be interesting to see how Adobe integrates Semrush's technology and how it impacts the competitive landscape of digital marketing tools.

Keywords: Adobe, Semrush, acquisition, SEO, generative AI, GEO, marketing, digital experience, chatbots, AI tools, website traffic, optimization, brand visibility, customer engagement, conversions

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