Adobe to buy Semrush for $1.9 billion

Adobe announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement to acquire search engine optimization platform Semrush in a cash deal valued at approximately $1.9 billion, strengthening its broader marketing technology suite.

According to Adobe’s statement, the company will pay $12 per share, nearly double Semrush’s closing price of $6.89 on Tuesday, before reports of the transaction surfaced. Semrush’s market cap stood at around $1 billion at the close of trading.

The acquisition reflects Adobe’s belief that businesses are shifting more resources toward ensuring their websites and content remain visible to AI-powered tools. With consumers increasingly relying on AI chatbots, agents, and AI-enabled browsers for tasks ranging from news and recipe searches to online shopping and travel planning, Adobe sees a growing opportunity for platforms like Semrush.

Adobe Analytics data highlights this shift clearly: as of October, traffic to retail websites from generative AI chatbots surged 1,200% year-over-year.

To address this new landscape, Semrush has been expanding into what it calls “generative engine optimization” (GEO)—tools that help brands monitor and enhance their visibility across AI engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Grok, and Perplexity, alongside traditional search optimization.

“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.”