AI has made search sexy again after years of it feeling, well, a little boring (apologies to the search community, but for most marketers, that’s the truth). So, an acquisition spree always felt inevitable, with bigger players looking to capitalize on the shift.
With that in mind, Semrush — the SEO platform brands use to boost visibility across the web (and increasingly inside AI engines from Google, Perplexity, OpenAI, and others) — is being acquired by Adobe for nearly $2 billion, per The Wall Street Journal (official press release here). Adobe is paying $12 a share in cash, a pretty notable premium for a company that closed yesterday just under $7. Semrush went public in 2021.
Why This Matters:
SEO companies are seeing a lot of interest as marketers shift their focus from traditional search to GEO — generative engine optimization — and look for any edge in understanding how content gets surfaced across AI assistants.
The shift is understandable, of course. Half of consumers say they’re already using AI-powered search, according to McKinsey. The firm projects that 20–50% of traditional search traffic is at risk as AI tools capture decisions earlier in the consumer journey — and that $750 billion in consumer spending will flow through AI-driven search by 2028. In other words: the battleground for visibility is moving fast, and tools like Semrush are becoming more central to how brands adapt.
Adobe buying Semrush is both a big exit and a signal. Major software players want deeper control over search-adjacent data and measurement. The harder part will be Adobe’s long-running challenge of stitching all these acquisitions into a coherent platform. Semrush adds SEO buzz, power, and capability — but also more complexity.
Experts React:
Here are some of the best takes on X about the deal so far:
By the way, does Adobe now own Search Engine Land? It will be interesting to see how that plays out and if that ownership continues.
Our Take:
The SEO ecosystem is packed with mid-sized, specialized players — from Yext to BrightEdge— all vying to become the layer brands depend on to navigate evolving search behavior. With capital tightening in late 2025 and demand for GEO intelligence rising fast, this deal could spark a new wave of consolidation.
For many of these companies, M&A may become the most realistic path to scale — and for buyers, it’s a chance to shore up search capabilities before AI reshapes the landscape even further.
