Adobe and Semrush have announced a definitive agreement for Adobe to acquire Semrush, a leading brand visibility platform, in an all-cash transaction valued at about $1.9 billion. Adobe will pay $12.00 per share, folding Semrush’s SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO) tools into Adobe Experience Cloud and its AI marketing stack.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.

What Adobe Is Acquiring

Semrush is renowned for its data-driven solutions in keyword research, site audits, competitive intelligence, and online visibility tracking. In recent years, Semrush has expanded into AI-driven visibility with products that monitor brand mentions within responses from large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini, complementing traditional search. The company has also acquired educational and media assets such as Backlinko, Traffic Think Tank, and Third Door Media, publisher of Search Engine Land. This acquisition grants Adobe’s Experience Cloud direct access to widely used SEO workflows employed by many agencies and in-house marketing teams.

How Semrush Fits Adobe’s AI Marketing Stack

Adobe frames this acquisition as part of a broader strategy to enhance brand visibility amid the rise of agentic AI.

Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe’s Digital Experience business, noted, “Brand visibility is being reshaped by generative AI, and brands that don’t embrace this new opportunity risk losing relevance and revenue.”

Semrush’s focus on generative engine optimization aligns with Adobe’s mission to keep brands discoverable not only in organic search results but also in AI-generated answers. Adobe plans to incorporate Semrush’s capabilities into products like Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics, and the Brand Concierge service.

Deal Terms And Timeline

Under the terms agreed upon, Adobe will acquire Semrush for $12.00 per share in cash, corresponding to an equity value of nearly $1.9 billion. This represents a premium of about 77% over Semrush’s previous closing share price, which led to Semrush shares surging over 70% in early trading post-announcement.

Both Adobe’s and Semrush’s boards have approved the transaction, and the merger agreement was signed on November 18.

Closing is scheduled for the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory reviews and Semrush shareholder approval. Until then, the companies will continue operating independently.

Why This Acquisition Matters

This acquisition reflects the growing trend of embedding vital search and visibility tools into extensive enterprise marketing suites. Semrush users can anticipate tighter integration with Adobe’s analytics and customer experience platforms over time.

However, questions arise on how Semrush will be priced and packaged within Adobe’s enterprise offerings, whether agencies and smaller teams can continue using Semrush independently, and the future management of Semrush’s media holdings, like Search Engine Land.

For now, both companies present the acquisition as a move to provide marketers with a comprehensive view of brand visibility across search results and AI-generated content, rather than altering Semrush’s current product lineup.

Looking Forward

Attention will focus on regulatory approvals, especially considering Adobe’s history with major digital experience acquisitions, which will influence the timeline. Adobe must also decide the pace of integrating Semrush into Experience Cloud and the degree to which Semrush’s products and brand identity are retained.

These decisions will ultimately affect how significant the transition is for existing users.

Changes in Semrush’s API access, subscription plans, and reporting features are expected as the deal moves toward completion.