Adobe said on Wednesday that it reached an agreement to acquire Semrush for about $1.9 billion in cash, adding the search and content-optimization platform to its wider digital marketing portfolio. The offer values Semrush at $12 per share, nearly twice its closing price of $6.89 the day before the announcement. Semrush had a market capitalization of roughly $1 billion at Tuesday’s close.
Adobe is making the purchase as companies adjust their strategies to account for rising traffic from AI tools, where people use chatbots, agents, and AI-powered browsers to find information, shop, or compare services. Adobe Analytics data shows that traffic to retail sites from generative AI chatbots increased 1,200% year over year in October.
Semrush has been positioning its products around this shift. It recently introduced tools for what it calls “generative engine optimization,” built to help brands improve visibility across AI engines including ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Grok, and Perplexity. The company continues to support traditional SEO techniques while adding metrics tailored for AI-generated responses.
“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. He said the acquisition will let Adobe bring generative engine optimization into its marketing suite, creating an additional discovery channel alongside SEO.
Semrush raised its profile as businesses sought tools to monitor performance, analyze competitors, and understand shifting traffic patterns. Adobe said it sees those capabilities as complementary to its digital experience and analytics products.
Featured image credits: Rabaitul Azad via Unsplash
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