Adobe Acquires Semrush for $1.9 Billion as AI Search Reshapes Marketing

Adobe just dropped $1.9 billion to help brands show up in ChatGPT.

The design software giant announced Wednesday that it will acquire Semrush, a search engine optimization platform, in an all-cash deal paying $12 per share.

The acquisition marks Adobe's push into generative engine optimization (GEO) as consumers are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for information instead of traditional search results.

Semrush helps businesses manage brand visibility across both traditional search and large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval and Semrush shareholder vote.

Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe's Digital Experience Business, explains how the acquisition is essential for marketers currently navigating AI search trends.

"Brand visibility is being reshaped by generative AI and brands that don't embrace this new opportunity risk losing relevance and revenue."

"With Semrush, we're unlocking GEO for marketers as a new growth channel alongside their SEO," he says in Adobe's official press release.

Adobe Diversifies as AI Threatens Core Business

The Semrush acquisition comes as Adobe faces pressure from AI tools that threaten its decades-long dominance in the creative software field.

Its stock dropped more than 20% in 2025 as investors questioned whether the company could compete with GenAI platforms offering design capabilities at lower costs.

The company has deep cash reserves built over 30+ years of profitability, and it's now deploying this capital to stay relevant as AI disrupts its core products.

The acquisition is also raising concerns among longtime SEO professionals about pricing changes.

This is especially true given Adobe’s move to subscription-only software with higher costs and stricter cancellation rules.

Cyrus Shepard, founder of ZyppySEO and a well-known voice in the SEO community, voiced his skepticism on X.

"Adobe is known for an increasingly terrible and predatory subscription model. I fear what might happen to Semrush subscription costs," he says.

Adobe previously tried to buy design platform Figma for $20 billion in 2022, but regulators blocked the deal over competition concerns.

The Semrush acquisition faces fewer regulatory hurdles since it expands Adobe into adjacent marketing territory, rather than consolidating direct competitors.

Adobe Analytics data shows a 1,200% year-over-year increase in traffic from GenAI sources in October 2025, which explains why this move has been urgent for the software giant.

This deal signals a pattern we'll likely see from legacy software companies scrambling to find footing in a post-AI world.

A New Phase for Search and Strategy

The combination of Adobe and Semrush will create a platform for tracking visibility across every channel.

This gives clients the right tools to understand how their brands appear where consumers discover products.

Semrush drove 33% year-over-year annual recurring revenue growth in its enterprise customer segment, showing demand for tools that address AI search optimization.

For agencies and brands, this means aligning content strategy with AI search trends to account for how information is sourced and cited from LLMs.

James Gibson, Director of Digital Marketing at eDesign Interactive, breaks down what this shift means for brand visibility.

"Traditional SEO was about ranking on page one of Google. Now brands need to show up in AI-generated answers where there is no page one.

Adobe recognizes that marketers can't optimize for something they can't measure, and Semrush gives them the visibility tools to track brand mentions across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms that are replacing search."

Adobe's Semrush acquisition offers lessons for companies figuring out how to adapt to AI disruption:

• Diversify before you have to: Adobe is using its cash strength to expand into adjacent markets rather than waiting for pressure to mount on its core business.
• Buy expertise you can't build: GEO is still new territory, and buying Semrush’s established tools is faster and more reliable than building from scratch.
• Follow the traffic shift: Consumers are moving toward chat-style answers, and brands need the right tools that reflect how people now discover information.

As AI continues to reshape how people work and find information, even dominant software companies must adapt or risk becoming irrelevant.

Our Take: Is Adobe Hedging or Leading?

I see this acquisition as Adobe admitting that more GenAI platforms are cornering its creative software business faster than anyone expected.

The company has built a fortune on industry tools like Photoshop and Illustrator, but AI image generators are challenging their viability.

The $1.9 billion price tag is steep for a company with just over $1 billion in market value before the deal.

But I think that, in this case, Adobe is paying for strategic brand positioning.

If more legacy software companies follow this pattern and start acquiring AI-friendly businesses to stay relevant, we'll know the industry recognizes the legitimacy of the threat.

Earlier this year, Salesforce also closed its own deal with Convergence.ai to bolster its Agentforce platform.

Need help navigating the AI transformation in your own marketing strategy? Explore DesignRush's top AI companies to find the right partner for your business.