Adobe has announced plans to acquire Semrush for $1.9 billion in cash in a move that could reshape how brands, creators and influencer marketers manage visibility across search, social and emerging AI platforms.
The deal, expected to close in the first half of 2026, would bring Semrush’s long-standing SEO and new generative engine optimisation tools under Adobe.
Adobe already has and owns many enterprise tools that help shape brands online. Adding Semrush positions the company to influence how brands are discovered, not only in traditional search but also within AI search like ChatGPT.
For influencer marketers, the acquisition signals that discoverability in AI surfaces is becoming just as important as classic SEO. With more consumers turning to AI chat interfaces for product recommendations, creators who rank well in these environments could be discovered by audiences and brands for partnerships faster.
Adobe cited Adobe Analytics data showing traffic from generative AI sources to US retail sites rising 1,200% year over year in October, a clear sign of shifting consumer behaviour.
Will SEO become part of Adobe’s pre-existing features?
The integration also hints at a future where Adobe might embed SEO style insights directly into its creative tools. This could empower creators to optimise content for both search engines and AI recommendation models without switching platforms. While Adobe has not confirmed product changes, the acquisition makes this a realistic next step.
Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe’s Digital Experience business, said the combination will give marketers “more insights and capabilities to increase their discoverability across today’s evolving digital landscape.”
“With the advent of LLMs and AI-driven search, brands need to understand where and how their customers are engaging in these new channels,” said Semrush CEO Bill Wagner.
For creators and influencer marketers who already rely on Semrush data to plan content that trends, ranks and converts, the acquisition could lead to deeper analytics, more accurate AI era visibility metrics and improved tools for managing brand collaborations.
The question now is how quickly Adobe integrates Semrush insights into its creator-facing products and whether future updates will bring artificially intelligent SEO directly into the workflow of influencers and marketers.
