Adobe acquiring Semrush shows where marketing is heading

Adobe announced plans to acquire Semrush for $1.9 billion, folding SEO visibility, competitive analysis, and AI-powered insights directly into its marketing suite.

What happened: This merger essentially combines creative production and digital discoverability into one workflow. Instead of creative assets being handed off to separate SEO or performance teams, Adobe is signaling that visibility should be part of creative development from the start.

Why it matters: The biggest shift here is philosophical: SEO is no longer “technical,” and creative is no longer “soft.” Both sides are merging into a unified discipline around digital discoverability. For teams, this means search intelligence becomes part of content strategy, brand systems, and campaign planning, not just performance marketing.

What to watch: How Adobe operationalizes Semrush within its ecosystem. If they do it well, the era of fragmented tool stacks may start consolidating.

Further reading:
The Verge on Adobe’s acquisition announcement.