When news broke that Adobe is acquiring Semrush for $1.9 billion, it didn’t just make headlines; it became a big signal to the marketing world. This is not going to be just another merger deal. It is a big move that could redefine how brands think and work about search, SEO, and visibility in today’s AI-driven world.
Both Adobe and Semrush are leaders in their own domains. Together, they could create a marketing ecosystem that bridges traditional SEO, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and AI-driven search.
Read ahead to know what makes this deal so powerful and why it could transform the SEO game entirely.
A Strategic Move on The Future Shift: SEO + GEO
Traditionally, Search engine optimization (SEO) has been about ranking on Google or other search engines. But today, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which means optimizing for AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other Large Language Models (LLMs), is becoming crucial.
Adobe could clearly see this shift. And Anil Chakravarty, President of Adobe’s Digital Experience business, emphasized this shift and said:
“Brand visibility is being reshaped by generative AI, and brands that don’t embrace this new opportunity risk losing relevance and revenue.”
In its announcement, Adobe also highlighted that combining Adobe’s digital experience tools with Semrush’s data will help marketers understand how their brand appears across traditional search, AI assistants, and Large Language Model (LLM) outputs.
This deal positions Adobe to become the first major marketing ecosystem that truly integrates SEO and GEO under a unified single platform.
How This Deal Is Going to Transform the SEO Industry For Marketers
1. A Unified Platform For Marketers
For years, marketers have relied on multiple tools for keyword research, content insights, analytics, and competitive research and analysis. This acquisition could consolidate all of that into a single, integrated experience for marketers.
Semrush SEO Bill Wagner explains the value of this merger for marketers:
“Adobe is an industry leader in helping marketers create personalized experiences at scale. With the advent of LLMs and AI-driven search, brands need to understand where and how their customers are engaging in these new channels.”
This combination provides marketers more insights and capabilities to increase their discoverability across today’s evolving digital landscape,” he added.
For marketers, this merger could mean gaining smarter insights with a unified tool, holistic multi-channel visibility, and better alignment between content creation and search performance.
In short, we can say that the integration could make marketing workflows not just easier but significantly more intelligent and smarter.
2. Smarter Decision Making
Semrush brings years of deep research intelligence with a suite of tools for spanning keyword research, site auditing, competitive gaps, search trends, backlink analysis, brand mention tracking across AI platforms, and more.
Combining this power of Semrush’s Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) capabilities with Adobe’s ecosystem of analytics and AI capabilities opened the door for
- Predictive content strategies
- AI-assisted keyword and topic mapping
- Visibility across both search engines and LLMs
- Real-time content performance tracking
- Smarter competitor intelligence
This could help brands anticipate what consumers (and AI systems) will search for next and, accordingly, they can prepare their strategy.
3. Bringing GEO into the Mainstream
Though some marketers have already started integrating GEO into their marketing strategy, GEO is still new for most marketers. Currently, only a small section of SEO specialists actively optimizes for AI-driven interfaces. However, Adobe’s acquisition of Semrush could change that.
Anil Chakravarty has put it clearly in the initial announcement:
“With Semrush, we’re unlocking GEO for marketers as a new growth channel alongside their SEO, driving more visibility, customer engagement, and conversions across the ecosystem.”
Adobe’s move could bring GEO to the masses by embedding GEO capabilities across its broader marketing ecosystem. This approach might lead to the industry’s first unified model for managing and improving visibility in AI-generated search experiences.
4. Long-Term Impact of The Deal: Redefining The Future Of SEO
If Adobe successfully integrates Semrush’s capabilities into its ecosystem, the acquisition could set the foundation for a significantly evolved SEO industry.
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Convergence of SEO and GEO
Traditional SEO and GEO are likely to merge into a single unit, so brands optimize for both search engines and AI-driven discovery platforms simultaneously.
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Broader Visibility Metrics
Success will no longer be measured only through keyword rankings. New benchmarks of success may include AI response presence, citation frequency, and how often a brand appears in generative outputs.
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Real-Time, Data-Driven Content Approach
Content creation will rely on real-time intent data, audience patterns, and predictive insights. This will allow marketers to craft content assets that perform across both search engines and AI surfaces.
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Unified Marketing Ecosystem
With Adobe’s integrated suite, marketing may shift toward a single, unified platform where SEO, Content, Analytics, and AI insights work together.
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A New, Broader Definition Of Seo
From viewing SEO as “optimizing for search engines,” the industry may evolve and move towards “optimizing for discoverability across all digital and AI-driven channels,” including search, chat & voice interfaces, and generative engines.
Final Thoughts
Adobe’s acquisition of Semrush represents much more than a mere business transaction. It signifies the rapid evolution of the search and discovery landscape. As AI-driven search and LLM-based discovery become mainstream, brands must understand how people engage with content at every touchpoint, extending beyond traditional search engines.
By merging Semrush’s extensive SEO and visibility intelligence with Adobe’s robust marketing ecosystem, this collaboration has the potential to give marketers faster insights, stronger visibility across both search engines and AI models, and the ability to create more personalized, data-driven experiences.
In this new era, SEO isn’t limited to Google rankings anymore. It’s about being discoverable wherever your audience goes and searches.
How MadHawks Can Help You Win in Both SEO and GEO
As Adobe and Semrush move toward a future where SEO and GEO blend into one unified channel, brands should also be prepared with both SEO and GEO. And, if you’re looking for a partner who can guide you through both the SEO and the emerging GEO landscape, MadHawks can be your reliable partner. Our team of SEO experts incorporates data-driven strategy with hands-on expertise in organic search, content, and performance marketing, making it easier for brands to adjust to the new ways people discover information in an AI-first world.
Our team of SEO experts not only optimizes for traditional SEO but also helps you with GEO, ensuring your content remains visible, easily discoverable, and competitive across emerging generative AI platforms.
