Adobe’s acquisition of Semrush, SEO and analytics platform has been dubbed a “powerful” move, which could reshare search marketing, potentially challenging Google’s decades-long dominance in this space.

The tech giant announced its plans to buy Semrush for $1.9bn in an all cash deal. The agreement, announced last week, will see Adobe pay $12 per share for the adtech firm.

This move marks Adobe’s strategic step into generative engine optimisation (GEO) – the new SEO discipline that centred on brand visibility inside large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

Adobe is not only well known for its creative content suite, but has also developed customer experience agentic AI tools. It enables 99% of the Fortune 100, including The Coca-Cola Company, General Motors and IBM, to use AI to transform the way they work.

The company believes that as generative AI platforms become the new interface between customers and brands, those that invest in GEO alongside their SEO capabilities will succeed.

Anil Chakravarthy, President of Adobe’s Digital Experience Business, said: “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, driving more visibility, customer engagement and conversions across the ecosystem.”

Bill Wagner, Semrush CEO, added: “Adobe is an industry leader in helping marketers create personalised customer 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.”

For the adland, this acquisition not only highlights the importance of SEO more than even, it could signal a shift in search marketing and Google’s dominance.

Alex Vass, founder and CEO at advanced analytics agency Independent Marketing Sciences believes this move has implications that go well beyond SEO.

He told SBC News: “The long-running tension between independent search tools and Google has been building, and this deal shows the fight is entering a new phase. Adobe isn’t just buying data; it’s buying a foothold in one of the few areas where marketers can still get visibility that Google doesn’t control.”

While Obed Reyes, founder and CEO of Ranking Factor wrote on LinkedIn: “This isn’t just another acquisition headline. It’s a loud signal that SEO is officially merging AI visibility – and that the data we use to measure that just became strategic at an enterprise level.”

He went on to add that by Adobe putting Semrush into Experience Cloud means this “type of data is going to sit right next to campaign reporting, customer journeys and personalisation”. 

“That pulls SEO further into the centre of digital strategy instead of  being ‘that channel over there’.”.

But what does this mean for marketers?

“For SEO teams, this could be a win. If Adobe keeps Semrush’s depth while adding its own creative and analytics tools, we may finally get clearer connections between content, visibility, and actual business impact,” added Vaas.

“The concern is whether Semrush stays independent-minded or becomes another tool shaped by a much larger machine.

“The ripple effects for paid search may be even bigger. As Google removes more data and pushes advertisers towards automated bidding, third-party insight has become essential. If Adobe folds Semrush into a stronger cross-channel view, it could give marketers a better way to challenge Google’s version of reality.”

Vaas concludes that this acquisition is part of a broader power shift, and believes it is one of the “first signs that Google’s grip on search intelligence might finally face a credible challenger”.