Adobe plans to acquire search engine optimization tool Semrush in the first half of 2026 in an all-cash deal valued at $1.9 billion.
The science of content optimization is rapidly evolving as several AI-powered search engines, including Google, OpenAI, and Perplexity, now provide summaries of content rather than directing browsers to website pages. Optimizing content to influence its performance within search engines is known as both AI Search Optimization (AISO) and what Adobe calls Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
The vocabulary for describing these processes is rapidly evolving. Constellation Research analyst Liz Miller said early adopters now commonly refer to GEO as back-end content preparation to make content more discoverable. A new third term, “Response Engine Optimization,” describes how the content is displayed to the person who created the prompt.
Both GEO and response engine optimization can be shaped by content creators if they have the right intelligence. Tools such as a combination of Adobe-Semrush and its competitors may offer this.
Few companies are working on both aspects of marketing generative AI, Miller said. However, the merger of Adobe and Semrush will be a powerful combination in the early stages of generative AI content optimization.
“The brand intelligence layer shapes how ‘AI as UI’ is realized, where and how to fix that,” Miller said, adding that these concepts are still in their infancy. “Think back to the early days of digital, the web, and search. That’s where we are. [with generative AI and LLMs].
GEO evolves your marketing workflow
The Adobe acquisition will bring together Semrush, a popular tool among marketers for processes like keyword research and site optimization, with Adobe’s marketing platform. Semrush enhances Adobe’s GEO capabilities already available in LLM Optimizer released in June. Semrush also offers a number of tools for search engine marketing (the advertising side of search), including analytics that reveal your competitors’ keywords, paid search, and backlink strategies.
Anil Chakravarthy, president of Adobe’s Digital Experience Business, said in a press release that generative AI is reshaping brand perception. Semrush CEO Bill Wagner said the strategic combination of Adobe and Semrush provides marketers with more insights and capabilities to increase their digital discoverability.
Semrush claims to have been the driving force behind a 33% year-over-year increase in annual recurring revenue for enterprise customers in the most recent quarter. Some of our top customers include Amazon, JPMorganChase, and TikTok. This may partly explain why Adobe paid a 77% premium to the stock’s closing price before the acquisition plan was announced.
Having better intelligence to improve engagement of branded content in LLM searches is only half the equation for marketers, Miller said. Acting on that intelligence will require most businesses to change their current content workflows, which can be difficult for some organizations.
“It’s going to fundamentally change the way marketers think about content, from how it’s structured to how it answers where it’s placed,” Miller said.
Don Fluckinger is a senior news writer at Informa TechTarget. He is responsible for customer experience, digital experience management, and end-user computing. Any tips? send him an email.
