Apparently, Semrush has taken note of CMI's advice that the best way to launch a content marketing platform is to purchase one.
The search engine software provider acquired Third Door Media, which owns and operates properties such as Search Engine Land, MarTech, Search Marketing Expo and Digital Marketing Depot.
SEMrush's acquisition of the digital publishing and events company is considered one of the most significant content acquisitions in a long time. That's why we asked CMI's chief strategy advisor, Robert Rose, for his opinion. Read on or watch this video to get his insight:
SEMrush bucks the trend of declining interest in owned media
In modern marketing, this is the way to go.
Over the last year, I have observed a decline in the launch of owned media properties. The decline in organic search traffic, competition for attention on social media, and larger walled gardens have discouraged brands from embracing the classic idea of marketing as a publisher.
Ironically, one SEO company realized—or at least placed a big bet—that the battle for ownership of its own media isn't over yet.
It's not often that I get to reminisce, but Third Door Media is one of the longest-standing digital marketing media companies you've never heard of. At the beginning of the 21st century, marketers were affected by the disruptive changes of this new thing called internet search.
Danny Sullivan was a super smart guy in the industry. He founded a company called Search Engine Watch and later added an event called Search Engine Strategies, which I attended in November 1999 as a fancy Internet strategy consultant. That was the first time I saw a small startup company with a funny name called Google exhibiting.
Five years later, Danny and Chris Elwell founded another publication – Search Engine Land – and launched an event called Search Engine Expo.
In 2006, Third Door Media was founded and has quietly been providing great content and events for the past two decades. Along the way, it launched Martech.org and a related marketing technology event, and even involved Scott Brinker and his MarTech Landscape.
And now SEMrush, the search engine marketing software company, owns everything. In the announcement, Semrush CMO Andrew Warden says this acquisition is “part of our commitment to inspire and equip both current and future generations of digital marketers with the know-how to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment.”
Aside from carefully worded and outreach-generated quotes, SEMrush has run a content marketing media game. In one fell swoop, it now has access to the first-party data of an incredibly valuable audience that loves the content created by Third Door Media.
SEMrush also has several integrated customer events and immediately adds a Salesforce Dreamforce-like platform to its content marketing portfolio.
2025 will bring greater history and new interest
Since Semrush is a publicly traded company, I expect more information to be released in the coming quarters on how the company will account for this new acquisition, which is already a revenue-generating platform. It has the potential to be a marketing strategy that pays for itself in a short period of time.
Congratulations to the Semrush and Third Door Media teams. It's a win-win situation, especially for such legacy content brands that are now under SEMrush's leadership.
My only caveat: don't screw it up. Acquisitions can be difficult. It's easy to lose the trust these publications have built over the years.
I look forward to seeing this real-time case study develop. I hope the SEMrush strategy team feels what I feel – owning and building a portfolio of your own properties is a trend that will return in 2025. I'm already seeing some interesting new projects from brands that point to a new focus on differentiated owned media as a way to generate great marketing.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
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