The story behind Semrush’s acquisition of Third Door Media

# The Semrush Acquisition: An Inside Look at Third Door Media's Journey ## Introductio nIn a recent episode of the Martech Podcast, we delved into the acquisition landscape in the marketing technology sector. Our focus was on the noteworthy acquisition of Third Door Media, a media company known for its influential publications, by Semrush, a leading online visibility management platform. This blog post summarizes the fascinating conversation about the motivations, processes, and challenges behind this acquisition. ## The Background of Third Door Media Third Door Media has been a prominent player in the B2B media marketing space since its inception in 2006. The company is known for its well-regarded publications like Search Engine Land, Digital Marketing Depot, and Martech.org. In addition to these publications, Third Door Media has also been renowned for organizing high-end conferences such as SMX and the Martech Conference. Their business model revolves around generating revenue through lead generation via white papers, webinars, and advertisements, as well as organizing in-person events. However, like many other companies, Third Door Media faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with its live events transitioning to virtual formats. Key revenue streams for Third Door Media included lead generation through white papers and webinars, advertisements on their media sites, and premium in-person conferences and events. ## The Impact of COVID-19 The pandemic brought about significant changes for Third Door Media. As live events were canceled, they quickly pivoted to virtual events with considerable success. However, the in-person touch was missed, leading to what some termed "revenge conferencing" once restrictions started to lift. As part of their resurgence, Third Door Media is pla ing to host the SMX conference in Boston, marking a return to in-person events. Initially, the company faced the challenge of canceling in-person events due to the pandemic and had to rapidly pivot to virtual events. Post-pandemic, pla ed resumption of in-person events like SMX in Boston and the continued success of virtual formats have been the focus. ## The Acquisition by Semrush Now, why did Semrush, a technology company, acquire Third Door Media? Semrush saw immense synergies between their core products and Third Door Media's influential publications and conferences. With the goal of expanding into the enterprise market, the acquisition allowed Semrush to integrate valuable media assets that cater to a similar audience — the enterprise marketers. For Semrush, acquiring established brands like Search Engine Land and Martech.org provided instant credibility and a pre-built audience. Building such brands from scratch would have required significant time and resources, something Semrush sought to circumvent through this acquisition. Semrush's motivations for the acquisition included finding synergies between its products and Third Door Media's offerings, gaining instant credibility and a pre-built audience in the enterprise marketing sector, and avoiding the lengthy process of building media brands from scratch. ## The Integration Experience Post-acquisition, the integration process has been both challenging and educational for Third Door Media's team. Moving from a small, intuitive-driven company to a data-driven, publicly traded entity like Semrush required significant adjustments. Yet, ensuring the independence of their newsrooms and maintaining the integrity of their brands remained paramount. However, the integration also brought advantages. Third Door Media now has access to additional resources and capabilities to improve content quality and reach. Some content strategies have been aligned with Semrush’s SEO methodologies, leading to new evergreen content sections and strategic collaborations for mutually beneficial workflows. Some of the integration challenges and benefits include shifting from an intuitive-driven to a data-driven culture, maintaining editorial independence and brand integrity, and having enhanced resources for content creation and reach. ## Conclusio nThe acquisition of Third Door Media by Semrush is a prime example of how software companies are increasingly recognizing the value of established media brands. While the integration process has its complexities, it also offers exciting opportunities for growth and collaboration. This merger aims to combine the strengths of both companies to better serve enterprise marketers and maintain a stronghold in the martech landscape. Stay tuned for more insights on significant industry acquisitions and the evolving landscape of marketing technology.