OpenAI adds Semrush to ChatGPT Enterprise connector lineup

Pavel Fabrikantov, SVP Product at Semrush, disclosed the announcement through LinkedIn on November 24. The post specified that Semrush joins a broader rollout of Model Context Protocol connectors developed by partners and reviewed by OpenAI. The expansion brings Semrush capabilities into environments where ChatGPT serves as a central productivity tool for business teams.

The November 24 deployment encompasses 12 access connectors total. Amplitude, Fireflies, Vercel, Monday.com, Stripe, Hex, Egnyte, Alpaca, BioRender, and Jam.dev arrived alongside Semrush in the same release cycle. These connectors expand the toolkit available to Enterprise, Edu, Business, Pro and Plus customers with connectors enabled for their respective workspaces.

Access connectors fetch content when users pose questions, according to OpenAI's release documentation dated November 24. Built using Model Context Protocol, these integrations differ from synced connectors that pre-index organizational data. The access approach delivers real-time retrieval rather than cached information, creating workflows where ChatGPT queries external systems on demand.

Administrators govern connector access through role-based access controls. Enterprise plans maintain connectors in default-off status, requiring explicit administrator enablement. Business plans reverse this configuration, activating connectors by default while preserving administrator override capabilities. The governance framework addresses enterprise security requirements where data access requires explicit permission rather than opt-out models.

According to the November 24 announcement, workspace administrators review actions and connector information through Workspace settings under the Apps section. The interface provides visibility into connector behavior, enabling compliance teams to monitor which external systems integrate with ChatGPT across their organizations.

The Semrush connector arrives during a significant expansion period for ChatGPT's enterprise capabilities. OpenAI added the Atlassian Rovo MCP connector on December 3, 2025, bringing Jira, Compass, and Confluence information into ChatGPT conversations. That integration enables write actions including issue creation and workflow triggers directly from chat interfaces, representing deeper functionality than read-only access connectors.

The Boston-based online visibility management platform serves over 10 million users with more than 55 tools for SEO, content marketing, PPC, and social media management. Major clients include Amazon, JPMorganChase, and TikTok. The company reported 33% year-over-year annual recurring revenue growth in its enterprise customer segment during its most recent quarter.

Semrush previously tripled its AI share of voice from 13% to 32% in one month after discovering ChatGPT and other large language models failed to mention the company when users queried about AI monitoring tools. The optimization process documented by Sergei Rogulin, Semrush's Head of Organic & AI Visibility, addressed how LLMs cited Semrush blog content while simultaneously recommending competitors.

The platform launched Enterprise AIO and AI Visibility Toolkit in June 2025, providing organizations with capabilities to track competitive positioning across artificial intelligence platforms. These tools measure visibility and share of voice metrics rather than traditional click-through rates, reflecting how AI citations operate differently from search engine traffic patterns.

OpenAI's connector strategy continues evolving through multiple implementation approaches. The company introduced synced connectors for SharePoint, Notion, and Linear on October 9, 2025. Those integrations pre-index organizational content, enabling faster responses for knowledge-heavy prompts including strategy summaries, policy lookups, and internal research.

Custom connector capabilities launched October 17, 2025, enabling organizations to build proprietary integrations using Model Context Protocol. Administrators can develop, test, and publish MCP-powered connectors with read and write capabilities, allowing ChatGPT to initiate workflows, create project management tasks, or update CRM systems.

Company knowledge functionality debuted October 23, 2025, aggregating context from multiple connected tools for answers incorporating internal business data. The feature respects existing company permissions, limiting ChatGPT access to information each user already possesses authorization to view. Supported connectors include Slack, SharePoint, Google Drive, GitHub, Notion, HubSpot, Zendesk, Azure DevOps, Asana, and others.

Enterprise connectors require administrator enablement through workspace settings before individual users can connect specific tools. Users enable approved connectors through Settings under Apps & Connectors. Once activated, ChatGPT automatically references indexed content when relevant to conversation context, eliminating manual connector selection for each query.

The architecture leverages MCP servers as intermediaries translating between ChatGPT and third-party services. This approach reduces integration complexity compared to traditional API implementations. HubSpot launched its first CRM connector for Anthropic's Claude on July 29, 2025, demonstrating parallel adoption of Model Context Protocol across competing AI platforms.

OpenAI indicated additional connectors will follow on a rolling basis beyond the November 24 release. The company's strategy emphasizes gradual expansion rather than simultaneous deployment of all partner integrations, enabling iterative refinement based on enterprise customer feedback and usage patterns.

Semrush faces operational challenges from Google's elimination of the n=100 SERP parameter in September 2025, forcing SEO platforms to execute 10 separate requests instead of single calls to retrieve 100 search results. This modification multiplied operational costs by a factor of 10 for businesses dependent on comprehensive search result analysis.

The integration arrives weeks after Adobe announced a $1.9 billion acquisition of Semrush on November 19, 2025. That deal combines Adobe's customer experience orchestration capabilities with Semrush's generative engine optimization and search engine optimization solutions. Adobe paid $12 per share, representing a significant premium over Semrush's $6.76 closing price on November 18.

OpenAI's connector ecosystem addresses workflow inefficiencies where teams previously exported data from multiple platforms, manually synthesized information, and switched contexts between applications. The unified interface enables natural language queries spanning internal company data, external market intelligence, and general knowledge simultaneously.

For marketing professionals, the Semrush connector provides direct access to competitive analysis within ChatGPT conversations. Teams can query keyword performance, backlink profiles, and traffic patterns without navigating separate SEO platforms. This consolidation reduces friction in daily workflows where competitive intelligence informs content strategy, campaign planning, and market positioning decisions.

The November 24 announcement did not specify pricing structures for connector access beyond existing ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu subscription models. Enterprise plans operate on credit-based systems where organizations purchase shared credit pools consumed when users access advanced features and models.

Fabrikantov acknowledged Anatoly Chichikov, Nikita Zakharov, Daria Prianichnikova, and Klim Bocharnikov in his November 24 LinkedIn post announcing the connector availability. The acknowledgment suggests cross-functional collaboration between Semrush product, engineering, and business development teams throughout the integration development process.

Pavel Fabrikantov characterized the integration as bringing Semrush insights "straight into your AI workflows" without custom builds. The positioning emphasizes simplified access compared to previous integration approaches requiring API configuration, authentication management, and custom development resources.

Timeline

• June 4, 2025: OpenAI introduces connectors for ChatGPT, enabling internal tool integration for Enterprise customers
• June 2025: Semrush launches Enterprise AIO and AI Visibility Toolkit for tracking competitive positioning across AI platforms
• July 29, 2025: HubSpot launches first CRM connector for Anthropic's Claude using Model Context Protocol
• September 14, 2025: Google eliminates n=100 SERP parameter, forcing 10x cost increase across SEO platform industry
• October 17, 2025: Semrush nearly triples AI share of voice from 13% to 32% through systematic optimization process
• October 17, 2025: OpenAI launches custom connector capabilities enabling organizations to build proprietary MCP integrations
• October 23, 2025: OpenAI introduces company knowledge functionality aggregating context from multiple connected tools
• November 19, 2025: Adobe announces $1.9 billion acquisition of Semrush to expand brand visibility capabilities
• November 24, 2025: OpenAI adds Semrush alongside 11 other partner-built MCP connectors to ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu
• December 3, 2025: OpenAI adds Atlassian Rovo MCP connector enabling write actions in Jira from ChatGPT

Summary

Who: OpenAI announced the integration alongside Semrush, with Pavel Fabrikantov serving as SVP Product at Semrush. The release affects Enterprise, Edu, Business, Pro and Plus customers with connectors enabled for their workspaces. Partner companies including Amplitude, Fireflies, Vercel, Monday.com, Stripe, Hex, Egnyte, Alpaca, BioRender, and Jam.dev joined the same deployment cycle.

What: OpenAI integrated Semrush into ChatGPT through Model Context Protocol access connectors that fetch competitive intelligence, traffic data, and keyword insights on demand. The implementation enables users to query Semrush capabilities directly within ChatGPT conversations without manual data exports or API configuration. Administrators control connector access through role-based controls, with Enterprise plans maintaining default-off status requiring explicit enablement.

When: OpenAI announced the connector expansion on November 24, 2025, with Pavel Fabrikantov disclosing the availability through LinkedIn the same day. The release follows broader connector ecosystem development including custom MCP capabilities launched October 17 and company knowledge functionality introduced October 23.

Where: The connectors operate within ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu workspaces, extending to Business, Pro and Plus plans with appropriate enablement. Administrators manage connector settings through Workspace settings under the Apps section, while individual users activate approved connectors through Settings under Apps & Connectors.

Why: The integration addresses workflow inefficiencies where teams previously exported data from multiple platforms and manually synthesized information across disconnected systems. For marketing professionals, consolidated access to competitive intelligence within ChatGPT reduces context switching and enables natural language queries spanning internal company data, external market intelligence, and general knowledge simultaneously. The connector strategy reflects OpenAI's broader enterprise expansion addressing how organizations integrate AI capabilities into existing technology stacks and business processes.