Semrush launches enterprise partner program for agency expansion

Semrush announced the launch of its Enterprise Partner Program on October 23, 2025, establishing a formal partnership framework connecting marketing agencies with the company's enterprise platform capabilities. The announcement positions certified partners to sell, service, and scale Semrush's suite of tools while creating revenue opportunities for both the platform and participating agencies.

According to the press release, "the Program empowers certified partners to sell, service, and scale with Semrush, using Semrush's full suite of capabilities." The initiative expands Semrush's enterprise footprint while connecting enterprise clients with trusted experts who can deliver faster, measurable business outcomes regarding brand and online visibility.

The program launches with Dentsu, a global marketing agency, joining as the premier partner in Semrush's growing ecosystem. Rahul Thappa, Managing Director of Media & CXM at Dentsu Singapore, stated the partnership enables teams to "unify intelligence across markets and channels, turning complex data into actionable insights that drive meaningful growth for our clients."

Matt Thompson, Global Head of Partnerships and Channels at Semrush, characterized the initiative as a reach multiplier. "By empowering our agency partners to sell and service their client base using our platform, we are collectively enabling thousands of enterprise customers to achieve greater online visibility and marketing ROI," Thompson stated in the release.

The program specifically targets marketing agencies and digital consultancies supporting enterprise clients with comprehensive marketing needs. Partners gain access to enablement, training, and go-to-market resources needed to sell and service clients across Semrush Enterprise's platform offerings, including SEO, AI Search Visibility, and Website Health capabilities.

Five key benefits structure the partner value proposition. Accelerated deal velocity arrives through go-to-market alignment with Semrush's partner team, jointly delivering value and insights to global customers and prospects. Rapid time-to-value stems from white-glove onboarding and enablement, ensuring partners maintain full equipment to sell and support client bases from day one.

Strategic partner marketing collaboration includes dedicated support for developing co-branded campaigns and generating high-quality leads. Direct product influence operates through Partner Advisory Boards, giving the ecosystem a direct link to Semrush's product team for shaping future innovation. Superior client ROI flows from Semrush's proprietary data, insights, and platform capabilities.

The program structure positions partners to deliver specialized consulting and managed services beyond basic platform access. According to the announcement materials, the enterprise partner ecosystem functions as "a force multiplier to drive success for marketers around the world." With agencies trained, enabled, and certified on the platform, they can serve more marketers while helping clients realize meaningful results.

Semrush Enterprise was named a 2025 industry leader in The Forrester Wave for Search Engine Optimization Solutions, according to the partner program documentation. The recognition arrives as the company faces operational challenges from Google's infrastructure changes, including the elimination of the n=100 SERP parameter in September 2025 that forced a 10x cost increase across the SEO platform industry.

The timing follows Semrush's Q2 2025 financial results showing $108.9 million revenue with enterprise customers paying $50,000 or more annually surging 83% year-over-year. This enterprise strength positions the company during industry cost pressures affecting competitors.

Partner programs have emerged across digital marketing platforms throughout 2025. YouTube launched specialized activation partners on October 6, connecting advertisers with vetted companies offering campaign management expertise. Amazon formalized ad tech activation partner requirements in July, establishing criteria for partnership approval including technical proficiency and multi-year performance records.

For marketing agencies, the Semrush initiative creates opportunities to monetize platform expertise through three models: co-selling, reselling, or referrals. Co-selling enables agencies to collaborate directly with Semrush's 200-plus go-to-market experts to pitch, close, and expand accounts. The reselling model allows agencies to profit on their terms from each win. The referral pathway provides compensation for directing clients to the platform.

The program provides access to proven enablement collateral, co-marketing collaboration, and trusted brand equity designed to reduce sales cycles. Partners can participate in advisory boards, influencing product development while gaining strategic insights into platform direction.

Thompson noted that interested agencies can apply to join the waitlist through the Semrush Enterprise Partner Program application process. He indicated availability for meetings at the Semrush Spotlight conference scheduled for the week following the October 23 announcement.

The partner structure requires completion of enablement and certification programs elevating team expertise. Resources include a full go-to-market library, joint opportunities, market development funds, thought leadership content, and event exposure. An exclusive partner community offers direct access to partner advisory boards and partner-only sessions at Semrush user conferences.

Global brands including Samsung and Square appear in Semrush's customer portfolio. Hans Kim, VD Team Leader at Samsung, stated in case study materials that "their ability to also provide timely solutions around emerging technologies like AI - and adapt to our evolving needs - will make Semrush Enterprise a valuable long-term partner." Sean Carey, Global Head of Organic Discovery at Square, noted that since implementing Semrush Enterprise, the company has "outperformed our competitors on both traffic and content and we've improved our rankings in virtually all markets."

The program targets agencies managing Fortune 500 brands and enterprise accounts requiring sophisticated digital visibility solutions. Semrush positions the initiative as addressing both partner revenue growth and client impact needs, with efficiency gains operating across partnership levels.

For the marketing community, the development signals consolidation within the SEO platform ecosystem as providers seek scale advantages during rising operational costs. The partner model distributes platform expertise through certified agencies rather than relying solely on direct sales relationships, potentially accelerating enterprise adoption among companies lacking internal SEO resources.

Agencies gain revenue diversification opportunities beyond traditional service fees through platform reselling arrangements. The co-marketing resources and market development funds provide smaller agencies with enterprise-grade promotional capabilities typically available only to larger consulting firms.

The certification requirement creates knowledge standardization across the partner ecosystem, theoretically ensuring consistent service quality for enterprise clients regardless of which certified partner they engage. Partner advisory boards position agencies as product development stakeholders, potentially influencing feature priorities toward client needs.

The program materials emphasize transparency and collaboration between Semrush and partners, with joint go-to-market strategies replacing purely transactional referral relationships. This approach mirrors developments across advertising technology platforms where vendor-partner integration has deepened beyond basic revenue sharing.

Timeline

• October 2024: Semrush acquires Search Engine Land and other Third Door Media properties
• September 14, 2025: Google eliminates n=100 SERP parameter, creating 10x cost increase for Semrush and competitors
• September 2025: Semrush Enterprise named 2025 industry leader in Forrester Wave for SEO Solutions
• Q2 2025: Semrush reports $108.9 million revenue with 83% year-over-year enterprise customer growth
• October 6, 2025: YouTube launches specialized activation partners program
• October 23, 2025: Semrush announces Enterprise Partner Program with Dentsu as premier agency partner

Summary

Who: Semrush, a publicly traded online visibility management SaaS platform (NYSE: SEMR), launched the program with Dentsu joining as the premier agency partner. Matt Thompson serves as Global Head of Partnerships and Channels at Semrush.

What: The Enterprise Partner Program enables certified marketing agencies and digital consultancies to sell, service, and scale Semrush's enterprise platform through co-selling, reselling, or referral models. Partners receive white-glove onboarding, certification programs, co-marketing support, and access to partner advisory boards.

When: The announcement occurred on October 23, 2025, with applications opening for agencies to join the waitlist. The program builds on partnerships that developed following Semrush's Q2 2025 results showing significant enterprise customer growth.

Where: The global strategic initiative expands Semrush's enterprise footprint across markets where Fortune 500 brands and enterprise accounts require digital visibility solutions. Dentsu Singapore represents the initial geographic expansion with plans for broader partner enrollment.

Why: The program creates new revenue channels for both Semrush and partner agencies while connecting enterprise clients with certified experts who can deliver faster, measurable business outcomes. The initiative positions Semrush to scale enterprise adoption through distributed partner expertise rather than relying solely on direct sales relationships.