Marketo Removes SEO Feature in Latest Update
▼ Summary
– Adobe Marketo Engage will deprecate its built-in SEO feature on March 31, 2026, requiring users to export their data by that date.
– The deprecation is due to low usage of the feature, allowing the team to focus development efforts elsewhere on the platform.
– Adobe’s 2025 acquisition of Semrush, a comprehensive SEO tool, will address users’ future SEO needs instead.
– The February 2026 release notes also highlighted updates to the Email Designer, including a beta for brand-aligned content generation.
– A new Brand Quality Checker tool allows users to assess general email content quality for readability and effectiveness.
The recent February 2026 update for Adobe Marketo Engage brought several enhancements, with a primary spotlight on the widely adopted Email Designer tool. However, a significant change for marketing teams involves the platform’s built-in SEO capabilities. Adobe has officially deprecated the native Marketo SEO feature, with its removal scheduled for April 1, 2026. Users must export any relevant data before the cutoff date of March 31 to retain it.
This strategic decision stems from an evaluation of feature utilization. According to Adobe’s Keith Gluck, retiring tools with low adoption rates allows the product team to concentrate development resources on higher-impact areas of the platform. For those relying on SEO functionality, this move aligns with a broader corporate strategy. Adobe’s 2025 acquisition of the comprehensive SEO platform Semrush provides a clear, dedicated path forward for users’ search engine optimization needs, making the internal tool redundant.
Industry observers noted the feature’s deprecation was anticipated. The integrated SEO tool reportedly saw limited full configuration from users and had not been a development priority for the Marketo Engage team in some time. Furthermore, the accelerating evolution of search, driven by advances in large language models, signaled a need for more robust, specialized solutions. The integration of Semrush into the Adobe ecosystem presented a natural opportunity to transition users to a best-in-class standalone product.
In contrast, the Email Designer continues to receive substantial investment and enthusiastic support. The latest release notes included three key announcements for this tool, underscoring its importance. A new beta feature enables teams to manage brand content by generating email copy that automatically adheres to an organization’s specific writing guidelines. Additionally, a Brand Quality Checker allows users to evaluate general content quality, identifying potential concerns with readability, cohesiveness, and effectiveness separate from brand rules.
(Source: MarTech)