Bastian Grimm

Digital Entrepreneur and
Keynote Speaker

Bastian Grimm

About Bastian Grimm

Bastian Grimm is an internationally recognized SEO and digital marketing expert with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. He was named "Search Personality of the Year" at the European Search Awards and named "SEO World Champion" at the G50 Summit. Over the past years, he worked with leading global brands on large-scale SEO programs, AI-driven marketing initiatives, and complex digital transformation projects.

As a frequent keynote speaker at major conferences worldwide, Bastian has spoken at well over a hundred events in recent years. He is known for combining deep technical expertise with a clear, strategic perspective on the future of search and performance marketing. His talks increasingly focus on how AI, branding, and platform shifts are reshaping digital visibility and decision-making.

As CEO of Peak Ace AG, Bastian scaled the company into one of Europe's leading independent digital marketing agencies, delivering campaigns in more than 25 languages. After successfully leading Peak Ace through its exit to HEROIKS Group, he gained first-hand experience in M&A and growth strategy. Today, his focus is on how AI and brand are redefining digital visibility and what that means for the next generation of search.

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Featured Keynote Talks

A curated selection of recent keynote talks exploring the future of search, AI-driven discovery, and strategic shifts across SEO.


Trusted by Leading Brands


... and many other brands across industries and markets.

On Stage Worldwide

Impressions from conference speaking engagements across the globe over the past 10+ years. From Australia and the United States to stages across Europe and the UAE, speaking has taken me around the world.

SEOkomm 2025, Austria

Fifth keynote appearance (The Next Frontier of Discovery) at SEOkomm, part of the Online Expert Days conference series.
Photos by Erika Mayer.

Gaselli Congress 2025, Estonia

Leading Estonian business conference, celebrating fast-growing companies and entrepreneurial excellence.
Photos by Äripäev.

SEOkomm 2024, Austria

Fourth consecutive keynote at SEOkomm, The Future is WHAT?, on how AI and changing user behaviour are reshaping search.
Photos by Erika Mayer.

Pärnu Management Conference 2024, Estonia

A two-day executive conference addressing leadership, balance, and decision-making in a rapidly changing world.
Photos by Äripäev.

Industry Recognition

A moment of industry recognition as European Search Personality of the Year, reflecting sustained contribution, thought leadership, and impact on international search marketing.

EU Search Personality of the Year 2019 - Bastian Grimm EU Search Personality of the Year 2019 - Bastian Grimm

Speaking Engagements

A selection of conferences and events where I have delivered keynote talks and expert sessions.


If you believe I would be a strong fit for your event, feel free to get in touch.

Let's connect!

Recent Publications

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about my background, speaking, training, and current focus on AI-driven search.

Who is Bastian Grimm?

Bastian Grimm is an internationally recognized SEO and digital marketing expert with more than 25 years of experience. He was named "Search Personality of the Year" at the European Search Awards 2019 and "SEO World Champion" at the G50 Summit. As a keynote speaker, he has presented at well over 100 conferences worldwide on search, generative AI, and digital visibility.

Does Bastian Grimm offer a Technical SEO course?

Yes. Bastian Grimm is the instructor of the official Technical SEO course on Semrush Academy. The course is free, fully online, and available on YouTube. It covers the fundamentals of technical SEO including crawling, indexing, site architecture, JavaScript SEO, and structured data.

What does the Technical SEO course with Bastian Grimm cover?

The course teaches how search engines crawl and index websites, XML sitemaps, meta tags and robots directives, site architecture and internal linking, JavaScript and rendering, Core Web Vitals, hreflang and international SEO, and structured data. Each module ends with a quiz, and the final exam answers determine certification.

What is Bastian Grimm's professional background?

Bastian Grimm scaled Peak Ace AG, headquartered in Berlin, into one of Europe's leading independent digital marketing agencies, delivering campaigns in more than 25 languages, before leading the company through its successful exit to HEROIKS Group. Today his focus is on how AI and brand are redefining digital visibility and what that means for the next generation of search.

What is Bastian Grimm's current focus?

Bastian Grimm's current focus is on how AI and brand are redefining digital visibility and what that means for the next generation of search. His keynotes and publications cover generative engine optimisation (GEO), AI-driven discovery, agentic interfaces, branding as a competitive edge, and digital sovereignty.

What are GEO and AEO?

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) describe the practice of optimising content and entities to be cited by AI-powered answer engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude. Classic SEO is measured by rankings and clicks in search result pages. AEO is a separate discipline focused on visibility inside generative answers, and Bastian Grimm offers AEO consulting for organisations adapting to this shift.

What is LLMO?

LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation) is the practice of shaping how brands, people, and topics are represented inside large language models such as GPT, Claude, and Gemini. It overlaps with GEO and AEO and focuses on the sources these models draw on, including knowledge graphs, structured data, new protocols (MCP, UCP, etc.), and authoritative third-party citations.

How can I book Bastian Grimm as a keynote speaker?

To book Bastian Grimm as a keynote speaker, email mail@bastiangrimm.com or call +49 172 4497717. Bastian speaks in English and German and is available for events worldwide. Recent keynotes include SEOkomm, SMX Munich, SMX Advanced Europe, Friends of Search, SERP Conf., Turing Fest, Nordic SEO, and the Pärnu Management Conference.

Get in touch

Provider identification

Imprint in accordance with Section 5 of the German Telemedia Act (TMG):

blackvine GmbH
Bienenweide 1, 27324 Eystrup, Germany

VAT ID (Section 27a German VAT Act): DE815430363
Commercial Register: Walsrode District Court, HRB 204312
Managing director: Bastian Grimm

Content Responsibility (Section 55 (2) RStV):
Bastian Grimm, Holunderweg 10, 27324 Eystrup, Germany