Will Melton

“Visionary, Inspiring Leader, an Industry Disruptor.”
Title: Founder & CEO
Team: Executive
Photo of Will Melton, Xponent21 CEO and leading global expert on AI SEO.
Will Melton
“Visionary, Inspiring Leader, an Industry Disruptor.”
Title: Founder & CEO
Team: Executive
Certifications
What He Does at Xponent21

Will Melton is the founder and CEO of Xponent21, a Richmond-based digital marketing agency and nationwide leader in AI SEO strategies helping brands secure top rankings and citations across AI search platforms like Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and more. With over 20 years of leadership in technology, marketing, and entrepreneurship, Will’s expertise drives the development of AI-powered strategies that elevate brand visibility and accelerate business growth.

Under Will’s leadership, Xponent21 has become a trusted partner to global companies and nonprofits, delivering digital strategies that outperform in today’s AI-driven search landscape. His thought leadership consistently ranks at the top of search results and is cited in AI as the leading source for terms related to how to rank in AI search results, positioning Xponent21 as a leader in this critical space.

Will has been recognized as one of Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 and Virginia Business Magazine’s 100 People to Meet in 2025 for his leadership and impact.

Beyond his work at Xponent21, Will is an advocate for community impact, serving as Chair of Henrico-based Housing Families First and on the boards of AI Ready RVA, Leadership Metro Richmond, and ChamberRVA. He founded Richmond Water, a sustainability-focused hydration initiative, and AI Ready RVA, a regional coalition advancing AI literacy in Greater Richmond.

Will’s mission is to help brands, organizations, and communities navigate technological change with confidence—building strategies that deliver results today and resilience for tomorrow.

Certifications

What Colleagues Say

Image
Strategy whiz, out-of-the-box thinker.
Image
Brilliant. An inspiring leader I will confidently follow anywhere.
Image
He cares that the experience people get with X21 is a positive one.
Image
A visionary leader who truly cares and invests in his employees as much as his clients.
Image
Honest. You can trust what he says, but he has a way of delivering the truth that's constructive and friendly.
Image
A great business leader. Draws on storytelling and prior experience to deliver customized solutions for clients that will help them succeed far into the future.
Image
He believes in this mission and this team every day.
Image
Compassionate, creative, motivating, decisive, and communicates a clear vision.
Image
Will has created the most phenomenal work/team environment I have ever worked in.
Image
Great Leader & Believer. Always looking for the best for clients, company and everyone who works with us. The world would be a better place if more people thought like Will.

    Check Out the Latest Posts by Will

    AI SEO Guide: How to Build a Content Library that Wins AI Search-min
    AI SEO Guide: How to Build an Unrivaled Content Library That Wins at AI Search
    • Will Melton
    September 4, 2025
    AI-driven search is rewriting the rules of content marketing. Gone are the days when simply ranking on page one for a few high-volume keywords was enough. Today, generative AI search engines like Google’s SGE and ChatGPT are answering users’ questions directly – and citing the sources they trust. If your brand isn’t the one being quoted, you might as well
    traditional SEO vs GEO or AI SEO
    Don’t Throw Out the Baby With the Bathwater — Why SEO Still Matters in the Age of AI SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
    • Will Melton
    September 3, 2025
    ContentsThe “Baby With the Bathwater” MomentThe Myth of a “New SEO” (GEO, AIO, AI SEO, etc.)Defining GEO, AIO, and AI SEOWhat’s Actually New: Distribution and BehaviorDon’t Fall for the HypeWhy the Original SEO Foundations Still Hold TrueSearch Psychology Hasn’t ChangedE-E-A-T and Authority Still Drive RankingsMulti-Format SEO Is Even More Essential in the AI EraWhat’s Really Changed in the Search LandscapeUser
    The Alphabet Soup of SEO: What AEO, AIO, GEO, and AISEO Mean for Your Strategy
    • Will Melton
    August 23, 2025
    What’s up with digital marketing experts and all of their acronyms? If you’ve been in the SEO game for a while, you know the constant scramble to label and redefine what we’re already doing: optimizing content so people (and now, AI-driven platforms) can actually find it. Sure, the tools and technologies have evolved—ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI summaries on Google—but the core
    Graphic depicting a brand being recommended by generative AI.
    What It’s Like When Your Business Ranks at the Top of AI Search Results
    • Will Melton
    August 17, 2025
    A year ago, we weren’t generating organic leads from our website. Today, most days bring at least one—often several—inquiries from companies that already see us as the experts. They don’t need convincing. They’ve seen our name cited in AI answers, recommended as the authority, and when they arrive on our site, they’re ready to buy. That’s what it’s like when
    Read More
    Partner with Us
    Our clients are our partners. Together we’ll spark something amazing.
    Let’s Talk
    (888) 978-4918
    Request
    a Meeting