Artificial Intelligence
Welcome to Xponent21's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insights, your go-to resource for the latest insights on AI SEO, AI search optimization, and strategies to help your business rank in AI results. As AI continues to revolutionize how search engines deliver information, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve. In this blog category, we explore cutting-edge techniques for optimizing your content to thrive in AI-driven search environments, from AI-generated overviews to voice search results. Whether you're looking to improve your website's visibility in AI search results or understand how generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are reshaping digital marketing, you'll find expert guidance here to help you succeed. Stay informed, stay competitive, and unlock the full potential of AI-powered search with our actionable insights.
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From SEO to AEO: The Wake-Up Call Businesses Need to Survive the AI Search Shift

June 4, 2025
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Will Melton
Search engines aren’t gateways anymore. They’re filters—and AI is the one deciding what gets through. It determines what people see when they search, how answers are framed, and which brands stay visible. That shift has made traditional SEO feel slower, less reliable, and harder to measure in real time. If your business isn’t actively working to be recognized across AI-powered…

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How to Optimize Your Website and Content to Rank in AI Search Results

May 29, 2025
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Will Melton
Latest update: June 23, 2025 As AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews—and now AI Mode—as well as tools such as ChatGPT continue to reshape how users find information, content creators must evolve their SEO strategies to keep up. In 2024, 60% of Google searches never left the search engine results page (SERP), underscoring the need for tactics that…

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Screenshot of Google Marketing Live 2025 announcement of ads in Google AI search results.

Ads Are Now in AI Search: How Google’s AI Mode Redefines SEO and Paid Visibility

May 27, 2025
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Will Melton
We knew it was coming: Google’s 2025 Marketing Live confirmed that AI search results will now include ads, changing the game for marketers. Google announced that its new AI Overviews (AI-generated search summaries) will now include Search and Shopping ads on desktop, and that the recently launched AI Mode in Google Search will also show ads. In practice, this means…

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Screenshot from Google's live stream of Google I/O showing off AI Mode

Google’s AI Mode Just Changed Everything. Here’s What Businesses Need to Know

May 21, 2025
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Will Melton
After 27 years of Google, the era of search is over. Google’s launch of AI Mode—its full generative search experience—marks the official end of traditional search as we knew it. If you’ve built your business on organic traffic from Google, it’s past time to reassess everything. This is not a drill. It’s the acceleration of a trend that’s been in…

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AI Overview Example of "AI Search Optimization" Showing Xponent21 as the Top Source

10 Leading AI SEO Agencies Helping Brands Rank in AI Search and Beyond

May 12, 2025
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Will Melton
Search is undergoing a seismic shift. Traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is no longer just about getting blue links on Google’s first page – it’s about earning a spot in AI-powered answers and summaries. Modern search platforms like Google’s AI Overviews, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Perplexity AI use generative AI to answer user queries directly. This means B2B marketing…

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Cartoon of a robot responding to a man's prompt with autonomous decisions and purchases.

AI SEO Strategies for Marketing Leaders: A Practical Guide to Achieving Top Citations in AI

April 19, 2025
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Will Melton
As search experiences continue to evolve, one thing is clear: content that gets pulled into AI-generated responses isn’t just optimized—it’s intelligently structured, deeply authoritative, and incredibly human-centric.​ Implementing effective AI SEO strategies is crucial in this landscape. AI search tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and Microsoft’s Copilot, as well as Perplexity, Claude, and ChatGPT, prioritize clear, well-organized content…

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Will AI-Written Content Hurt Your SEO? Here’s What No One’s Telling You

March 18, 2025
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Will Melton
If you’ve heard that “AI-generated content is bad for SEO,” you’re not alone. We’ve had clients come to us worried that using AI to assist with content creation will get their website penalized by Google or cause their search rankings to take a hit. They heard it from “a guy.” Let’s set the record straight: AI-generated content isn’t the problem.…

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Xponent21 Launches Full Suite of AI SEO Solutions to Help Brands Dominate AI Summaries and Top Citations

March 18, 2025
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Will Melton
By Xponent21 Team As global search traffic continues to decline and AI-generated summaries reshape the way users receive information, Xponent21 is proud to announce the launch of a full suite of AI SEO solutions built to help brands lead in this rapidly evolving digital landscape. Traditional SEO alone no longer delivers the impact it once did. With Google’s AI Overviews,…

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Cover image for Part 1 of the AI SEO Content Accelerator series by Xponent21, titled 'Laying the Groundwork for Success' with a purple gradient background and photo of Will Melton, CEO.

The AI SEO Content Accelerator | Part 1: Laying the Groundwork for Success

March 15, 2025
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Will Melton
The Future of AI Search Belongs to Those Who Lead It What if your brand could be the go-to authority that AI cites in its summaries and outputs? Imagine your expertise becoming the foundation for AI-generated answers, positioning your business as the most trusted source in your industry. What would that be worth to your business? How might things change?…

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Cover image for Part 2 of the AI SEO Content Accelerator series by Xponent21, titled 'Define Your Business Case' with purple gradient background and photo of Will Melton, CEO.

The AI SEO Content Accelerator | Part 2: Define Your Business Case

March 14, 2025
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Will Melton
New to this series? Start with Part 1: Laying the Groundwork for Success Before you dive into AI-driven SEO, you need a clear reason for doing it. Without a solid business case, you risk chasing rankings without a strategy that delivers tangible business value. AI search is a powerful tool—but how will you use it to grow your brand? This…

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