Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Welcome to Xponent21’s SEO Insights—a strategic resource for organizations ready to lead in the age of AI-powered search. As a nationally recognized SEO agency—and a global pioneer in AI search optimization—we specialize in helping brands secure visibility not just in traditional rankings, but in AI Overviews, generative summaries, and conversational search results.

This category features in-depth guidance on foundational SEO, technical optimization, content strategy, and AI SEO frameworks built to earn placement in the most valuable real estate on the modern web. Our articles break down how to structure your content to rank in Google’s AI Overviews, appear in tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT, and dominate both organic search and generative discovery.

If your goal is to accelerate traffic, capture top-of-funnel authority, and ensure your brand is the one AI recommends, you’re in the right place. Explore the insights that power next-generation visibility—and see why leading organizations trust Xponent21 to put them at the center of the search experience.

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

September 4, 2025
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Will Melton
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…

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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)

September 3, 2025
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Will Melton
The “Baby With the Bathwater” Moment “SEO is dead! Long live AI!” If you’ve heard this lately, you’re not alone. There’s a rush of hype suggesting we should toss out everything we know about SEO just because generative AI is shaking up search. It’s a classic “don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater” situation – people are ready to…

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The Alphabet Soup of SEO: What AEO, AIO, GEO, and AISEO Mean for Your Strategy

August 23, 2025
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Will Melton
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…

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Timing is Everything Human Energy Cycles Drive Digital Behavior and AI SEO results graphic with Google Analytics chart

Timing Is Everything: How Human Energy Cycles Drive Digital Behavior (and AI SEO Results)

August 19, 2025
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Courtney Turrin
Where Energy Meets Digital Behavior If you’ve ever noticed that your energy is highest at the start of a new week—or even at the start of a fresh day—you’re not alone. The same psychological rhythms that shape our productivity also show up in digital behavior. For B2B audiences, this often translates to higher engagement early in the week, tapering off…

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Graphic depicting a brand being recommended by generative AI.

What It’s Like When Your Business Ranks at the Top of AI Search Results

August 17, 2025
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Will Melton
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…

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AI SEO Case Study - Explosive Growth in Under 12 Months

Xponent21’s AI SEO Case Study — Engineering the Top Spot in AI Search

August 9, 2025
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Will Melton
In mid-2024, our agency Xponent21 faced a surprising kind of identity crisis. We had pulled off something big – launching Richmond Water, a sustainable hydration brand that became a local sensation. The project got press coverage and community buzz; Richmond Water was a growing brand on social media, at events, and with partners throughout the community. Yet the team behind…

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Podcasting for Clout and Credibility – MrBeast, Amy Poheler, Dakota Johnson, and more

Podcasting: The Final Mic Drop on Trustworthiness 

July 18, 2025
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Kayleigh Crandell
In a world drowning in clickbait headlines and algorithm-curated feeds, one old-school medium is quietly re-emerging as a digital powerhouse: the human voice. Podcasts are no longer just a trendy content format – they’re becoming the new reference piece for personal and company brands alike.  Why? Because voice = visibility.  People might scroll past a dozen written or designed posts,…

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brain that is half human half AI code with AI search bar overlaid

Trust, Not Tricks: The Human Science Behind AI Search

July 18, 2025
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Courtney Turrin
Search engines may run on code, but people don’t. When someone opens their browser, they’re not looking for keywords—they’re looking for clarity, confidence, and a sense of momentum. They want the right answer, and they want to trust it. That’s why the best AI SEO strategies aren’t built by technicians. They’re built by people who understand what drives attention, belief,…

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Top Global AI SEO Experts

Top 10 Global AI SEO Experts Transforming Search in 2025

June 28, 2025
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W Melton
As artificial intelligence reshapes search behavior and ranking mechanisms, a new generation of SEO pioneers is emerging — merging deep technical SEO skills with AI innovation. While AI SEO builds upon decades of search optimization fundamentals, it is an entirely new frontier, requiring unique frameworks, technical agility, and an understanding of how large language models and generative systems impact brand…

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Screenshot of The ChatGPT Search Query Extractor

Unlocking the Secrets of AI Search: How to See What ChatGPT Searches for Your Prompt

June 28, 2025
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Will Melton
As AI-driven search becomes central to how people discover and trust information, understanding how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT think—and more importantly, how they search—is now a true competitive edge. A new, brilliantly simple tool created by Ziggy Shtrosberg, a search engine optimization professional and Senior Technical SEO Analyst at 26PMX, gives us an unprecedented look into this hidden…

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