Will Melton
“Visionary, Inspiring Leader, an Industry Disruptor.”
Title: President & CEO
Team: Executive
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Will Melton
“Visionary, Inspiring Leader, an Industry Disruptor.”
Title: President & CEO
Team: Executive
Certifications
What He Does at Xponent21

Will brings his 16 years of business leadership in technology and marketing to help businesses across the world tap into their own lively culture, dedication to service, and superior solutions to outperform in the digital space. Crafting digital strategies that improve customer experience and drive exponential growth is one of Will’s greatest passions.

Will’s innovative thinking and compassionate approach to his work and life make him an inspiring and effective leader. He truly has your back, wanting every client, employee, and prospect to succeed in attaining their goals. His self-determination and “go-getter” attitude are motivating to be around and positively impact the team culture – to our clients’ benefit.

Outside of work, Will is intricately involved in the Richmond community, with a personal goal of helping elevate Richmond as one of the healthiest cities in the United States. He is Chair of the Board of Directors of Housing Families First, Vice Chair of the Board of AI Ready RVA, a Leadership Metro Richmond Quest Program Alum (Class of 2020) and current Board Member, and ChamberRVA Marketing Committee Member.

Certifications

What Colleagues Say

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Strategy whiz, out-of-the-box thinker.
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Brilliant. An inspiring leader I will confidently follow anywhere.
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He cares that the experience people get with X21 is a positive one.
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A visionary leader who truly cares and invests in his employees as much as his clients.
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Honest. You can trust what he says, but he has a way of delivering the truth that's constructive and friendly.
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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.
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He believes in this mission and this team every day.
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Compassionate, creative, motivating, decisive, and communicates a clear vision.
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Will has created the most phenomenal work/team environment I have ever worked in.
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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

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    How to Optimize Your Website and Content to Rank in AI Search Results
    • Will Melton
    April 29, 2025
    As AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews, and 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 capture attention within these evolving platforms. More than ever,
    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
    • Will Melton
    April 19, 2025
    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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    The Truth About AI Content and SEO: Why Strategy and Expertise Matter More Than Ever
    • Will Melton
    March 11, 2025
    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.
    The AI SEO Content Accelerator | Part 14: A/B Testing & Iteration
    • Will Melton
    March 2, 2025
    New to this series? Start with Part 1: Laying the Groundwork for Success AI search is dynamic—what works today may not work tomorrow. Continuous testing and iteration ensure that your content, messaging, and engagement strategies remain effective over time. By analyzing performance data and making incremental improvements, you can refine your AI SEO strategy to maximize visibility, engagement, and conversions. This step
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