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

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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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    [Portfolio] AMSOIL / Factory Direct Oil
    • Will Melton
    July 31, 2025
    We partnered with Factory Direct Oil—an official AMSOIL affiliate—to deliver a custom WordPress website built to boost organic search visibility, drive sales, attract fleet and wholesale customers, and support future content growth. With UX tailored to different vehicle types, SEO-focused infrastructure, and seamless affiliate integration, the new site offers a cleaner, faster, and more strategic experience. Early results show a 370% increase in impressions—positioning the site as a powerful launchpad for long-term digital growth.
    Screenshot of The ChatGPT Search Query Extractor
    Unlocking the Secrets of AI Search: How to See What ChatGPT Searches for Your Prompt
    • Will Melton
    June 28, 2025
    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
    Rank in AI Search Results with These 7 Steps
    7 Steps to Reclaim Your Traffic with an Informed AI SEO Strategy
    • Will Melton
    June 28, 2025
    Have you noticed a drop in your website’s organic traffic or a dip in the performance of your paid search campaigns? You’re not alone, and the good news is that a strategic, up-to-date SEO plan can turn things around. In today’s AI-driven search landscape, simply tweaking a few keywords isn’t enough – you need a comprehensive approach that addresses technical
    Screenshot of AI Overview inclusion tool from Advanced Web Ranking showing 57% of searches including AI overviews as of June 23, 2025
    Google’s AI Overviews Surpass 50% of Queries, Doubling Since August 2024
    • Will Melton
    June 15, 2025
    The search landscape just shifted—again—and we captured the play-by-play on our latest Xponent21 Podcast episode. Minutes after Advanced Web Ranking confirmed that Google’s AI Overviews now surface in more than half of all queries, we hit record to unpack what this means for visibility, trust, and revenue. That conversation—now live wherever you get your podcasts—lays the groundwork for the analysis
    Read More
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