I’m writing this from Ottawa, where I’m meeting with some of the smartest SEO and AI optimization practitioners I know. I didn’t get invited here because I paid for a course or attended a conference. I’m here because I’m part of a community of people who are actually doing this work – running experiments, comparing results, and figuring out what works right now.
If you work in digital marketing and you’re not part of a community like this, you’re falling behind. Here’s why.
There Are No Established Experts in AI Optimization Yet
When it comes to AI optimization – helping businesses show up in ChatGPT, Google’s AI mode, and other large language models – there aren’t currently any well-established best practices. This field is too new. The algorithms change too fast.
Traditional SEO experts who’ve been in the industry for decades? Their knowledge gets outdated every few weeks. AI models update constantly. Google’s search algorithms shift overnight. What worked last month might not work today.
In established fields with proven best practices, you can learn from experts and follow their playbooks. But AI optimization doesn’t work that way. The combined expertise of dedicated practitioners cannot be matched by following public blogs or attending occasional conferences. The only way to know what’s working is to either run experiments yourself or talk with people who are.
Communities Replace Courses and Conferences
I’ve spent thousands of hours learning digital marketing over the past 16 years. I’ve taken courses. I’ve gone to conferences. But for AI optimization, those traditional learning methods don’t work anymore.
Here’s the problem: AI technology evolves at breakneck speed, so static courses simply can’t keep pace. By the time someone records a course on AI optimization, the tactics are already outdated. Conferences give you a snapshot in time, but the landscape has changed by the time you implement what you learned.
Communities are different. When someone discovers a new ranking factor in ChatGPT or tests a new optimization technique, they share it immediately. Members cite real case studies and personal results – genuine responses from people they trust. You get answers in hours instead of waiting months for the next course update or conference.
The people I’m meeting with here in Ottawa aren’t just consuming information. They’re creating it. They’re running tests, sharing results, and collectively figuring out how these new algorithms work. That’s the only way to stay current.
What Makes AI Optimization Different from Traditional SEO
AI optimization isn’t just SEO with a new name. It’s fundamentally different in ways that make communities essential.
First, these algorithms change constantly – a small tweak in Google’s algorithm or an update in ChatGPT’s knowledge cutoff can change the game overnight. Traditional SEO best practices might hold steady for months or years. AI optimization best practices can shift in days.
Second, the data is scarce. We don’t have decades of case studies to reference. We’re all making it up as we go, testing theories, and seeing what happens. The only way to build confidence in a tactic is to hear from multiple people who’ve tried it.
Third, no single expert or static resource can cover all the latest developments. The field is too broad and moves too fast. You need a network of specialists, each focused on different aspects, sharing what they learn.
Practical Knowledge You Only Get from Communities
The conversations I’m having today in Ottawa aren’t theoretical. We’re sharing actual experiments we’ve run and comparing real results.
For example, one practitioner used ChatGPT to scan server log files and found pages Googlebot never visited – orphan pages that were invisible to search engines. Another ran tests on how quickly different platforms index new content, finding that Bing crawled new pages in about 44 minutes while Google took roughly 6 hours.
These aren’t insights you’ll find in a course or on a public blog. Niche communities provide private, peer-to-peer knowledge – unpublished tactics and A/B test results that give you an edge over competitors who are waiting for public “best practices” to emerge.
The practitioners in these communities aren’t just sharing what worked. They’re sharing what failed, which is often more valuable. You learn to avoid dead ends and focus your efforts on tactics with proven results.
The Future of AI Optimization Requires Active Networks
AI optimization is so new that everyone’s making it up as they go. Communities have become the de facto standards bodies – where practitioners compare results and converge on what seems to work now.
When standards don’t exist yet, active networks of practitioners create and spread the working know-how. The people you’re connected with become more valuable than any course or certification.
This isn’t going to change anytime soon. As long as AI models continue evolving at this pace, communities will remain the primary way to learn and stay current. The practitioners who thrive will be those who actively participate in these networks – sharing their own experiments, asking good questions, and building relationships with other people doing the work.
Finding the Right Community for AI Optimization
Not every group that calls itself a community actually provides value. The best communities share a few characteristics:
They’re led by active practitioners who are using AI in their daily work, not just teaching theory. High-quality forums often charge a fee or require an application to ensure participants are committed.
Members regularly share real results from actual projects. You should see frequent posts with specific data, screenshots, and case studies – not just abstract discussions.
The focus is on practical implementation. Before joining, observe if current members engage regularly and share real results.
I’ve found the most value in smaller, focused communities where everyone’s working on similar problems. Large generic groups can be useful for networking, but for staying current with AI optimization tactics, you want a group of 50-200 practitioners who are all testing the same types of strategies you are.
Get Started with AI Optimization
AI is changing how businesses get found online faster than most agencies can keep up. At TJ Digital, we’re running experiments every week, staying connected with communities of practitioners, and helping small to medium businesses adapt to these changes.
Whether you’re just starting with AI optimization or you’re already working with an agency that isn’t keeping pace, we can help. We offer a free digital marketing audit that includes recommendations for optimizing your presence in both traditional search engines and AI platforms like ChatGPT.
Contact us for your free audit, or if you have questions about AI optimization and want to talk with someone who’s actively figuring this out alongside other practitioners.