# Community participation as an AI-search authority strategy. - working worksheet

Reviewed alongside the Eli guide: https://hireeli.io/resources/community-participation-ai-search-authority

## Decision to make

Build real expertise signals where buyers already exchange advice

Owner: ____________________
Review date: ____________________
Canonical page or destination: ____________________

## Buyer questions

- [ ] Community participation as an AI-search authority strategy?
- [ ] What should a B2B startup do first to build real expertise signals where buyers already exchange advice?
- [ ] Which evidence shows that build real expertise signals where buyers already exchange advice is working?
- [ ] What is the most common mistake when teams try to build real expertise signals where buyers already exchange advice?

## Evidence-led work plan

### 1. Why this decision appears: teams post promotional answers at scale because community pages sometimes appear in ai citations

Teams post promotional answers at scale because community pages sometimes appear in AI citations.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 2. Participate because the community contains real buyer problems, answer from experience and treat any discovery benefit as secondary

Participate because the community contains real buyer problems, answer from experience and treat any discovery benefit as secondary.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 3. Choose communities with actual ICP discussion, then build a contribution history

Choose communities with actual ICP discussion.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 4. Measure track helpful-response signals

Track helpful-response signals, relationships, invited conversations and accurate citations without manufacturing them.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 5. Do not cross this boundary: spam and covert promotion can harm the community

Spam and covert promotion can harm the community, the brand and the very source quality the program depends on.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

## Source ledger

- [ ] Google Search Central: optimizing for generative AI features: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide
- [ ] Google Search Central: people-first content guidance: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
- [ ] Reddit Help: spam policy: https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043504051-Spam
- [ ] OpenAI: publishers and developers FAQ: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12627856-publishers-and-developers-faq

## Measurement boundary

Baseline date and exact context: ____________________
7-day observation: ____________________
14-day observation: ____________________
30-day observation: ____________________
Known limitations: ____________________

Keep technical eligibility, citations, recommendations, visits, leads and revenue as separate evidence. This worksheet does not guarantee an external ranking or commercial result.