Fewer than 200 years ago, scientists were mocked for proposing that washing hands could save lives. In the 1840s, evidence showed that better hygiene lowered mortality, but no one yet understood why. Lacking a clear mechanism, widespread adoption stalled for decades, and many people died needlessly. What was once a punchline can become accepted truth. The reverse also happens when we follow bad guidance. Poor GEO advice (I’m not a fan of the acronym either, but I’ll use it since it’s the most common term) won’t literally kill you. However, it can certainly waste money, destroy jobs, and cause economic ruin. Not long ago, I covered a related subject and described how unscientific SEO “research” is dangerous and functions more as a marketing tool than genuine scientific inquiry. This piece builds on that discussion and offers a framework to decode the myths around AI search optimization. I’ll walk through three specific GEO myths, assess whether they hold up, and share what I would do in your position. If you’re short on time, here’s the TL;DR: We fall for bad GEO and SEO advice because of ignorance, poor reasoning, cognitive biases, and black‑and‑white thinking. To judge any recommendation, use the ladder of misinference – statement vs. fact vs. data vs. evidence vs. proof. You grow more informed when you seek out opposing views, read to understand rather than confirm, pause before believing, and depend less on AI. You currently: Don’t…