What people mean by "geo-tagging"
Website geo-tagging usually means adding a few HTML meta tags to a page's head. Things like geo.region, geo.placename, geo.position, and ICBM.
These embed your coordinates into the page code. The pitch is that this tells search engines where you are, so they show you to nearby searchers.
Does it actually help you rank?
No. Not the way most people are told.
Google has been direct about this for years. Matt Cutts, who led Google's search quality team, said plainly that geo meta tags "are not as useful and we don't tend to give those as much weight, if at all." Google's engineers have confirmed since that they mostly ignore them. Part of the reason: so many are copy-pasted from templates and simply wrong.
So if a web designer told you geo meta tags are the key to ranking locally, that advice is out of date. Adding them does no harm. It just does almost nothing.
What actually works instead
The signals Google really uses are the ones in my guide to why local SEO matters for Jacksonville businesses. A complete, accurate Google Business Profile. A name, address, and phone number that match across every listing. Real local content that names actual neighborhoods and landmarks. Reviews from real local customers.
If you want a true geographic signal in your code, LocalBusiness structured data is the modern version. It's machine-readable markup that Google documents and supports, unlike the old meta tags.
Should you add the tags anyway?
If the tags are already there, leave them in. They do no harm (and pulling them out is an afternoon you'll never get back). They just shouldn't be where your local SEO effort goes.
Starting fresh? Skip them. Put that time into your Google Business Profile and your local content. That's where the ranking signal actually lives.
Common questions
Do geo meta tags help my site rank locally?
No, not the way most people are told. Google has been direct about this for years: its engineers mostly ignore those tags, partly because so many are copy-pasted from templates and simply wrong. Adding them does no harm, it just does almost nothing for your rankings.
Should I remove geo tags that are already on my site?
I wouldn't bother. If they're already there, leave them in. They do no harm, and pulling them out is an afternoon you'll never get back. Just don't let them be where your local SEO effort goes, because the ranking signal doesn't live there.
What should I do instead of geo-tagging?
Work on the signals Google really uses: a complete, accurate Google Business Profile, a name, address, and phone number that match across every listing, real local content that names actual neighborhoods, and reviews from real local customers. If you want a geographic signal in your code, use LocalBusiness structured data.
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gravityGone builds local SEO, websites, and marketing automation for businesses across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, with websites starting at $250, no long-term contracts.
Mike is the founder of gravityGone, where he helps small businesses in Northeast Florida grow through Web Development, SEO, and Marketing Automation.
