Well, there might be a belief that specifying meta Geo tags could help local search optimization. But, the fact is that meta Geo tags are not at all a factor for local search optimization. So, the answer to the question if Google search results are influenced by meta Geo tags or if meta Geo tags have a role in local search optimization, is NO!

Google neither look closely into the meta Geo tags nor gives much weight to it for local search engine listings.

For local search listings, what Google tend to look at is, IP address, gTLD (Generic Top Level Domain), ccTLD (Country Code Top Level Domain e.g. ca, fr, au, uk etc.). There’s a feature in Google’s Webmaster Tools where you can tell if your site pertains to a specific country even though it’s a dot com.

If you want to optimize your site for local search, you need to make sure:

- you have the right domain name
- you have the right IP address if you can
- specify your content (even if it’s Geo located) in Google Webmasters Tools that, it is relevant for a particular country, even if it’s a sub-domain or a sub-directory

Here is what Google’s Matt Cutts answers to the question: “How do meta Geo tags influence search results?”

Have you used the Webmaster Tools Feature for Local Search Optimization?