Adding or Embedding Google Maps to WordPress sites can be a masterstroke strategy for local businesses that want to generate leads or acquire customers.
Displaying your business on an interactive map makes it convenient for visitors to find your location and enhances user experience.
Additionally, it helps boost your search engine visibility which helps to acquire more customers and leads.
Implementing Google Maps on your WordPress site is not a big deal and does not require special technical skills. It is so easy that even a beginner without any prior technical knowledge can do it.
Therefore, we have come up with different ways through which you can add Google Maps to your WordPress site and unlock its full potential.
Choose any method you find easy and acquire local customers effortlessly.
What are the benefits of adding Google Maps to WordPress?
You might be surprised to know that, although plenty of map service providers are available, Google Maps is still everyone’s first choice.
Here are some of the benefits you will get by adding Google Maps to your WordPress site.
1. Helps Customers Find Your Business
- Increased Visibility: Enhances your business’s online presence, making it easier for customers to find you through Google searches.
- Convenient Directions: Provide straightforward directions to your location, improving customer convenience.
- Nearby Landmarks: Utilizes nearby reference points like parking lots, schools, or restaurants to guide customers.
2. Provides Essential Business Information
- Business Hours: Displays your Business operating hours.
- Holiday Closings: Informs customers about holiday closures.
- Contact Information: Lists your phone number for easy contact.
- Reviews: Shows customer reviews, enhancing your business’s credibility.
- Website: Also lists official business website that increases trust and authenticity.
3. Increases Foot Traffic
- Easy Location Access: This makes it easy for customers to find the nearest store, encouraging more visits.
- Boosts Sales: Increased foot traffic often leads to more sales and higher chances of word-of-mouth promotion.
4. Boosts Local SEO
- Local Search Visibility: Improves your local SEO, making your business more visible in local search results.
- User Engagement: Keeps visitors on your site longer as they interact with the map, zooming in and out, and planning their route.
- Reduced Bounce Rate: More time spent on your site and lower bounce rates contribute to better search engine rankings.
5. Enhances User Experience
- Convenience: Simplifies the process for customers to find and visit your business.
- Comprehensive Information: Provides all necessary details in one place, reducing the steps needed for a customer to visit your store.
6. Easy Implementation
- Beginner-Friendly: Adding Google Maps to WordPress is simple and doesn’t require advanced technical skills.
- SEO Best Practices: Implementing Google Maps following SEO best practices ensures your business information (name, logo, address, phone, and open hours) is displayed in local search results.
How to add Google Maps in WordPress without a plugin?
You can easily add Google Maps to your website with the help of a simple WordPress plugin. However, it is a good practice to avoid plugins whenever possible.
Considering this, here are some methods you can try to add Google Maps without a plugin.
Method 1: Adding Google Maps to WordPress via the iFrame method (without WordPress Plugin)
This method is quick and straightforward and also helps you quickly embed Google Maps via the iFrame option. All you have to just follow these steps:
1. Go to the Google Maps website and enter the street address you want to show on your website or page.
2. Now click on the location > “Share” and a popup window will appear in which you have to choose the “Embed a map” option.
3. Click on the “Embed a map” and Copy the HTML code that appears.
4. After that Open the WordPress Page or Post where you want to embed the map. In the block editor, add a “custom HTML” block.
Now, paste the HTML code that you have earlier copied from Google Maps.
5. Once done, update or publish the page to see the embedded map.
Note: Although this method is quick and easy it is not recommended from an SEO point of view.
Method 2: Add your Map using Google Map Creator
Another method of embedding or adding Google Maps to a WordPress site is by using Google My Maps, which is an official Google map creator.
To do so, follow the steps given below:
Sure, here are the instructions rewritten into more descriptive steps:
1. Go to Google My Maps:
- Open your web browser and navigate to the Google My Maps website.
- Sign in with your Google account if you aren’t already logged in.
- Click on the ‘Create a new map’ button to start a new project.
2. Create and customize your map:
You can add markers, lines, and shapes to your map to make it more informative and interactive. If possible customize the map with different colors and labels as per your requirements.
3. Make your map public:
But before sharing, you need to name your Map and click on the “ok” button.
- Click on the ‘Share’ button as shown in the picture below.
- Toggle to allow settings to make your map public so that anyone can view it.
4. Generate an embed code for your map:
- Click on the three vertical dots (menu) next to your map title.
- Select the ‘Embed on my site’ option.
- Copy the generated HTML embed code.
5. Add the embed code to your WordPress site:
- Go to your WordPress dashboard and open the page or post where you want to add the map.
- In the block editor, add a “custom HTML” block. Now, paste the HTML code that you have earlier copied from Google My Maps.
- Paste the embed code where you want the map to appear.
6. Preview the map and save your page:
- Click on the ‘Preview’ button to see how the map looks on your page.
- If everything looks good, click ‘Save’ or ‘Publish’ to make the map live on your site.
This can be the perfect and easy method for adding a simple Google Map to your WordPress site. However, if you need more features, such as distance, driving directions, or displaying multiple locations, you can use popular WordPress map plugins as described in the method below.”
Method 3: Adding Google Maps to WordPress via WordPress Plugin
If you want more customization and control, you can opt for WordPress Plugin. Many Google Maps plugins are available in both the WordPress repository and third-party directories. In which some of the popular ones are:
- WP Google Maps
- CP Google Maps
- Advanced Google Maps and many more.
Read: 🚩 To help you choose the best one, check out our blog, ‘Top 21 Best WordPress Map Plugins for Websites,’ where we provide detailed reviews to guide your selection.
But there is a catch: although it may seem that simply installing a Google Maps plugin is enough to add Google Maps to your website, that’s not always the case.
Some plugins may require an API key to function, which means you’ll need a Google account to create one. Here’s how you can do it.
1. Visit the Google Maps Platform website and click on the ‘Get Started‘ button.
2. Sign in with your Google account and Set up a billing account.
3. Create a billing account It is a mandatory step and you won’t be able to skip it unless you create a billing account. The first $300 of monthly usage is free but you won’t be charged unless you manually upgrade to a paid account. (Google Maps Platform offers pay-as-you-go pricing)
Now click on the ‘Create Billing Account‘ button.
4. Select your country.
- Choose the option that best describes your organization from the dropdown menu.
- Agree to the Terms of Service.
- Click the ‘Continue‘ button.
5. Enter your phone number for verification.
- Click ‘Send Code’.
- Verify the code.
6. Enter your business details.
- Enter your business name, payment method details, and billing address.
- Click the ‘Start my Free Trial’ button.
7. Answer questions about your organization.
- Google Maps will ask about your primary goal for using the platform, your industry, your use case, and your company size.
- Click the ‘Submit’ button.
8. Get your Google Maps API key.
- A popup will display your API key.
- Copy and save this key for future use.
9. Enter the API key in your WordPress dashboard.
- Now go to your Google Maps WordPress plugin settings and enter the API key wherever required.
Conclusion
You can follow any one of these three methods that suit your convenience to display accurate locations of your business on Google Maps.
After all, a great thing about Google Maps is its ability to pinpoint the exact location with an accuracy of a few feet using GPS, which is not commonly found in other apps.
You can bring all this convenience and these features to your customers by simply embedding them on your WordPress site. Your customers can easily navigate through this and reach your physical location, local business, or store with maximum accuracy.
This way, you can easily acquire local customers and generate more leads and ROI.
Rahul Kumar is a web enthusiast, and content strategist specializing in WordPress & web hosting. With years of experience and a commitment to staying up-to-date with industry trends, he creates effective online strategies that drive traffic, boosts engagement, and increase conversions. Rahul’s attention to detail and ability to craft compelling content makes him a valuable asset to any brand looking to improve its online presence.
