Google Maps is one of the must-have applications every website needs. It’s a web mapping service distributed by Google in terms of providing local business information.
In this online world, having a physical address on a website is important and it gives a superior user experience to your site visitors. No matter if you have a simple blog site, or you are owning a vast travel agency, It’s extremely important to show your visitors exactly where you are! It not only ensures that they are displayed on the exact location on the site but also gives identical directions for people to find your place.
So, today’s article is for all the WordPress users out there. I’m gonna show you how you can increase the appeal of your website by showing an attractive Google map on your site pages with the help of WordPress plugins.
Before going directly to the plugins, Let’s discuss why do you need Google Map Plugins for your WordPress based website.
Why do you need Google Maps Plugins in your WordPress site?
Many times a question arrives on people’s mind that why use plugins when you have the option to show Google map just by embedding code to your website. Basically, Google provides you with a code that you will have to insert in your website in order to show Google map to your web pages. But still, there is some limitations such as the default embed Google map does not provide customization features and you can’t add custom information to the map.
This is the point where the plugins catch attention. Plugins are the great source of adding functionality to the websites. It doesn’t matter If you have a big store or a small blog/portfolio site, you should give your site visitors an exact business location, contact information, driving direction etc in an interactive way to increase user experience.
Let’s take a look at the list of the best WordPress plugins for the Google maps.
The Best Google Maps Plugins for WordPress
There are literally a tons of WordPress Plugins available on the web and all give surety to be the best. So, obviously, it will get difficult for us to pick one when we have immense options to choose from.
Today I have come up with the best Google maps WordPress plugins so that you do not need to spend much time searching on the web. Just take a look at the list and go with the one which meets with your requirements.
Here you go
1. WP Google Maps
Let’s get started with the most popular WordPress plugin WP Google Maps. It is superlative plugins which offer tons of fundamental features. Did you notice that there is more than four lacs active install on the web since it released?
WP Google map is super easy to use and totally developer-friendly means no need of coding at all. It enables you to create custom Google Maps with markers on your WordPress website. With the WP Google map you have four Google map alternative to choose from, allows you to add a description, images, and links to the markers, also nine different map themes will give a ravishing look and feel to your website and automatically enhance the user experience.
WP Google Map is a fully responsive plugin, available in free and premium version. With the free version, it’s obvious you can’t take the benefits of all the features, here I suggest you to go with the premium one, as you will get a diverse range of pro add-ons, gold add-ons and visitor generated markers add-ons which adds more functionality.
Features:
- Create multiple maps
- Animations for map markers
- Link Fusion tables to your Google Maps
- Multiple map widget functionality
- Fully mobile and browsers friendly
Get it Now: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-google-maps/
2. Google Maps Widget
On the second spot, II contentedly add Google Maps Widget. With the more than one lac active installs, this plugin gives us solid reasons to not ignore it. No matter what type of your website and what themes you are going with, Google Maps Widget will perfectly match with your site for a better experience because of the custom map and pin styles.
Once you install this plugin to your WordPress website, you have the options to create many maps with unlimited pins as per your need. Apart from that, Google Map plugin equipped with multiple options that your website needs such as clustering, direction, street views, customizable lightbox etc. So, what are you waiting for?
Google Maps Widget WordPress plugin comes with the three plans (Personal, Lifetime and Unlimited) for your convenience and requirements so that a you can pick your version according to your business needs.
Features:
- Speed up your site
- Extremely easy to use
- Unlimited maps and pins
- Well supported system
- Interactive Google maps options
Get it Now: https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-maps-widget/
3. Google Maps Easy
Google Maps Easy is also a nice WordPress plugin on the web specifically designed to give your website map an alluring look and feel. This WordPress plugin is also filled with some of the essential features that other plugins do. It offers shortcode functionality, with the help of this feature you can add a map to your WordPress site pages or blog.
This is a fully responsive WordPress plugin that has plenty of customization features such as you can easily build a map with Heatmap layer which outlines the intensity of data at geographical points visually and add a clear overlay to your map. Also, you can add markers to the map from the frontend, it is a pretty good feature. Although these features are under the pro version, I think you should give it a try, you’ll definitely like it.
Features:
- Fully compatible with all devices
- Unlimited markers and locations
- Completely Customizable
- Exposition slider included
- Front-end map and markers included
Get it now: https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-maps-easy/
4. WD Google Maps
WP Google Maps is one of the easiest to use plugins with very robust features designed for embedding Google maps to websites. With the high popularity and the positive response from the users, it has to be in the list. However, as the other WordPress plugins, WD Google Map also comes with the free and premium version.
The good thing about this plugin is, it offers some premium features under their free version. There are so much features to explore such as unlimited maps, geolocation features, store locator, unlimited markers etc. WD Google Maps WordPress plugin allows you to customize entire things as per your website requirement and you can see the changes immediately with the live preview option.
So, if you are looking for a free WordPress plugin for your website then I would highly recommend going with WP Google Maps without further thinking, otherwise, you can pick any from this list.
Features:
- Attractive map themes
- Multilevel marker categories
- Marker listing
- Export/Import Function
- Fully Customizable
Get it Now: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wd-google-maps/
5. Maps Builder
Maps Builder is one of the most comprehensive WordPress Google Maps plugins, comes with the robust, user-friendly and inbuilt set of features. This fast and lightweight yet responsive WordPress plugin allows you to add a Google places API key if you would like to track your usage, also show nearby business location, custom markup icon etc
The developers do give consecutively updates to this plugin as Google releases features updates so that the user can have the latest features and be up to date. As it is built with clean code, no need to worry about speed, it will never slow down your WordPress website.
Besides that, there are a lot of amazing features in a pro version, Just go through it and test it with a free version. If this plugin fulfills your requirements then feel free go with the pro version.
Features:
- Built-in marker icons
- Live map customizer
- Powerful map mashups
- Well documented
- Instant support from the team
Get it Now: https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-maps-builder/
Final words
So, here is the list of free and premium Google Maps plugins for WordPress. All have a good reputation on the web build for giving immensely unique and engaging map experience. All have the capabilities to customize everything from map themes, zooming, width & height, controls, markers, icons, scrolling, map types, layers, multiple languages capabilities, and much more.
What you can do is, go through all and pick the one which fulfills your business requirements. What’s your favorite plugin, do tell us in the comment section.
About the Author: This article is written by Sakshi with Digital Beacon Marketing Studio, a digital marketing agency based in New Delhi, India that offers seo, social media, web design and development services to help small & large businesses to attain their business goals.
Hey Viktor, great information. Thanks. I have a question though. I’m trying to find out what WP plugin was used for a local competitors website where he can make the time it takes to travel along canals within our city (from property addresses to different points in the river, sound and eventually Gulf of Mexico. His site page is: https://www.flgulfhome.com/time-to-gulf
Do you happen to know how he did this? As we want to duplicate the process on our site. Any help you can give would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi,
Seems like it’s custom made maps plugin.