How to Add Google Maps to Your WordPress Blog

Integrating Google Maps into your website is by far the easiest and most convenient way to provide directions. If you own a business with a physical location, you can use Google Maps on your Contacts or About Us page so that your visitors will easily be able to find you. You can add Google Maps to WordPress either manually or by using a plugin, though both methods are quick and easy. The following covers both methods.

1 – Adding Google Maps Manually to Your Website

Google Maps itself provides a convenient feature which allows you to quickly integrate a map onto any website, instant message, email or forum post by embedding a small piece of code.

1. Go to maps.google.com and search for the location you want to display on your WordPress blog.
2. Right-click on the exact location on the map and click “Centre map here”.
3. Click on the link button above the list of locations in the left-side pane. Select and copy the code in the lower box. Alternatively, click “Customize and preview embedded map,” choose your preferred settings and copy the code contained in the text box at the bottom of the page.

Copy the code into any WordPress post or page or into the Text widget if you would rather have the map displayed in a sidebar or elsewhere.

2 – Adding Google Maps Using a Plugin

If you only need to display a map on one page or the occasional post in your blog, the above method is usually the quickest and most convenient. However if your blog heavily relies on maps, you may find that using a plugin provides you with a wider range of useful options. There are many such plugins available, but for the sake of this tutorial, we will be using MapPress Easy Google Maps. This plugin also makes it easy to add points of interest to your maps. Although this plugin is free, a paid Pro version is also available.

1. 1. Log in to your WordPress Administrator dashboard, open the Plugins tab from the sidebar and click “Add New”. Search for “MapPress” and click “Search Plugins”. Click “Install Now,” wait for the plugin to download and install, and then click “Activate Plugin”.
   2. To add a map using the plugin, navigate to the page or post you want to add a map to (or create a new post or page) and click the “New Map” button below the editor. Enter a title, choose your preferred dimensions for the map and click “Insert into post”. You can also place a marker on the map by specifying the address in the “Add POI” box.