How to Add Google Maps Store Locator in WordPress (Free Option)

How to Add Google Maps Store Locator in WordPress

A store locator is one of the most valuable additions for local businesses on WordPress. According to recent surveys, over 85% of customers use store locators to find nearby business locations.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore the full process for new and existing WordPress users to add a store locator powered by Google Maps to their website.

Benefits of Adding Store Locator in WordPress

Before diving into the how-to steps, let‘s look at the key reasons you should consider integrating store locator maps:

• Increase Foot Traffic – Addresses one of the top visitor intents (find locations) leading to 12-18% higher in-person sales
• Boost Local SEO – Signals to Google your business locations resulting in improved local pack rankings
• Deeper Customer Insights – Collect visitor data with lead generation forms at location level
• Enhanced User Experience – Allow visitors to easily get directions and branch information

Based on these benefits, it‘s no wonder that store locators have a high return on investment overall.

WordPress Store Locator Plugin Comparison

There are a few WordPress plugins to choose from to add a store locator. We‘ve compared the most popular options based on key factors:

Based on thousands of user reviews, we recommend WP Store Locator as the easiest way to add a store locator in WordPress. It strikes a perfect balance of features and simplicity.

Let‘s look at how to install and configure this plugin.

Prerequisites for Adding Store Locator

Before installing WP Store Locator, you want to make sure you have:

• Active WordPress site (self-hosted or WordPress.com with plan upgrade)
• Domain name pointed to your host
• SSL certificate installed for security

Most web hosts like Bluehost already have SSL certificates. But if not, you can add one for free from Cloudflare.

Here is how to access the WordPress admin dashboard to get started:

Now we‘re ready to begin installation.

Step 1: Install and Activate WP Store Locator Plugin

1. In your WordPress admin area, go to Plugins > Add New
2. In the search bar, type "WP Store Locator" and hit Enter
3. The plugin should show up as the first result, then click Install Now
4. Once installed, click Activate to enable the plugin

That‘s it! Installing WordPress plugins is very quick and easy.

WP Store Locator installed and activated

If you run into any issues getting the plugin to activate properly, check our troubleshooting guide.

Step 2: Get Your Google Maps API Key

WP Store Locator relies on the Google Maps API to display interactive maps on your WordPress site.

To properly embed Google Maps, you‘ll need a free API key which allows the map data to be shown.

Here are simplified steps to get your API key:

1. Go to Google Cloud Platform and login into your Google account.
2. Click on the Navigation Menu > APIs & Services > Credentials
3. Click Create Credentials button > Select API key option > Click Close
4. Copy and save the generated API key

Usage limits to know:

• Free usage allowance is very high at 200,000 map loads per month
• Usage is tracked under Google Cloud Platform resource dashboard
• Get $200 in free monthly credits

Once you have your Google Maps API key, it‘s good practice to restrict it. We show you how in the next section.

Step 3: Configure WP Store Locator Plugin

To configure plugin settings, go to Store Locator > Settings in your WP dashboard.

Some key settings to update:

General

• Units: Choose miles or kilometers
• Map zoom: Higher number = more zoomed out

Map

• Google API key: Paste key from previous step

Markers

• Upload custom map marker icon (optional)

Style

• Color scheme: Match your brand colors

WP Store Locator plugin settings

Here is the code to customize the marker icon:

add_filter( ‘wp_store_locator_marker_icon‘, ‘custom_map_marker‘);

function custom_map_marker() {
  return WEB_DOMAIN . ‘/images/custom-marker.png‘; 
}

Don‘t forget to click Save Changes anytime you update a setting.

Step 4: Display Store Locator on Your Website

There are 3 ways to display the store locator map across your WordPress site:

Shortcode

[wp_store_locator]

Customize by adding attributes:

[wp_store_locator zoom="12"]

Gutenberg Block

Add "WP Store Locator" block on any page. Provides customization settings.

Widget

From Appearance > Widgets, drag "WP Store Locator" widget to any sidebar. Adjust settings in the widget settings area.

Now let‘s look at some examples of showing the store locator using these options:

Shortcode Example

[wp_store_locator zoom="15" show_distance="1" bounce="4"]

Renders locator map with higher zoom level, enabled distance rings in miles, and medium bounce effect on loading locations.

Gutenberg Block Example

Displays locator map block with custom width and height. Location filter and directions link enabled.

Sidebar Widget Example

Showcases locator widget in sidebar area with title, zoom set to 12, and optimized for use on mobile device widths.

Step 5: Adding Multiple Business Locations

If your business has more than one physical location, WP Store Locator makes it simple to manage them all.

To add more locations:

1. Go to Store Locator > Locations
2. Click the Add New button
3. Enter details (name, address etc)
4. Click Add Location when done

Pro tip: Assign locations to a region so visitors can filter by area. E.g. East Side Store, West Side Store.

On the frontend, all locations will be displayed together. Visitors can find the nearest store by typing their location.

3 locations mapped

If you face any issues getting multiple markers to show properly, read our troubleshooting guide for multiple locations.

Extra Tips and Tricks

Here are some pro tips for taking your store locator to the next level:

• Add schema markup to boost SEO rankings in local pack
• Enable directions field so visitors can get point A to B routes
• Increase search radius to find more stores in visitor‘s area
• Integrate locator with Contact Form 7 to collect visitor information

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we covered how to:

• Choose the best store locator plugin for WordPress
• Install and activate WP Store Locator
• Get and configure a Google Maps API key
• Display the store locator map via shortcode/block/widget
• Manage multiple business locations on one map

Installing a store locator in WordPress is very easy thanks to solutions like WP Store Locator.

Now over to you – do you have any other questions about adding a store locator in WordPress? What other plugins are you using? Let me know in the comments below!