There are a lot of discussions happening about the topic of digital website maps and if they have an effect on your SEO. So, we’re here to weigh in on the discussion and give our opinion.
Let’s address the main topic at hand: Having a map on your site does not directly affect your SEO. What it does do, is have an indirect impact on your rankings. You might be wondering, “What makes you say that?”. Read on to find out how map plugins could have an impact on your website’s SEO.
How does a map help your SEO?
Whether or not having a digital map on your website actually helps with SEO is quite the debatable topic. We can, however, state that having a map on your website comes with many benefits.
From what we’ve seen, custom maps can be a valuable marketing tool. They’ve proven helpful in helping you communicate offerings, and for putting your location into context for those who want to find their bearings in relation to your business. They’re also used to make your business easy to find, enticing viewers to pay you a visit in person.
As we mentioned before, the impact is more indirect than anything else. Many website owners opt for including a digital map for many reasons. It could be as simple as enhancing the contact page by showing your location, or more advanced, like allowing visitors to add their own content and locations. With WP Go Maps’ Visitor-Generated markers add-on, this is already possible.
Digital maps serve as content on a website. They make your site more interactive and informative, attracting more visitors and traffic. The more traffic your site receives, the lower your bounce rate. The lower your bounce rate, the better your SEO. And we all know that improved SEO will help you climb your way up the SERPs.
Now that we’ve given you a bit of background into why having a digital map on your site is important, let’s dive a little deeper into the ways you can use a WordPress map plugin to boost your website’s SEO.
Adding location-based keywords
A WordPress map plugin can help you incorporate location-based keywords into your website’s content. This makes it easier for people to find your business when they conduct local searches for businesses near them. It may also give you a competitive edge against competitors who haven’t yet thought to add this feature to their sites. Figuring out how to rank higher when it comes to local searches is also rapidly growing in popularity as an SEO trend, and businesses need to find ways to (quite literally) put their name on the map.
Encouraging user-generated content
Depending on the type of map plugin you choose to go for, you can encourage users to leave reviews or comments about your business, and their experiences with it. For example, WP Go Maps offers a visitor-generated markers add-on. For an extra $9.99, you give your viewers the unique option to add their own markers. These can include images, galleries, or other content to make it more interactive and personalized. This user-generated content can help to improve your website’s SEO and make it more attractive to visitors.
Improving website speed
When you use a WordPress map plugin, it can help to improve your website’s overall loading speed. This is because many map plugins load their maps on demand, rather than loading everything at once. When websites try to load everything in unison, it has a negative impact on your page load speed. Page speed directly impacts your SEO, and making use of lazy loading can help you improve these problem areas on your website.
Plugins like WP Google Maps make use of advanced caching to load your maps in the blink of an eye.
Providing detailed information
A map plugin can provide detailed information about your business. This often includes your address, phone number, and operating hours. This is helpful in giving your viewers all the necessary information in one convenient location. Again, consumers have become lazy in recent years. If you’re offering everything they need to find you, without them having to search for it, it boasts a more appealing and effortless experience. This is an attractive quality for viewers, and it’s going to have a positive effect on your traffic. The goal here is to increase lead generation, as well as the number of return visitors.
Making your website mobile-friendly
Many WordPress map plugins are designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices when people visit your website. They make use of CSS tools and responsive design to make the site easily accessible, regardless of the device you’re using to view it. This can help to improve your website’s overall mobile-friendliness. In recent years, with 86.11% of the world’s population owning smartphones, this has become an important ranking factor when it comes to SEO.
A quick recap…
While a WordPress map plugin doesn’t enhance your website’s SEO directly, there’s no question as to whether or not it has a part to play. Today’s consumers have shorter attention spans. They want more engaging, informative and interactive content. With so much competition in the online world, it may also be the competitive edge you’ve been looking for.
A map takes away the effort that your viewers would have to put into finding your business on their own. Taking it a step further and allowing them to add their own touches to your map could significantly increase your site’s engagement.
When considering which of the top WordPress map plugins to choose from, make sure to take into account the value for money and range of features of each option. And remember, there’s a reason why WP Go Maps is the best plugin in the world.