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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “embed google maps”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “embed google maps”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 2 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

exovia GDPR Google Maps shows at wp.org #5 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.6★ average from 11 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

W3 Total Cache places #7 on merit, 4.4★ from 5420 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 MapPress – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap & Leaflet 30K+ · 4.7★ (147) wp.org #1 2 Rich Showcase for Google Reviews 100K+ · 4.9★ (1623) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #3 4 Maps Plugin using Google Maps for WordPress – WP Google Map 10K+ · 4.8★ (172) wp.org #4 ↓2 5 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667) wp.org #10 ↑3 5 too low 6 Mapster WP Maps 3K+ · 4.9★ (54) wp.org #7 ↓3 1 too low 7 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #15 ↓1 8 too low 8 EmbedPress 100K+ · 4.8★ (307) wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too low 9 Flexible Map 7K+ · 4.8★ (66) wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 The Events Calendar 600K+ · 4.2★ (2461) wp.org #17 ↓1 7 too low 11 Very Simple Google Maps 3K+ · 4.5★ (17) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too low 13 GSheetConnector – CF7 Google Sheets Connector & Save CF7 Entries to Database 40K+ · 4.4★ (129) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too high 14 Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70) wp.org #14 ↓3 15 exovia GDPR Google Maps 4K+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #5 10 too high 16 Embed Privacy 10K+ · 4.9★ (26) wp.org #12 ↓5 4 too high 17 Basic Google Maps Placemarks 2K+ · 4.4★ (51) wp.org #9 ↓1 8 too high 18 CodePeople Post Map for Google Maps 3K+ · 4.2★ (31) wp.org #18 19 WP Map Block – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store & Shop Locator, Directory, Listings & Filters 20K+ · 4.0★ (20) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 Styled Calendar – Customizable, Mobile Responsive Google Calendar Embeds 1K+ · 4.4★ (19) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 GDPR-DSGVO compliant Embeds for Google Maps 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Gmap Block 10K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 MatrixMap – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Store Locator & World Maps 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 All Embed – Multi-Source Embed Widgets for Elementor 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.