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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “googlemaps”

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 “googlemaps”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 of the top 20. 6 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

Images with GPS on GoogleMaps shows at wp.org #9 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 40+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Essential Real Estate places #6 on merit, 4.3★ from 52 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Leaflet Maps Marker (Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps) 9K+ · 4.6★ (245) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Smart Grid-Layout Design for Contact Form 7 10K+ · 4.5★ (72) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Personio Integration Light 200+ · 4.8★ (6) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Exif Details 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 3 too high 5 Arconix Shortcodes 4K+ · 4.6★ (24) wp.org #12 7 too low 6 Essential Real Estate 7K+ · 4.3★ (52) wp.org #13 7 too low 7 ACF OpenStreetMap Field 9K+ · 4.6★ (24) wp.org #16 9 too low 8 T Tailored Tools 80+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 SimplyRETS Real Estate IDX 200+ · 4.9★ (8) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 Google Maps Photo Gallery 70+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #22 12 too low 11 Sentio Widgets for Elementor 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Qapla' Pickup Points 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 5 too high 13 Location Finder – Store Locator & Resource Directory — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Cliq Store Locator — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 6 too high 15 FW Real Estate — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 4 too high 16 Images with GPS on GoogleMaps 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 7 too high 17 Portale Funebre Necrologi — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 WP Web Maps 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 5 too low 19 Jubelio Shipment: Plugin Ongkos Kirim Instant, Sameday, Regular, Cargo 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 2 too high 20 crouton 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 6 too high 21 shipcost plugin with googleMap — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 LM Easy Maps 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Vampire Character Manager 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 PeproDev Branches Map 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 6 too high

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.