The number of websites on the internet is estimated to be above a million. The design and functionality of all sites are mostly consistent. There is a "recipe," but it can potentially bore visitors to death if used too often.

Making your blog posts interactive is a great way to set yourself apart from the competition and motivate your visitors to take action. You may have yet to think of embedded maps, but they are simply one example of interactive material.

While it's easy to get a blog up and running, creating pieces that readers will actually read takes skill. Interactive content has been shown to convert visitors to subscribers or followers at a rate two times higher than non-interactive content. Remember that your search engine rankings will also improve as a direct consequence of the time visitors spend reading and interacting with your content.

Including an interactive map is a great way to give your blog a distinct identity and maintain your visitors' interest. Inviting your website visitors to interact with and learn more about your material is easy with an interactive map.

Why You Should Use Maps In Blog Posts

Interactive maps add a new dimension of interactivity to your blog, piquing the reader's interest. If a person is interested in what they're reading, they'll spend more time on the page and are less likely to leave, both of which send strong signals to search engines like Google.

Exciting and engaging content is also more likely to be shared, which draws more readers to the site and develops more backlinks, which is another important ranking signal.

Lastly, the "listicle" style of blogging is quite popular. If you're going to make a listicle, an interactive map is a must-have companion.

Map Ideas To Embed In Your Blog

Travel Blog Maps

A travel blog wouldn't be complete without a map, right? The purpose of a travel blog is to document the author's journeys to various locations in the country or worldwide. On average, a sponsored post will cost a business $200 per month, and the author does 80% of their travel planning through the internet. Since they cover a lot of ground, it would be helpful to have an interactive map highlighting all the places they mention and providing some background information right there on the map.

Interactive maps are a fun and engaging way to show off your travels or a fabulous location on your own website or blog. If you want to give your readers a fuller picture of your journey, don't simply tell them about it; show them through an interactive map.

When readers click on a map point, they'll immediately see photos you've taken of the fantastic locations on your trips or those on your bucket list if you made a map for your upcoming travel (yes, you can do that!). If you've always wanted to see Laguna Beach, CA, for example, check out Sarah Tripp's (@sassyredlipstick) interactive map of Laguna Beach.

Local Guide Blogs

Local guide blogs are very much like travel blogs, except they center on the blogger's location. Local guide blogs are ideal for drawing attention to a community and its events like fairs or festivals. They're also great for SEO rankings and monetizing because interest in local searches has increased by 150%. Things like the most incredible coffee shops, parks, and black-owned companies in a city are all excellent examples of local guide content.

But you can go beyond the must-see places. We just love Camille Slagle's Respectful Hawaii Recommendations. First, they've kept it simple by dividing their map points into just two categories: Places To See and the best part: Volunteer Opportunities. Adding so many categories to your interactive map can get overwhelming for viewers.

Second, they've used their interactive map for a good cause. Only a few bloggers use their platform for that. One volunteer opportunity on their map is clearing invasive vegetation. How cool is that!

Their map descriptions are complete with schedules and addresses, and if you ever want to create an interactive map of your own using their map point, all you have to do is click on the Create Map From Point option.

Historical Blogs

It's true; 11% of young people in the U.S. are geographically illiterate and can't locate their own country. Only 35% correctly located France. If you can't imagine the world in which World War II took place, you won't have a very good understanding of its history. If you have a blog about historical events, a map with date support may assist your readers in visualizing the location and progression of events.

Perhaps your next topic for your blog is the Irish or German migration to America. Aside from visually showing their journey from their first country to the U.S., you can include fun facts in the map descriptions, like why they migrated, was their journey easy, where they mostly settled, and what happened next. You can show the U.S. cities with the highest Irish or German populations these days. The only limit is your imagination.

Meanwhile, this Seattle area MLK events map is a great way to recognize history.

Affiliate Blogs

While blogging may be a lot of fun, many bloggers go into it intending to make money on the side. You can monetize your map by having users click on map points with custom links if you choose a platform that allows it like Proxi. Your blog topics might range from "best eateries" to "best locations to purchase a T.V."

84% of businesses have some affiliate program. Your site will earn credit for each person who clicks through your website to the destination site. Depending on the terms of the partnership agreement, you might make a fixed fee per click or a percentage of sales as payment for referring customers.

Maybe your blog focuses on reviewing the best televisions in the country and which websites provide the best value for money. You can readily put the affiliate links in the map descriptions of an interactive map of these different online stores. Your visitors may easily find them whenever they view a map point, and your extra income would be literally a click away.

‍