Put a Map On It! Enhanced Geolocation and Mapping with Geo Mashup

WordPress has built-in support for storing location information on posts, but no real way to make use of it. The Geo Mashup plugin enables deep, powerful geolocation in WordPress, letting you easily add geolocations (coordinates) to almost any content type.

It also displays locations on maps you can embed in your theme, posts or widgets, with a dizzying array of options for what to show and how to display it.

This talk will start with the default geolocation system in WordPress and how Geo Mashup integrates with it. We’ll then cover the basics of setup and adding locations on posts, then the different map types and situations where you’d use them. We’ll finish with some dev considerations for displaying maps as elegantly as possible.

Prerequisites:
This talk is aimed at anyone planning a site and considering geo integration. There will be developer speak (PHP/HTML/CSS) at times, but there will be lots to consider for anyone building custom WordPress sites.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the premises of geolocation and mapping as they apply to WordPress content.
  • Identify valuable features in geolocation plugins.
  • Grasp the complex feature set of Geo Mashup as a full-suite plugin.
  • Identify content that makes sense to geolocate and/or map.
  • Plan out ways of collecting geodata and displaying it using various types of map.
  • Be ready to overcome the initial platform and design hurdles specific to Geo Mashup.

Speaker