Geocoding refers to the assignment of latitude and longitude based on a given address. MetaLocator provides a bulk geocoding tool that can process many locations in bulk.
By default, this screen will display the data in your database that has address data, but does not have a latitude or longitude assigned.
To begin geocoding your data, select Locations > Geocoder in the left menu bar and click Start Geocoding in the upper right. The system will process your data one record at a time. It retrieves this information from Google and must do so at a pace in accordance with their terms of use.
As data is geocoded, Google returns a succinctly and consistently formatted version of the address. To standardize your data with that provided by Google, you can choose the Update Address While Geocoding option. This is useful if you have incomplete address information such as missing county values, or inconsistent data such as states entered as both "WI" and "Wisconsin".
If your data spans multiple countries, it is important to provide an accurate TLD. While not 100% required, it will ensure the correct bias is provided to the geocoder since address can be duplicated from country to country. E.g. there is a 123 Main St. in both the United Kingdom and Canada, and the United States. This data can be imported by providing a TLD column in your import spreadsheet.
To geocode over 10,000 locations at once, MetaLocator has it's own Geocoding service that can process data on a per-request basis. Contact Support to arrange for this service.
The Geocoder data is provided from Google. Geocoding is both an art and a science. Addresses can be vague or ambiguous. Google's geocoder is the state-of-the-art in address interpretation and accuracy, however, no solutions are 100% perfect.
To assign latitude and longitude to your locations, they must be geocoded. Follow this tutorial for a basic overview of how to use the Geocoder.