Geocode with an address database that didn’t have XY or lat/long info

Question

I was asked

How would you geocode with an address database that didn’t have XY or lat/long info?

as part of a pre-interview questionnaire for an analyst position. I’ve only geocoded using address locators off of tables that already had addresses or lat/long info but this question has me stumped. I did think of maybe doing something like a feature to point operation on something like a parcel layer that may contain address data but don’t know if this would be the proper alternative.

Answer 1

Geocoding is the process of converting an address or location description into a set of geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). If your address database doesn't have XY or lat/long information, there are several methods that you can use to obtain this information:

1. Third-party APIs: There are several geocoding APIs available that can be used to convert addresses into geographic coordinates. Examples include Google Maps API, Bing Maps API, and MapQuest API.
2. Batch Geocoding Tools: Batch geocoding tools can be used to process large datasets of addresses and convert them into geographic coordinates. Examples of these tools include ArcGIS Online Batch Geocoding and QGIS MMQGIS Plugin.
3. Geocoding software: Some GIS software packages have built-in geocoding functionality that can be used to convert addresses into geographic coordinates. Examples include ArcGIS Desktop and QGIS.
4. Manually: As a last resort, you can manually geocode addresses by using a web-based mapping tool, such as Google Maps, to find the latitude and longitude of each address and then enter it into your database.

Regardless of which method you choose, it's important to note that the accuracy of the resulting geographic coordinates will depend on the quality and completeness of the address data in your database. You may need to perform additional data cleaning and validation to ensure that the addresses are in a standard format that can be accurately geocoded.