Geocoding is used primarily in the real estate and mortgage industry. Once a precise longitude and latitude reading for a particular place is obtained, the coordinates are plugged into a geographical software program, or global positioning system (GPS), in order to find the location that is desired. Advanced geocoding programs are also able to pull census data for the pinpointed property or location.
If an exact address is not found through the initial geocoding process, mapping capabilities of geocoding computer programs are able to locate the desired spot using known landmarks, making the use of a printed map unnecessary.
The process of taking GPS coordinates and converting them into street addresses is called reverse geocoding. According to Google Maps, reverse geocoding is not an exact science.
