Google Maps geocoding API yields ZERO_RESULTS for valid addresses

Question

We use google API to geocode. We geocoded some 10K addresses successfully. For some reason, the API returns 'GeoCoding Error: status = ZERO_RESULTS' for below addresses. We tried several times, but we still get the same ZERO_RESULTS error only for these addresses. Note: These addresses show up fine in google maps search.

Please provide your inputs.

The below google geocoding API calls return ZERO_RESULTS, however google maps search shows up fine:

http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=7441+Adairsville+Hwy+Adairsville+GA+30103&sensor=false

http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=1054+East+Commerce+Blvd+Slinger+WI+53086&sensor=false

Geocoding API returns ZERO_RESULTS, even for the below addresses:

8302 LIBERTY RD BALTIMORE MD 21244

9950 EAST GUADALUPE RD MESA AZ 85212

101 EDGEFIELD RD. NORTH AUGUSTA SC 29841

1132 EAST CUTLAR CROSSING LELAND NC 28451

24167 PASEO DE VALENCIA LAGUNA WOODS CA 92637

2121 W. TRENTON RD. EDINBURG TX 78539

1933 north pinellas avenue tarpon springs FL 34689

Answer 1

You should be using the Google Places API:

This request

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/textsearch/json?query=1054+East+Commerce+Blvd+Slinger+WI+53086&key=INSERT_YOUR_API_KEY_HERE

returns the following json for me:

{
   "html_attributions" : [],
   "results" : [
      {
         "formatted_address" : "1054 E Commerce Blvd, Slinger, WI 53086, USA",
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : 43.32459619999999,
               "lng" : -88.2700943
            }
         },
         "icon" : "https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/geocode-71.png",
         "id" : "fff40888c14fb49758a87b06cfb567dc700f9c2f",
         "name" : "1054 E Commerce Blvd",
         "place_id" : "EiwxMDU0IEUgQ29tbWVyY2UgQmx2ZCwgU2xpbmdlciwgV0kgNTMwODYsIFVTQQ",
         "reference" : "CpQBigAAAJ9o9UeX-dpZYNA7UMTjNzdGfo2-hKh63_7FFlwohjIlTLw-SW9T55YvvaKqLek9w1wTTW1ruwUhZfDfsbMoC4n1Rk0oYbnyKEAsEPgtwuVf-vNgtYqBrHKpRxT5kECSh4O75_GmZzUaypjQqEAKut-ZCz0eMg5fKzgkCXQrUX2o-kLqlj22_hGGKGdApXJ80xIQtvry7J5ah_DxHh0Hv1SwpBoULWCqMnCH34vJY8WzMRD3pVjNS5o",
         "types" : [ "street_address" ]
      }
   ],
   "status" : "OK"
}

Answer 2

You have misspellings in your addresses. For example 7441 Adairsville Hwy is really 7441 Adairsville Rd. Google maps is more forgiving in that it wants to give you a best guess when it can't match the address. In this case, it guessed Rd. For reasons I don't know, the API does not use the same best-guess matching algorithm as Google Map.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: correcting myself. The first address was wrong, but I tried several more of your addresses and they are correct (CSV Pharmacies), and yet the API is showing ZERO_RESULTS as you indicated.