Geocoding with Google Spreadsheets

In column A - list of cities.

Insert into cell B2

http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?output=csv&q=

Into Cell C2

=ImportData(CONCATENATE(B2,A2))

http://apitricks.blogspot.com/2008/10/geocoding-by-google-spreadsheets.html

Pamela Fox's approach

Tutorial how to create a web map from a spreadsheet via @johntynan

There is now a mapping gadget.