Top 3 Web Crawlers for 2022? Now and then, online businesses must learn to play by a whole new set of rules. You could get a competitive edge with unique content and specific keywords for the last couple of years. According to experts, that is no longer enough. This season, winning is all about technical SEO.
A big part of this strategy is so-called web crawlers, also known as web spiders.
Businesses big and small already know that web crawlers are essential for staying relevant and beating the competition. However, not every decision-maker in the field knows exactly what they are or what they do, or for that matter, how to choose the best web crawler for 2022.
What Is a Web Crawler?
Web crawlers are automated scripts, programs, or tools that crawl the web for valuable data.
Before crawling turned mainstream, the practice was used by search engines to fast-read and index websites for user inquiries. Search engines still use crawlers for the same purpose – to help them archive, categorize, and rank websites using many different criteria.
However, crawlers are no longer utilized by industry giants alone. Competing businesses have adopted this technology, swiftly initiating a whole range of new applications. Read on if you want to know more about web crawling: what is a web crawler and how does it work? – Blog | Oxylabs.
How Crawlers Help Companies Grow
As a business growth hack, web crawlers can help companies obtain various types of data in a myriad of different scenarios. Every analysis-based strategy that requires comprehensive research can now be automated using web crawlers, saving time and money.
For example, crawlers can assist in:
- Crawling job placement sites for B2B lead generation;
- Collecting valuable data on competitors and trends;
- Searching social media and forums for brand mentions.
Most importantly, web crawlers help improve website visibility.
Whether the industry or niche, every modern-day business must continually keep the company website healthy and optimized for search. Before Google’s web crawlers scan your website for indexing and ranking, you could employ your crawler to do the same.
That way, you’ll be able to fix all potential errors in time for SERP ranking. It’s not an overstatement that SERP can make or break your business. If your website doesn’t appear high on Google’s search results for keywords and phrases related to your business, then nobody will be able to find you. Luckily, web crawlers can help you come closer to the top.
Top 3 Web Crawlers in 2022
Web crawlers come in numerous options, answering all the different needs of growing businesses. Some focus on quantity and scalability, while others provide additional features for data analysis. Depending on your needs, you can opt for in-house or cloud-based software.
The following are top 3 Web Crawlers tools for 2022:
Netpeak Spider
Netpeak Spider is a “desktop tool for day-to-day SEO audits, fast issue check, comprehensive analysis, and website scraping,” which pretty much says it all.
In addition to staying on top of your website health – which implies regular check-ups for broken links, duplicated content, and more – Netpeak Spider collects and organizes website data with ease. It allows you to scrape and extract from huge websites and segment your insight.
Data segmentation is arguably Netpeak’s most convenient feature, and it sets this tool apart from its competitors.
With ease-of-use, functionality, customer support, and pricing all being on Netpeak’s users’ pros list, the only con we could think of is Mac’s lack of software version.
WebHarvy
Providing a good enough alternative to Netpeak, WebHarvy is a reliable web crawling tool that lists all the necessary features for extracting data.
That includes data pattern identification and easy export to multiple databases. It also allows you to crawl various websites simultaneously and scrape data from categories and subcategories within websites, which is super-useful. (You are reading Top 3 Web Crawlers tools for 2022)
According to satisfied users, WebHarvy’s greatest strength is its intuitive interface, which requires no technical knowledge. That said, multiple dissatisfied users have cited the same thing as its major flaw. When reviews are confusing, the best thing is to try it yourself.
Screaming Frog
Speaking of trying it yourself, you might as well start with Screaming Frog. This website crawler offers up to 500 URLs free of charge, providing a way for beginners to get acquainted with this technology.
Thankfully, Screaming Frog is so good that most users end up paying for it.
At its coolest, Screaming Frog allows you to see URLs blocked by robots.txt (that’s a big thing if you’re new to web crawling), schedule audits, and compare what’s changed between crawls.
An exciting visualization feature also organizes internal links and URL structure in diagrams and graphs for easier analysis.
As for cons, Screaming Frog’s interface could be a bit less intimidating.
Conclusion
Website crawling is not only a smart new way to transform your business. It’s becoming an absolute necessity, especially for companies trying to navigate competitive landscapes.
The good news is that website crawlers are easy to find. Now that you understand what a web crawler is and have seen the offer, choosing the best tools for your needs shouldn’t be hard. In case technical SEO still sounds too complicated, consider consulting an expert. A good crawler can help your business grow, but it can’t do it all by itself.