• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Yeseo SEO agency header logo

yeseo

SEO with added YES

  • SEO Services
  • Copywriting Services
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Contact us
Home » SEO Glossary » Search Engine Crawlers

Search Engine Crawlers

Also known as spiders or bots

Search engine crawlers (spiders, bots, and robots) are automated programs that crawl around websites searching for data. Google uses a search engine crawler called Googlebot.

A search engine crawler is a bit like a holidaymaker on the first day of a holiday in a new place. To follow this analogy we would like you to put yourself in the shoes of someone who is on holiday. It’s a nice place to be isn’t it?

On the first day of your holiday, you might know roughly what attractions you want to visit, but on your first day, you might just fancy a bit of an aimless wander.

As you leave your hotel, you’ll invariably find the opportunity to make a left or a right turn. You spot a signpost encouraging you to turn left, so that’s what you do. A few minutes later, you spot a giant flashing neon sign flashing above a pizza restaurant. You head in and gorge yourself on pizza.

While you’re inhaling pizza, you get chatting with the owner, and you ask him for a recommendation for somewhere to visit once enough of the pizza you have consumed has been digested, and you have regained the use of your lower body.

The pizza shop owner (let’s call him Ruttiger) tells you his brother owns a great bar just a few blocks away. Rutiger scribbles down some rudimentary directions on the back of an empty cigarette packet, and you cheerfully waddle off in search of the bar.

After a few beverages in the bar, you realise you have no idea how to get back to your hotel, so you call a taxi. The taxi driver asks what you plan to do tomorrow because, believe it or not, he’s got some suggestions for you. ‘What a friendly town’, you think as you doze off to sleep, loaded with pizza and local ales.

When you eventually wake up the next morning, you know exactly what local attractions you want to visit. Thanks to your (initially aimless) wandering the day before, you know exactly how to find the aforementioned local attractions.

When you have been on holiday for a few days, your wanderings have given you a pretty decent mental map of the surrounding area. You know the place well enough to start giving recommendations and directions to newly arrived guests in your hotel. You have become a search engine.

Googlebot – the Littlest Hobo of the Internet

The Googlebot, that wee scamp of a search engine crawler, has been wandering around the Internet for well over two decades. Oh, the places it has been, oh, the horror of the things it has seen.

Search engine crawlers theoretically start their journey on a single website. They follow all the internal links on that website to get an idea of what the website is about.

They follow the links from the website to other websites. They follow those links to etc etc etc etc.

Search engine crawlers are like the curtain-twitchers of neighbourhood watch schemes.

search engine crawlers

Why are Search Engine Crawlers important to SEO?

Without search engine crawlers, search engines wouldn’t be able to gather information to index websites and place them in SERPs.

Crawlers like Googlebot don’t just assess the content on your website, they also take note of who is linking to your website and which websites you are linking to.

As web 3.0 looms up on the horizon, we might find that search engines will adopt other technologies to create massive databases, but for now, crawlers are here to stay.

SEO professionals keep a close eye on how many times a crawler visits a website. The easy way to get a clear idea of how the Google search engine crawler perceives your website you can sign up for a free account at Google Search Console.

Search Engine Crawlers – explain them to me like I’m five years old, please!

Search engines create software that travels around the web gathering data on what websites contain and how they link to each other. This data is used to build a huge database that is referenced when you conduct a search on a search engine.

yeseo

Copyright © 2023

Yeseo Ipswich Office - 7 Bailey Close, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 0UD, United Kingdom

Yeseo is a trading name of Andrew Laws Associates Ltd

Company number - 8602332

We offset our carbon footprint via Ecologi

the creative collective networking group

  • Home
  • SEO Glossary
  • Subscribe
  • ESG
  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Location
  • Contact us
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
CookieLawInfoConsent1 yearRecords the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_EDH9CEGGWY2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
_gat_UA-221809510-11 minuteA variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
MUID1 year 24 daysBing sets this cookie to recognize unique web browsers visiting Microsoft sites. This cookie is used for advertising, site analytics, and other operations.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
_clck1 yearNo description
_clsk1 dayNo description
CLID1 yearNo description
SMsessionNo description available.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo