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What is a web crawler? How search engines rank Websites?

What is a web crawler? How search engines rank Websites?

What is a web crawler? How search engines rank Websites?

What is a web crawler? How search engines rank Websites?

What is a web crawler? How search engines rank Websites?

Web Crawler

Web Crawler

Web Crawler

Web Crawler

The Web Crawler is a robot that gets information from the internet and stores it in an index. This bot's main goal is to learn about all the different websites out there.

The Web Crawler is a robot that gets information from the internet and stores it in an index. This bot's main goal is to learn about all the different websites out there.

The Web Crawler is a robot that gets information from the internet and stores it in an index. This bot's main goal is to learn about all the different websites out there.

The Web Crawler is a robot that gets information from the internet and stores it in an index. This bot's main goal is to learn about all the different websites out there.

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Aashi Katariya

Aashi Katariya

Aashi Katariya

5 Min Read

5 Min

5 Min

Oct 23, 2025

Oct 23, 2025

Oct 23, 2025

What is a Web Crawler?

What is a Web Crawler?

What is a Web Crawler?

A web crawler (also called a spider or bot) is a software program that browses websites automatically and reads their pages.

Think of a librarian going through a gigantic library where new books are continuously being added every second. The librarian reads each book, writes down what it's about, and takes notes so others can find the proper one quickly later. That's basically what a crawler does but on websites, not books.

Search engines like Google and Bing use these crawlers to discover, read, and classify the information available on the internet.

A web crawler (also called a spider or bot) is a software program that browses websites automatically and reads their pages.

Think of a librarian going through a gigantic library where new books are continuously being added every second. The librarian reads each book, writes down what it's about, and takes notes so others can find the proper one quickly later. That's basically what a crawler does but on websites, not books.

Search engines like Google and Bing use these crawlers to discover, read, and classify the information available on the internet.

A web crawler (also called a spider or bot) is a software program that browses websites automatically and reads their pages.

Think of a librarian going through a gigantic library where new books are continuously being added every second. The librarian reads each book, writes down what it's about, and takes notes so others can find the proper one quickly later. That's basically what a crawler does but on websites, not books.

Search engines like Google and Bing use these crawlers to discover, read, and classify the information available on the internet.

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A call-to-action of Coozmoo's SEO Mastery ebook

How Do Web Crawlers Work?

How Do Web Crawlers Work?

How Do Web Crawlers Work?

Let's take it step by step. Crawlers work in a simple loop:

  • They begin with a set of sites to go to. These may be big popular sites or pages submitted by people.

  • They go to one page, scan all the text, images, and code.

  • They look for links on that page (such as a menu or article links).

  • They click on those links and do the same thing on the new pages.

  • They just keep doing it repeatedly like a speedy, constant explorer.

Let's take it step by step. Crawlers work in a simple loop:

  • They begin with a set of sites to go to. These may be big popular sites or pages submitted by people.

  • They go to one page, scan all the text, images, and code.

  • They look for links on that page (such as a menu or article links).

  • They click on those links and do the same thing on the new pages.

  • They just keep doing it repeatedly like a speedy, constant explorer.

Let's take it step by step. Crawlers work in a simple loop:

  • They begin with a set of sites to go to. These may be big popular sites or pages submitted by people.

  • They go to one page, scan all the text, images, and code.

  • They look for links on that page (such as a menu or article links).

  • They click on those links and do the same thing on the new pages.

  • They just keep doing it repeatedly like a speedy, constant explorer.

Real-life Example:

Real-life Example:

Real-life Example:

Suppose a crawler comes to your blog home page. It finds links to your other blog pages such as:

/how-to-start-a-blog

/best-free-WordPress-themes

It will click on those links (just like a human would), crawl those pages, and then move to any links there.

Suppose a crawler comes to your blog home page. It finds links to your other blog pages such as:

/how-to-start-a-blog

/best-free-WordPress-themes

It will click on those links (just like a human would), crawl those pages, and then move to any links there.

Suppose a crawler comes to your blog home page. It finds links to your other blog pages such as:

/how-to-start-a-blog

/best-free-WordPress-themes

It will click on those links (just like a human would), crawl those pages, and then move to any links there.

Flowchart showing how web crawlers follow links between blog pages to discover content.
Flowchart showing how web crawlers follow links between blog pages to discover content.
Flowchart showing how web crawlers follow links between blog pages to discover content.
Flowchart showing how web crawlers follow links between blog pages to discover content.
Flowchart showing how web crawlers follow links between blog pages to discover content.

Why Do Crawlers Matter?

Why Do Crawlers Matter?

Why Do Crawlers Matter?

1. They Help Search Engines Discover Your Content

1. They Help Search Engines Discover Your Content

1. They Help Search Engines Discover Your Content

Suppose you've just released a fresh blog post or created a new website. You'd like folks to be able to see it, correct? Well, if a crawler doesn't discover and read your page, search engines won't even be aware it's there. Which means:


1) Your site will not appear in Google search

2) No one will notice your content unless they happen to know your URL.

3) Crawlers are like internet scouts. If they don't exist, your content remains a secret.

Suppose you've just released a fresh blog post or created a new website. You'd like folks to be able to see it, correct? Well, if a crawler doesn't discover and read your page, search engines won't even be aware it's there. Which means:


1) Your site will not appear in Google search

2) No one will notice your content unless they happen to know your URL.

3) Crawlers are like internet scouts. If they don't exist, your content remains a secret.

Suppose you've just released a fresh blog post or created a new website. You'd like folks to be able to see it, correct? Well, if a crawler doesn't discover and read your page, search engines won't even be aware it's there. Which means:


1) Your site will not appear in Google search

2) No one will notice your content unless they happen to know your URL.

3) Crawlers are like internet scouts. If they don't exist, your content remains a secret.

2. They Keep Search Results Up to Date

2. They Keep Search Results Up to Date

2. They Keep Search Results Up to Date

The internet is constantly changing, new pages emerge, old ones disappear, and others are modified. Crawlers visit sites regularly in order to observe what's new or has been changed. That way, search engines can:

1) Show fresh, accurate results

2) Delete old or broken pages

3) Understand what's currently relevant


Without crawlers, search engines would be presenting you with information from several months or even years ago.

The internet is constantly changing, new pages emerge, old ones disappear, and others are modified. Crawlers visit sites regularly in order to observe what's new or has been changed. That way, search engines can:

1) Show fresh, accurate results

2) Delete old or broken pages

3) Understand what's currently relevant


Without crawlers, search engines would be presenting you with information from several months or even years ago.

The internet is constantly changing, new pages emerge, old ones disappear, and others are modified. Crawlers visit sites regularly in order to observe what's new or has been changed. That way, search engines can:

1) Show fresh, accurate results

2) Delete old or broken pages

3) Understand what's currently relevant


Without crawlers, search engines would be presenting you with information from several months or even years ago.

3. They Impact Your SEO

3. They Impact Your SEO

3. They Impact Your SEO

In case you want traffic from search engines (a.k.a. Search Engine Optimization or SEO), crawlers are important. Stuff such as:


i) Page speed

ii) Mobile-friendliness

iii) Site structure

iv) Internal linking


Robots.txt and sitemap.xml usage…influence how a crawler can browse your site easily. And that influences how well you rank for search terms.

If crawlers have trouble interpreting or accessing your content, your SEO suffers.

In case you want traffic from search engines (a.k.a. Search Engine Optimization or SEO), crawlers are important. Stuff such as:


i) Page speed

ii) Mobile-friendliness

iii) Site structure

iv) Internal linking


Robots.txt and sitemap.xml usage…influence how a crawler can browse your site easily. And that influences how well you rank for search terms.

If crawlers have trouble interpreting or accessing your content, your SEO suffers.

In case you want traffic from search engines (a.k.a. Search Engine Optimization or SEO), crawlers are important.

Stuff such as:


i) Page speed

ii) Mobile-friendliness

iii) Site structure

iv) Internal linking


Robots.txt and sitemap.xml usage…influence how a crawler can browse your site easily. And that influences how well you rank for search terms.

If crawlers have trouble interpreting or accessing your content, your SEO suffers.

In case you want traffic from search engines (a.k.a. Search Engine Optimization or SEO), crawlers are important. Stuff such as:


i) Page speed

ii) Mobile-friendliness

iii) Site structure

iv) Internal linking


Robots.txt and sitemap.xml usage…influence how a crawler can browse your site easily. And that influences how well you rank for search terms.

If crawlers have trouble interpreting or accessing your content, your SEO suffers.

4. They’re Your First Audience

4. They’re Your First Audience

4. They’re Your First Audience

Before humans view your content in search, crawlers do. Imagine it this way:

Humans visit your site after crawlers visit your site. So, you'll want to ensure your website is friendly, not only to visitors, but to crawlers too.

Before humans view your content in search, crawlers do. Imagine it this way:

Humans visit your site after crawlers visit your site. So, you'll want to ensure your website is friendly, not only to visitors, but to crawlers too.

Before humans view your content in search, crawlers do. Imagine it this way:

Humans visit your site after crawlers visit your site. So, you'll want to ensure your website is friendly, not only to visitors, but to crawlers too.

In Short: Why Crawlers Matter?

In Short: Why Crawlers Matter?

In Short: Why Crawlers Matter?

Table showing why web crawlers are important
Table showing why web crawlers are important
Table showing why web crawlers are important
Table showing why web crawlers are important
Table showing why web crawlers are important

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Crawlers are the silent workers behind all your online searches. They explore the web, gather information, and assist search engines in comprehending the world wide web. Without crawler, search engines would be unaware of what information is out there and your favorite site may never appear in search results.

If you're studying SEO or simply interested in how Google functions, learning about crawlers is a wonderful place to start. Keep your site crawl-friendly, and you're off to a good start towards increased search visibility.

Crawlers are the silent workers behind all your online searches. They explore the web, gather information, and assist search engines in comprehending the world wide web. Without crawler, search engines would be unaware of what information is out there and your favorite site may never appear in search results.

If you're studying SEO or simply interested in how Google functions, learning about crawlers is a wonderful place to start. Keep your site crawl-friendly, and you're off to a good start towards increased search visibility.

Crawlers are the silent workers behind all your online searches. They explore the web, gather information, and assist search engines in comprehending the world wide web. Without crawler, search engines would be unaware of what information is out there and your favorite site may never appear in search results.

If you're studying SEO or simply interested in how Google functions, learning about crawlers is a wonderful place to start. Keep your site crawl-friendly, and you're off to a good start towards increased search visibility.

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Want to make sure your site is crawl-friendly and optimized for search engines?

Want to make sure your site is crawl-friendly and optimized for search engines?

Want to make sure your site is crawl-friendly and optimized for search engines?

Let’s talk. We can help you identify crawl issues, improve site structure, and boost your visibility on Google.

👉 Contact us today for a personalized website audit.

Let’s talk. We can help you identify crawl issues, improve site structure, and boost your visibility on Google. Contact us today for a personalized website audit.

Let’s talk. We can help you identify crawl issues, improve site structure, and boost your visibility on Google. Contact us today for a personalized website audit.

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