For those that want to learn more about search engine optimization (SEO) matters and the ability to make the company website more visible to the algorithm, a good tactic would be to make use of SEO spider programs. It might seem odd to call the program a spider, but considering that the metaphor of the web is a giant spider web, things start to make sense. Screaming frog is the prominent SEO site crawler, and can be used in many different ways. Fortunately, learning how to use Screaming Frog can be quite easy, though an inexperienced company owner might take some time to get the job done.
The point of using Screaming Frog is to check how a website might get indexed by the Google search algorithm, as the SEO crawler is used to figure out a website’s flaws that might stop it from reaching a higher rank. The point of an SEO crawler is much the same as any other SEO strategies or tactic — it is meant to ensure that the company has as much visibility as possible.
That said, it might be a bit confusing at first for those who have yet to use an SEO crawler such as Screaming Frog. In this beginner’s guide, it’s all about learning why Screaming Frog is essential, and how it can help the company make the most out of the program.
Buying a license after learning how to use Screaming Frog
First and foremost, there are free and premium versions available for anyone that wants to take advantage of the SEO crawler. Typically, the program can crawl through five hundred different URLs at a time to help provide as many examples as possible. However, such a thing is only the beginning when it comes to using Screaming Frog.
Buying a license will remove the five hundred URL limit, but more importantly, it opens the program up and adds more advanced features for those that want to learn how best to optimize their website. One of the advantages comes from the database storage feature. If the computer has an SSD built-in, switching to database storage mode ensures that the Screaming Frog can crawl to many more URLs as well as save the crawl data (something only available to the premium version).
Using Screaming Frog to learn how to optimize a website
Typically, the best thing to do is to hire an SEO or digital marketing professional to help company owners manage marketing tactics. The help of web design specialists can also ensure that the business owner understands the different processes that go into web optimization. Screaming Frog can teach a company to better optimize their site without necessarily having to put too much effort into the process.
Google has explicitly stated that it will take page speed into consideration when ranking websites. It means Screaming Frog can help figure out the page speed as well as many other valuable metrics to help companies optimize their site. If the page speed is an issue for the website, perhaps the problem comes from site widgets and the image sizes. It can be easy to get carried away when adding quality images to a website or storefront, which could potentially lead to longer load times.
Finding potential issues within the crawl data
One of the reasons why Screaming Frog is such a useful SEO crawler is that it can provide so much data at once. Those that understand how to read the different metrics can use such a thing to their advantage, though the same can’t be said for the inexperienced business owner. It is often better to get the help of industry professionals to ensure that the company can use Screaming Frog’s data to their advantage. One of the best parts is that Screaming Frog can instantly figure out duplicate or missing pages, making it easier to find dead links on a website.
The use of an SEO crawler is just one of the ways a company can take advantage of search engine optimization. While it might take some time to figure out the ins and outs of such a program, it is well worth the price of admission. Having an SEO crawler means having extra insight not just on the company’s website but also their competitors.