There are several ways to harvest data, but the best data is the one harvested in real-time. This is because these types of datasets are often more relevant and fresh. And because outdated information can be as bad as wrong information, it is always advisable to collect data in real-time.
There is about 6.59 billion GB worth of data being poured into the internet every second of the day, and the best way to collect such data in real-time is to use the best tools in the market.
One of such tools in the real-time crawler built mainly for search engines is now being used by businesses and companies to improve in the global market.
What Is A Real-Time Crawler?
A real-time crawler can be defined as an advanced web crawler used for large-scale data extraction operations.
It is mostly built for search engines and automatically navigates several websites and learns what they are all about.
In most cases, it is used to collect data from e-Commerce websites which explains why brands and organizations outside search engines are now using these tools.
Harvesting data from e-Commerce websites is now considered one of the smartest ways to do business today. It can constantly help you have sufficient data to make production decisions and optimize your prices to accrue more revenue without losing customers.
It helps you develop business intelligence, as we shall see shortly. Nonetheless, real-time crawlers offer you the best chance to collect data in real-time, analyze it and make key business decisions that will inspire growth.
There are several benefits of a real-time crawler, and below are some of the most common.
- It is Fast
A real-time crawler is designed to function automatically, making it exceptionally fast in achieving whatever task it is given.
This particular benefit can save the user time and energy channeled into other areas of growing the business.
- It Has A High Success Rate
Extraction and delivery are estimated at a 100% success rate. That means that using a real-time crawler allows you to achieve any exercise without breaking or crashing.
The tools also guarantee a large proxy pool that helps prevent IP blocks and other types of restrictions.
- It Provides Anonymity
Browsing the internet is full of risks. One of these is the chance of getting your sensitive information exposed and having your identity revealed or stolen.
This can lead to a data breach which can, in turn, result in very devastating consequences.
The best way to avoid these issues is to hide or conceal your identity on the web.
And this can be done by using a real-time crawler for web data extraction.
How Does A Real-Time Web Crawler Work?
Depending on which one you choose, real-time crawlers work in various ways, especially when it comes to data delivery.
However, they all perform their tasks in a similar approach as described below:
- One or more seed URLs are entered into the crawling script to initiate the process
- The script crawls these first URLs and gathers them either in a structural format
- It also gathers other fields such as URLs and identifies a pattern linking different URLs to a specific topic
- Next, it crawls the newly harvested URLs and returns the extracted data to the storage unit
- The crawling method may need to be activated only once, after which the tool recognizes patterns and topics and continues the process on it on, or it may need you to initiate every crawling process
- The method with which it crawls websites, extract data and deliver it depends on which real-time crawler you choose
Uses Cases of Real-Time Crawlers
There are several ways that businesses can use real-time crawlers. These are known as use cases, and some of the most common ones are described below:
- For Extracting Data From e-Commerce Platforms
The major use case of most real-time crawlers is to extract various datasets from e-commerce platforms.
These platforms include Amazon, eBay, and other key marketplaces, and the data extracted often include product prices and information.
The data can be used to create business insights and intelligence or in understanding market trends and consumer sentiments.
- For Indexing on Search Engines
The first generations of crawlers were specifically to arrange and organize search engines, and somehow, this function has been maintained until this very day.
Real-time crawlers, like other types of crawlers, can be used to crawl websites, download their information and then provide that information to search engines for indexing.
- For Fixing Website Issues
Conversely, websites can also use real-time crawlers to fix issues that may be hidden in plain sight.
Issues such as poor load time or non-responsive pages are easy to miss if not properly searched for.
Real-time crawlers can be run on a website to identify these issues so that a quick solution can be provided before it is deployed.
Conclusion
Knowing what is a web crawler is one thing, but understanding that there are different types is another.
A real-time crawler that makes data gathering more efficient can help you in too many ways, and you cannot afford not to understand how to use it. For an even deeper understanding of crawling, click here to read an article on what is a web crawler.
