11 Advanced Website SEO Crawler Tools for You to Use

Search engine optimization is integral for any business looking to improve their online visibility and drive more traffic to their website. But with over 1.7 billion websites active today, the competition is fierce.

Simply having a website is no longer enough. You need to optimize every aspect of it for search engines like Google to rank higher in results pages and earn more clicks. This is where advanced SEO crawler tools become indispensable weapons in your arsenal.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain what advanced crawlers do, key features to look for, and provide an in-depth look at 11 top tools on the market today. I‘ll share my insights as an experienced SEO analyst to help you determine which solution may be the best fit to dominate your niche. Let‘s dive in!

What Are Website Crawlers and Why You Absolutely Need Them

A crawler, also called a spider or bot, is a program that systematically browses the web in an automated fashion. It visits web pages, follows links, indexes content, and gathers data for analysis.

SEO-focused crawlers do this specifically to audit technical and on-page optimization elements that impact your search visibility. They crawl every nook and cranny of your site to identify critical issues like:

Broken links and images
Duplicate or thin content
Missing title tags and meta descriptions
Improper internal linking structure
Slow page speed and mobility issues
Accessibility problems for the visually impaired

Manually checking for these kinds of problems across hundreds or thousands of pages would be extremely tedious and time-prohibitive. Advanced crawlers automate the process, saving you monumental time and effort.

For example, a recent study by Hubspot showed that 79% of website visitors who experience problems will simply leave and never return. You could be losing tons of potential business without even realizing it.

Regularly crawling your site provides ongoing insights into issues that may be sabotaging your visibility. It‘s one of the most fundamental best practices in my SEO toolbox.

Simply put, advanced SEO crawlers empower you to:

Instantly spot technical problems that impact site crawlability and indexing.
Identify on-page issues that signal low-quality content to search engines.
Uncover user experience problems that increase bounce rates.
Monitor site performance over time and prevent new issues.
Prioritize fixes for maximum ranking improvements.

Without them, you‘re essentially flying blind in competitive SEO landscapes.

Key Features to Look For in SEO Crawler Tools

With dozens of crawler tools out there, how do you pick the right one for your specific needs? Here are some of the most important features to evaluate:

Crawling Depth & Speed – How many pages and URLs can it crawl? Some tools limit or throttle you. Faster crawling is better, especially for large enterprise sites.

Analysis Depth – Does it check all the critical technical and on-page factors? Prioritize tools that do more in-depth analyses.

Customization – Can you customize what factors it checks, site portions crawled, and how data displays? Flexibility is power.

Alerting – Does it notify you of new site issues arising in real-time? Proactive monitoring is crucial.

Reporting – Are reports easy to interpret with clear, actionable steps recommended? Can you export the raw data? Reporting functionality can be a key differentiator.

Support – Is customer support responsive and helpful when you need assistance? An engaged support staff enhances the experience.

Price – Some offer free plans but with limitations. Paid plans provide more features and flexibility. Choose one that fits your budget.

Integration – Does it integrate well with other platforms like Google Analytics, Search Console, CRMs, etc? Integration minimizes headaches.

Now that you know which features to prioritize, let‘s explore some of the top advanced SEO crawler tools available today. I‘ll share the key capabilities, strengths and potential drawbacks of each to help you make an informed decision.

Ahrefs – Robust Crawlers Loved by SEO Professionals

Ahrefs has earned a reputation as one of the most powerful and fully-featured SEO crawler suites for good reason. Trusted by heavy-hitters like Intel, Facebook, Hubspot and Forbes, Ahrefs crawls with blazing speed and analyzes a mammoth number of on-page and technical ranking factors.

Some of the key capabilities include:

Massive scale – Crawls up to 10 million pages and scans 1 billion web links, ideal for enterprise sites.
Speed – Crawls incredibly fast at up to 10 pages per second, generating results quicker.
Depth – Checks over 100 technical and on-page SEO issues and errors to spotlight problems.
Prioritization – Provides weighted scores so you know which fixes will yield the biggest improvements.
Visualization – Clear graphs and charts to visualize technical health and performance.
Customization – Offers robust settings to customize crawls and reporting.
Alerting – Alerts you to new issues as they emerge for quick remediation.
Reporting – Detailed reports and suggestions for fixing uncovered problems.
Support – Responsive customer support via live chat or email as needed.

In my experience, Ahrefs crawlers are arguably the most powerful SEO analysis tools available, albeit at a relatively high cost depending on your needs. Plans start at $99/month for SMBs and go up to custom enterprise pricing.

But for companies managing complex or enormous websites, the depth of capabilities and actionable insights justify the pricing for many. They offer a 7-day free trial if you want to test drive it yourself.

Semrush – All-in-one Marketing Suite with Robust SEO Crawlers

Semrush is a respected all-in-one marketing suite incorporating SEO, social media management, content building, PPC and more. Their crawler and audit tool provides deep technical and on-page analysis along with extensive competitive research capabilities.

Some of the noteworthy features include:

Customization – Offers very customizable crawling settings to target specific site portions and factors.
Analysis – Flags technical issues with specific instructions for fixing each one.
Optimization – Provides page-level on-page optimization suggestions for better content.
Speed – Checks page speeds and response times and suggests improvements.
Competitive data – Analyze competitor backlink profiles and keywords they rank for.
Reporting – User-friendly reports and tracking to monitor site performance.
Support – Responsive customer support channels for assistance.
Integrations – Plays well with Google Analytics, Search Console, etc.

Semrush is a great choice for those wanting a fully integrated digital marketing platform, especially if you manage PPC campaigns. The combination of SEO crawler, keyword research, backlink analysis and integrations make it powerful yet easy to use.

Pricing starts at $99/month for the starter plan. I always recommend taking advantage of their free trial first so you can experience the interface and capabilities yourself.

Screaming Frog – Field-leader in Technical SEO Crawling

The Screaming Frog SEO Spider is one of the most beloved desktop crawler tools specifically for in-depth technical SEO auditing and troubleshooting. In my experience, their meticulous analysis of on-page factors is truly second-to-none.

Some of the key highlights include:

Free version – Their free tool crawls up to 500 URLs, perfect for smaller sites.
Scale – Paid plans can crawl up 1 million pages for larger sites.
Speed – Blazing fast crawling at 2+ pages per second keeps you nimble.
Granular data – Extracts and audits detailed on-page elements like HTML tags, images, titles, etc.
Directives – Analyzes robots.txt along with other key directives.
Status codes – Provides HTTP status codes for every single URL crawled.
User-friendly – Easy to customize settings and exports to your needs.

For those focused purely on comprehensive technical SEO audits, Screaming Frog remains a trusted leader in the space. Their detailed granular analysis capabilities are unmatched in my experience.

The free version works great for smaller sites. Paid plans start at a very reasonable $149/year for up to 5,000 URLs. Definitely a tool worth your consideration.

DeepCrawl – Purpose-built for Large & Complex Sites

DeepCrawl shines brightest for large enterprise websites and is trusted by global leaders like Salesforce, Canon, Expedia, and Microsoft. With ultra-fast crawling and highly customizable configurations, DeepCrawl offers tremendous value for complex technical SEO audits.

Some of the notable highlights include:

Scale – Can crawl an astounding 500 million pages, perfect for mammoth global sites.
Speed – Their crawlers are blazingly fast, up to 40 pages per second. You get results quicker.
Prioritization – Uses intelligent algorithms to identify and prioritize the most harmful issues to fix first.
Optimizations – Provides page-level content optimization suggestions for better on-page SEO.
Customization – Offers very granular customization of settings, configurations, and tracking.
Reporting – Visualized reports and tracking provide insights into site performance over time.
Integrations – Plays well with Google Search Console, Analytics, and other enterprise software.

For companies with enormous websites spanning millions of pages, DeepCrawl simply can‘t be beaten. Their true depth of customization paired with smart prioritization make it hugely valuable for global enterprises.

They offer a 14-day free trial so you can experience the powerful capabilities firsthand. Paid plans start at $499/month based on specific crawling needs. For advanced SEO insight into colossal websites, DeepCrawl is arguably the cream of the crop.

Sitebulb – A Cost-Effective SEO Crawler for Small Business

Sitebulb emphasizes simplicity and ease-of-use while still providing robust technical SEO crawling capabilities for small businesses or starter SEO teams.

Some of the notable features include:

Simplicity – Crawls your site and presents insights in easy-to-understand reports.
Customization – Lets you customize which site portions to crawl and test factors.
Scale – Can crawl up to 500K URLs which should meet small business needs.
Speed – Optimized to crawl efficiently without slowdowns.
Analysis – Tests all key technical and on-page optimization elements.
Integrations – Plays nicely with Google Analytics, Search Console, etc.
Affordability – Flexible pricing plans to meet smaller budgets, starting at $33/month.

Sitebulb keeps it straightforward while still offering the SEO crawling capabilities most small sites need. For those who want simple, actionable audits without unnecessary bells and whistles, Sitebulb hits a sweet spot.

Their 14-day free trial is also very handy for taking their interface for a spin firsthand before you buy.

Moz Pro – A Powerful SEO Toolkit with Robust Crawlers

Moz Pro has earned a sterling reputation as a complete SEO toolkit incorporating robust site audit capabilities along with rank tracking, keyword research, competitive analysis, and more.

A few of the notable highlights include:

Scale – Moz crawlers can analyze up to 1 million URLs which should suffice for most mid-sized companies.
Depth – It audits over 200 technical and on-page elements, more than most tools.
Alerting – Flags new critical issues in real-time so you can address them quickly.
Optimization – Provides specific page-level optimization suggestions for better SEO.
Tracking – Charts help you monitor website performance over time.
Competitive data – Useful for comparing your site against competitors.
Ease of use – Simple interface and clear, actionable reports.
Support – Excellent customer support channels.

Moz Pro is beloved by small businesses and mid-sized companies alike thanks to the breadth of capabilities provided. If you‘re looking for an all-in-one SEO and marketing toolkit, Moz Pro absolutely delivers.

Plans start at a very reasonable $99/month for their standard package. I recommend tapping into their 14-day free trial to experience Moz Pro firsthand. The outstanding resources and support they offer make it suitable for businesses of all sizes and needs.

Conclusion – Find the Right Crawler Tool to Conquer Your Niche

As you can see, advanced SEO crawlers are mission-critical for identifying issues sabotaging your search visibility and unlocking new rankings growth. They allow you to play offense and defense in competitive search landscapes.

Key factors to consider are the depth of analysis, speed, scale, customization, reporting, and pricing. Be sure to select a crawler tailored to your budget and needs.

Take ample time to review trials and demos yourself before committing. And once you choose the right solution, leverage your newfound insights to start moving up in the search rankings.

With an advanced SEO crawler as part of your toolkit, you gain an invaluable weapon to spot-check your site‘s technical health, surface problems early and ultimately drive more targeted traffic to accelerate your business growth.

Now armed with this comprehensive guide, you have everything you need to start dominating the first page for your most valuable keywords. So put your new crawler to work and start climbing up the search rankings!