SEO Log File Analysis: Introduction, Uses & Its Benefits in SEO

What is Log file analysis?

Log File analysis is considered to be one of the prominent technical SEO tasks. This makes us aware of how Googlebot along with other types of users as well as web crawlers interact with one’s website. With the help of a log file, you can easily receive valuable insights which would brief you about various SEO strategies or resolve issues about indexing and crawling web pages.

Before looking at the focus insights which can be acquired by doing a log file analysis SEO, it’s important to understand the functioning of a log file and the information it constitutes.

What kind of information does a log file contain?

The log file of the website is properly stored on the server and the information is recorded regarding all the performed requests. Each time a web page is visited by a user or not on the site, an entry is done in the log file for each resource that has been loaded. The log showcases how different users, search engines along other crawlers can interact with the site.

Below is the description of how a log file looks like:-

• • The URL of your page or the resource which is being requested.
  • The IP address of the server has been requested.
  • Requested server’s HTTP status code.
  • The user agent who is making the request.
  • The method has been followed for the request.

Finding the IP of the client is also ideal along with the amount of time that is taken for installation of the resources along with the referrer. Log analysis might be a little confusing for people who have just started. However, by comprehending the usage of log file analysis and its functioning, users can easily learn to gain useful insights.

What is the usage of log file analysis in SEO?

There are different kinds of insights that can be received from the log file of the site as an SEO. Some of the important ones are as follows:-

• • • The amount of the time your site is being crawled by Googlebot and its significant pages if they are being crawled and the similar pages which are crawled usually.
    • Identification of the most common crawled folders as well as pages.
    • If a site has been shifted to mobile indexing.
    • If the budget of the side crawl is being wasted on some irrelevant unimportant pages.
    • Searching different URLs along with parameters that are needlessly crawled.
    • If a particular page is unnecessarily slow or large.
    • The particular code of the status server for every page of the site and finding out various areas of main concern.
    • To search for static resources which are often crawled.
    • Finding most crawled redirecting chains.
    • To spot sudden rise or fall in crawler activity

• • These are some of the insights which are known after analyzing log files for SEO.
    

    Explain the different parameters of log file analysis:-

    After being aware of the different insights which can be known with the help of SEO log file analysis. Here are some of how it can be done:-

    • • • The log file of the website’s server
        • Access to the SEO log file analyser

    While conversion of a. log to a .csv can be done easily by renaming the file which means it could be analyzed as well as opened in Google or Excel sheets with the help of a dedicated tool which would make the analysis convenient and quicker.

    This means more time would be spent auctioning different solutions from any type of issue in comparison to the interpretation of the data manually. For the users who are willing to run a manual analysis, it is required to be acquainted with advanced features and uses including the creation of pivot tables.

    To be familiar with working in Google Sheets or Excel, it is recommended to study a guide for proper assistance. As an alternative, you can also use a log file analyzer to refrain from learning this.

    Where log files are usually stored?

    Before analyzing the log file of your site, it’s necessary to acquire a copy of it. The log files are usually stored on the webserver and having access to it is mandatory to get your copy downloaded. You can have a word with your IT team or web developer to have access.

    They can either share or provide a copy of the log file. To have access to the log file, it’s suggested to use the file manager of the server control panel either by using an FTP client or the command line. Most the ple opt for FTP to access their server.

    After connecting to the server, the users are required to navigate to the particular location of the server’s log file. Popular setups of the server could be found in some common locations.

    Moreover, be informed that retrieving the log file of one’s site isn’t simple and some of the common challenges which are often faced by users are as follows:-

    • • • When a server admin disables your log files and is not available anymore.
    • • • Internal teams or clients are not willing to provide log files or access for retrieving them in original sizes.
    • • • Log files that store only recent data based on the number of hits or days.
    • • • CDNs related issues.
    • • • Different custom formats

    All these issues constitute some solutions that can be easily worked on alongside a server admin or a developer.

    What are some of the benefits of SEO log files?

    The log analysis tool helps in understanding how different search engines crawls a website and the kind of impact it has on SEO. These insights serve as essential help for enhancing the crawl ability as well as the performance of SEO. With the help of such data, it becomes very easy to analyze crawl behavior and determine some of the significant metrics such as:-

    • • • How efficient has your crawl budget been spent?
    • • • What kind of accessibility errors were faced during the crawl?
    • • • Where are some of the areas of most crawl deficiency?
    • • • Which are the most active working pages?
    • • • Which pages aren’t yet familiar with Google?

    Above are just some examples of opportunities related to logging files analysis. Google constitutes its crawl budget. Setting up the appropriate improvements would help in saving the budget and further help Google to crawl for the right pages.

    Some of the other advantages of log file analysis are as follows:-

    #1. Number of different SEO visits

    Log analysis helps in the determination of the organic results which have been received on your website. It would brief you about the pages which generate the most traffic. It also lets you know if the most valuable pages can drive organic traffic to the website.

    #2. Issues in code responses

    The analysis of log data helps in tracking errors reflected in start codes such as 5xx or 4xx for compromising SEO. The analysis of a status code of a website also helps in the measurement of the impact on bots hits as well as their frequency. Higher 404 errors would put a limit to the visit of the crawler.

    #3. Crawl frequency 

    Logs also allow determining the volume of crawling done by the bot or in other words, the number of requests on search engines such as Yandex, Googlebot, Yahoo and Bing Bot or other different search engines. The frequency by which a particular site has been visited is showcased by crawl volume.

    This metric notifies about the increased visits by bots after the addition of new content. A sudden fall in crawl frequency warns users about a change that can be done on the website that might have blocked such visits.

    #4. Active Pages along with crawl priority

    Log analysis helps in the determination of the most common pages to the eyes of Google and finding out the lesser crawled pages. This particular information helps in knowing if the most significant pages are frequently visited by the bots or not. This would also avoid ignorance of some sections or pages of the website.

    #5. Crawl date

    It also tells when a particular page has been crawled by Google for the last time and if the user would opt to quickly index.

    Getting the Log FIle Analysis Services

    SEO Corporation is one of the leading companies which provides such services and other SEO related services by experts. The highly proficient team is there to assist the users in every step. Reach out to us for all your digital marketing needs to get expert solutions.

Jaspreet Singh

Jaspreet Singh, the genius mind behind SEO Corporation. A Digital Marketing enthusiast who speaks fluently on all arrays of Internet marketing. He beholds in-depth understanding of digital platforms and guided countless businesses globally in achieving top position in the market. Whether you would like to perceive recommendations for your startup or tips related to digital marketing for your business, he is never short of talking about it.