Definition
Log analysis involves studying web server log files to understand the behavior of search engine robots (Googlebot, Bingbot, etc.) on a site. Logs reveal which pages are crawled, at what frequency, which HTTP codes are returned, and how much crawl budget is consumed. This analysis helps identify crawl issues (unexplored pages, excessively crawled low-value pages, server errors) and optimize crawl budget to favor indexation of priority pages.
Key Points
- Reveals Googlebot's actual behavior on your site
- Identifies crawl budget waste
- Popular tools: Screaming Frog Log Analyser, Oncrawl, Botify
Practical Examples
Crawl waste
Log analysis reveals that Googlebot spends 60% of its time crawling filter pages with no SEO value. Implementing robots.txt directives frees up budget for product pages.
Problem detection
Logs show that 200 pages return intermittent 500 errors that standard crawl tools do not detect. Fixing the server errors restores indexation.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the only method to see exactly what Googlebot does on your site: which pages it visits, how often, and what errors it encounters. Search Console provides partial information; logs provide the complete truth.
Screaming Frog Log Analyser (affordable), Oncrawl and Botify (enterprise) are the most used. For small sites, manual analysis with Excel or Python scripts is possible.
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Last updated: 2026-02-07