An IP proxy is an intermediary between your device and the internet. It replaces your IP address with its own and handles all traffic on your behalf. There are many benefits to using a proxy with a different IP address than your own. Proxy servers give users more control over internet access. Specifically, they allow you to choose how much information websites and services can collect about you.
So, why is this useful? Who uses proxies and why? In this article, we’ll look at four of the most common proxy usage scenarios.
Web crawling
Automatically collecting data from websites and other online resources is known as web scraping. Companies and individuals use it for various purposes including market research, lead generation, price aggregation, etc.
Most websites limit the number of requests from a single IP address. Since proxies replace your IP with their own, they are the most effective tool to bypass all IP-based restrictions. Through a proxy server, crawlers can send requests from different IPs in different locations. Since all these requests look like they are coming from real visitors, it is difficult for websites to identify and block scraping activities.
SEO Monitoring and Research
Search engine optimization is essential for modern businesses, no matter their size. Only 0.63% of people visit the second page of Google search results. So it’s no surprise that SEO monitoring is one of the most important agency use cases.
Ranking high in search engine results can bring in organic traffic and new customers. More importantly, it can build long-term brand recognition and increase revenue. To maintain this ranking, businesses must regularly check the search engine results pages (SERPs) and keep an eye on competitor websites.
Proxy servers allow anyone to search using different IP addresses from different locations. This practice provides valuable insight into SEO performance. By analyzing this data, businesses can adjust their SEO strategies as needed to ensure they appear where their customers are.
Access geo-restricted content
Many websites and online services are only available to visitors from specific countries. Governments, institutions, and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may censor certain websites, search engines, social media platforms, etc. Although there are often legitimate reasons for geo-blocking (copyright and licensing restrictions), it is also often abused.
Proxies provide the easiest way to bypass these restrictions. All it takes is obtaining an IP address that is in the right location. By using a proxy from a country where the content is available, businesses and individuals can access that content securely and privately.
Improve privacy protection
Online tracking has become a growing problem in recent years. It’s easy to see why, with Google alone tracking 76% of all online traffic – the biggest tracker, but not the only one. Amazon tracks 17%, followed by Facebook at 16% and Microsoft at 8%.
As more and more companies try to obtain user data, maintaining online anonymity has become one of the most common uses of proxies. Businesses, researchers, journalists, etc. can access the Internet anonymously through proxies. Proxies handle all traffic and also take on the risk of being tracked, thus keeping the user's online activities private and untraceable.
Not all proxies are created equal
Proxies are used for much more than that. Companies use them for brand and intellectual property protection, ad verification, and more. They are also crucial in successfully purchasing limited edition sneakers and other merchandise. Developers use them to check that their websites, apps, and other creations are functioning properly around the world.
However, it’s never a good idea to just use the first proxy you come across. It’s true that there are countless free proxies available online. But do they provide the privacy and features you need to surf the Internet safely?
In most cases, the answer is a simple “no.” After all, you are handing your most sensitive data to an unknown entity. Also, not all proxies are suitable for all purposes.
This article comes from online submissions and does not represent the analysis of kookeey. If you have any questions, please contact us
