Best Scraper I've Used, Support is Great, Too!
I purchased Local Scraper a few months ago (February) and hadn't really put too much time into using it. At first, I was offput by having to purchase my own proxy (the other scraper I used prior had this built in, or I didn't need my own), but this was naive on my part.
I reached out to Grant to ask a few questions, and he was VERY quick to respond and very helpful in his responses to my questions, including setting up a proxy.
Fast forward to two weeks ago...
I finally purchased a proxy subscription and put this scraper to the test and WOW! I'm extremely pleased with its ability to grab data from Google Maps and Yellow Pages. For my own personal use, I'm likely going to mostly use the Google Maps Full and Email Finder features of the application since it gives me the widest range of results.
One thing I noticed in my testing with Google is to use Zip Codes vs City name. What I do is run my list of keywords against a zip code and that gives me more results.
For added context, I'm using Chicago to run my tests and have a list of all standard zip codes and a list of about 70 keywords. I run all the keywords against each zip code. Then I run some python scripts I wrote to merge all the CSV files into a single Excel file that also removes duplicate and empty data so I have exactly what I need. Last, I upload the Excel file into an Airtable setup that acts as a flimsy and simple CRM that specifically focuses on the data from this program.
The only thing I had an issue with is the fact that I can't run a list of keywords against a list of zip codes. I was told each list needed to be the same length. It's not the end of the world by any means, and my keyword lists are going to be a little exhaustive, so breaking them up might not be a bad idea.
Overall, I LOVE this program and will renew again next year. I've already gotten my ROI and then some and would give this 15 tacos if I could!
Grant_LocalScraper
May 9, 2024Thanks for the awesome review! I want to touch on two points real quick to help future customers who may be reading this.
Not all scrapers require proxies, the 3 google maps/places scrapers in the program and any scraper labeled 'quick' in the program won't need proxies. I am going to improve the ReadMe page on this topic shortly. I have scraped google maps using the program 24/7 for weeks without an issue. The way we scrape them is very safe. But there are 8 different websites we support, each has their own ideas and security. HomeAdvsior for example has the highest anti-scraper security and 100% requires special proxies. If you ever wonder if you need proxies for your task please email me for advice.
The lists features of the program actually have a simple solution. You can give the program a single keyword/location and then a list of locations/keywords to match it. The lists only need to be the same length if you have two lists. With two lists we match line to line across the files so they need to be the same length. This allows you to do whatever you want like 50 different keywords in 50 different locations. This would run the 50 searches. If instead you had a ton of locations but a few keywords you just need to run them as separate jobs. Place the single keyword in the keyword box and the list of locations in the location list area and the program will do the rest. 1 Keyword and 50 Locations would also be 50 searches. Once that finished just change the keyword and run it again.
He did email me as well so I explained everything to him privately but I wanted to help out anyone else reading the reviews who may have a similar issue. You're always welcome to email me with any questions as well support@localscraper.com.
Cheers,
Grant @ LocalScraper