The internet provides a variety of information of multifarious topics. In order to retrieve some form data on a particular topic, one is required to enter the key word in a search engine and then the search engine would provide a set of websites arranged in a tabular form. In case of search engine placement what is extremely important is to ensure that how a particular website be one among the topmost in the index of sites offered by the search engines so that it ensures maximum visits from the consumers. However, it is also necessary to note that there are several factors that provide hindrance to the process of search engine placement and adversely affects search engine placements. Web scraping is a similar process which is detrimental to search engine placements as it can also amount to plagiarism. However it is also necessary to keep in mind that scraper sites are different from the search engines and the fact that premier search engines often represent certain extracts from the websites they index does not amount to web scrapping. The process of web scraping refers to the means by which contents from certain websites are copied down via HTTP and are put together to create a separate website and this sort of a website is technically referred to as a scrapper site. In most cases the copied content is utilized for a different purpose unlike in accordance to the meaning or purpose in which it was presented in the actual website. In this case it is essential to refer to the functioning of the web crawler. In case of web search engines, the web crawler performs a very important function. When a keyword is typed into a web search engine, it is with the help of the web crawler that the required information and suitable websites are retrieved form the World Wide Web. However, this web crawler can also be misused in case of web scraping.

Screen scraping is also another process by which it is possible for a computer program to copy screen contents and display output of some other site and place it on a scraper site. However, the process of web scraping differs from screen scraping. Web scraping may also lead to web harvesting which is initiated by a software device known as ‘bot'. web scraping is usually considered to be a forbidden practice though in the absence of proper rules and regulations, it continues to affect search engine placements.