What is the function of a web crawler?

A web crawler, also known as a web spider or web robot, primarily functions to systematically browse the internet and collect data from websites. This process involves scanning pages, following links, and indexing content, which is essential for search engines like Google to organize and retrieve information efficiently.

In this context, the option that indicates the role of a web crawler correctly identifies that its function includes analyzing web content for data storage. By gathering and storing information about web pages—such as text, images, and links—the crawler enables search engines to provide relevant search results to users based on their queries. This data is critical for building and maintaining the indexes that search engines rely on to deliver accurate and timely information.

The other options involve functions that are typically not associated with web crawlers. For instance, optimizing advertisements is generally the role of ad services and marketers, while generating page titles and designing website layouts pertain more to web development and design tasks rather than the data collection focus of web crawlers.