In 2023, the internet will feel like an incredibly useful tool and the generator of negative habits or emotions – all at the same time. As technological innovations and digitalization continue to improve, the concerns about privacy and ethics remain in the shadows. While a simple browsing session may feel like a private web experience, such luxury is a relic of the past.
Nowadays, if we want to stay secure and anonymous on the web, we must take that freedom back ourselves. Modern companies are already implementing powerful privacy solutions that not only protect but also enhance their work-related web connections. While nobody wants to feel the shadow of surveillance while browsing online, the benefits of internet privacy tools are significantly more impactful.
For example, proxy servers, particularly private proxies, have been in high demand for businesses that do not want to expose their IP address to the public. However, their easy applicability and effective results are the gifts that keep on giving. First perceived as simple tools for IP changing, the proxy server industry is a multimillion-dollar industry. There is beauty in simplicity, even in the world of internet privacy solutions, as from it stems the wide selection of use cases.
In this article, we will discuss the wide range of diverse use cases of a private proxy server. Here we will cover specific advantages, techniques, and strategies associated with each application, providing readers with a concrete understanding of how these internet privacy tools work and how they can be applied across various industries and scenarios. Keep reading to learn and apply a private proxy for your use case as quickly as possible.
Proxy Server Basics Explained
Proxy servers extend your internet connection by including one more stop to the equation. Instead of following their regular route of router hops, the connection that leaves your Local Area Network (LAN) does not go straight to its destination but creates a link with the proxy server, which from that point acts as a new internet access point.
As a result, your connection to a chosen website shows a different IP address than the identity provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This includes the displayed geo-location and other parameters that can be examined to learn intimate details about your connection. A proxy server acts as the original sender of the message and connection requests and sends the information back to you. This way, you can avoid the exposure of your IP address and change the profile of your connection at will. This includes the unblocking of websites that would otherwise be unavailable either due to IP bans or censorship in some regions.
Regular Proxies vs Private Proxies
While the best providers in the industry offer a wide selection of deals, not all proxy servers are equal. After paying for a desired plan, you will either get a time-based or a bandwidth-based subscription. Low prices for proxy deals are great for beginner users, but business applications require premium services with more concurrent connections and automated server changes for sensitive tasks.
A regular proxy server typically grants you access to the provider’s network. Some suppliers give you a completely random connection, while others let you pick the right location for more stability and control. That being said, a completely random selection is not optimal for social media account management and other use cases where having a consistent IP address is essential. Finally, there is one last issue that handicaps regular proxy services – IP sharing. While accessing the same IP address is not possible, there might be other clients using your current identity at the same time.
Fortunately, this is where private proxies come into play. Instead of relying on random connections, modern companies and business-minded individuals can use a designated chunk of IPs as private proxies – servers reserved for their use. While the regular proxy service still has some advantages for specific use cases, mainly web scraping, those too can become obsolete if your fleet of private proxy addresses is big enough for effective rotation.
Private Proxy Benefits and Solutions
This section covers private proxy use for business tasks. Here you will find techniques used by specialists to benefit from proxy use and specific advantages that private proxies bring to the discussed applications.
Data Scraping for Market Research
Data scraping, or web scraping, uses automated scripts and tools to aggregate information from chosen websites and extract the most valuable information into a data set. Private proxies enrich and enhance this procedure with privacy, scalability, and flexibility – the essential advantages of a web scraping operation.
With a large enough private proxy network, data scientists keep all bots protected while an IP rotation technique constantly switches between addresses to avoid excessive attention to one network identity. Then, the whole operation can be expanded by adding duplicate instances of a web scraping tool but aimed at over-targets under different identities. If the websites chosen for extraction are restricted or blocked in your country, private proxies take care of that too, letting you pick any location for your servers to avoid geo-blocking.
AdTech
AdTech solutions focus on tracking information in real-time for optimal placement, timing, and presentation of desired ads. Private proxies empower the additional support procedures that make sure that the company’s marketing efforts bleed as little money as possible. With location control and protection for the main public IP address, advertisement specialists can rat out cases of ad fraud and other malicious procedures with unrestricted access to remote locations and different versions of publisher websites.
SEO Management
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialists take IPs from the private proxy network to inspect search engine positions, research keywords, and track competitor efforts from all angles. Location control and anonymity of a proxy connection are achieved through IP address changes and adjustments to other identity parameters.
Other use cases
Aside from the core applications described above, here are other examples where private proxies have been very useful:
- Social media management. Private proxies help social media managers by providing a cover for multiple social media accounts.
- Brand protection. By hiding the company’s public IP address, public proxies protect its brand by preventing the exposure of its identity, which can be used by cybercriminals looking for ways to force their way into the company network.
Conclusion
Private proxy servers bring tons of benefits for business tasks, where their enhancement is essential for growth and results in a competitive business environment. Some of the examples above are not strictly reserved for businesses: you can learn these valuable skills and enhance their effectiveness with public proxies, even with minimal technical skills.
