mYfAVE'StOYOU: Mozscape in the Wild: How The API is (and Could be) Used

Posted by Ryan_Watson

Did you know that there are over 90 billion URLs are packed into our Mozscape API? That’s a lot of links. So many links, in fact, that it can be daunting to dream up all of the many ways that you could put those links to good use. When we originally built Linkscape (the predecessor to Mozscape), we mainly had one thing in mind... SEO and backlinks.

But there’s a whole lot more than that.

Links are only the beginning, it’s what those links can tell us that’s so darn interesting. Which is why I wanted to call out all of the amazing ways that developers (and marketers) are using Mozscape data to better their work, as well as encourage new uses of Mozscape data that have yet to be explored. (Feel free to jump in and create your own API key any time.)

How Mozscape is Being Used Today

Mozscape's wealth of links can be used in a variety of ways: from SEO audits, to domain valuations, to excel integration. Here at Moz, we have only begun to scratch the surface of how we can utilize the API. We currently use it to run some of our own tools such as Open Site Explorer and the Mozbar.

But I don't want to focus on the way we use it. Let's take a look at the way other developers have demonstrated some exciting uses for Mozscape. Hopefully these will get your mind going, thinking up other ways to use the data as well.

SEO Audits

We’ll start with the most obvious of use cases, SEO audits. There quite a few examples of SEO audit tools that use Mozscape data, but a few of our favorites (that are in front of a paywall) are the HubSpot Website Grader and The Found SEO Audit Tool, both of which bring the heat.

Mozscape data is what powers things like the total pages indexed by search, MozRank, a list of the most authoritative pages, along with their corresponding anchor texts. The beauty of this use case is that it can provide a great lead-gen funnel for all of the SEO agencies out there, proving value up front with an email address required prior to running the report. As a digital marketing agency, using Mozscape data to develop a site audit is a great way to get users into your sales funnel. You know, that inbound marketing stuff -- cold calls are old news.

Domain Valuation

How valuable is a website, purely from an online authority perspective? Traditionally, that was a very tough question. You could look at things like site traffic (which typically isn’t very accurate) or rankings for certain terms, but that’s a far-sighted approach to the question. Think about using the metrics behind Mozscape, like MozRank, Domain Authority, and MozTrust instead. Flippa, for example, uses Mozscape data as a datapoint for due diligence.

You could imagine this kind of domain valuation anywhere else domains are bought or sold, most of which have yet to use Mozscape data. The value, of course, is providing as much confidence to the buyers of web properties based on the “web footprint” of the site.

Spreadsheet Kung-Fu

The spreadsheet kung-fu of this industry is unmatched anywhere else. With the integration of Mozscape data to Excel, some have been able to make Excel sing. The beauty of using Excel for analyzing Mozscape data is that you can slice and dice as you please, without setting up complex API calls. Perhaps our favorite example of Excel comes from the illustrious Richard Baxter, with the Links API Extension from SEO Gadget.

However, if Google Docs are more up your alley, the amazing Aleyda Solis created just the thing for you (so did Chris Lee). Tools like these allow the average marketer to dig into the firehose of data available through the API in a simple and recognizable interface.

Client Reporting

Yes, that's right. iAcquire uses the data when creating client reports as it not only helps them to inform the client about how their pages are doing but to also show the importance of certain pages on their site. The data is both a research tool and an education tool.

"Below is a screenshot from a ranking research report showing data we gathered for the keyword 'inbound marketing tips.' Moz stats are represented throughout the stats columns. As we work with these reports we are able to see if any of our content distribution efforts resulted in links on page or domain as can be seen in the far left columns."

How Mozscape Could Be Used

That’s how Mozscape is being used today, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. A few folks have realized the potential outside of the traditional use cases that I’ve mentioned above. The power of the data comes when we take Mozscape data outside of its traditional context of pure link evaluation. Let me show you what I mean.

Link Building

Its relatively easy to imagine Mozscape's data being used for link building. With Mozscape's massive amount of link data, SEOs are able to prioritize their link building efforts, and focus on value added efforts.

CRM

You could imagine that some of the examples noted above have been used for link building, but what about a deeper integration into a contact manager? Something that would allow the user to prioritize outreach by the value of a domain.

Just as one can do with the Klout score (or Social Authority) on Twitter, the same can be done for customer relationship efforts in filtering Domain Authority to determine importance.

Top Lists

We’ve seen hints of blogs using Mozscape data determine a top startup list, like the GeekWire 200, but the same could be applied for any rankings list of web properties.

Traditionally, lists have used Alexa or Compete traffic data to determine web prominence, but they’re so inaccurate. Other lists have used social specific metrics like social followings, but those too fall short. Geekwire’s list of the top 200 startups in Seattle uses a blend of both social and web data (External links, MozTrust) to determine just how influential a site is, providing the full picture.

How Could You Use the API?

I’m sure we've missed a ton of ideas, so we’re calling on you to help us find those new opportunities for Mozscape. Things like a tightening relationship between links and social networks, and categorizing link sources. How would you use this data, and how would you build it? Better yet, why not create your key and get going?

We want to make it easy for you.

We've been working quite hard to make our indexes faster and have recently updated our Mozscape API documentation. We want to make it as simple for you to use the data to get your idea up an running as possible.

Plus, if you create something, it's likely we'll get you added to our app gallery. We have everything from large corporations to individuals who have used the API and we show off their work in the gallery.

We'd love to hear from you. Obviously we always encourage folks to jump in and check out the free API (as well as the paid), and use the data for something useful for you. We're also quite open to hearing about ways we can improve our own tools with the data or help educate people better. I look forward to reading through your feedback and seeing if there are ways we can help get people started using Mozscape.

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