Skyscraper Technique.
Learn what Skyscraper Technique means in modern search and SEO.
A link-building strategy that involves creating a superior version of an existing link-worthy piece of content, then outreaching to sites that linked to the original.
The Skyscraper Technique is a link building methodology developed by Brian Dean. The process has three steps: 1) Find popular content in your niche that has earned many backlinks (using tools like Ahrefs to see what links to competitors); 2) Create a significantly better version—more comprehensive, more current, better designed, with original data or improved examples; 3) Reach out to the websites that linked to the original, letting them know about your improved version.
Why the Skyscraper Technique Works
The technique is grounded in the observation that webmasters prefer to link to the best available resource on a topic. If you've created something genuinely superior to what they currently link to, some percentage will update their link—especially if you make it easy by providing the specific URL they're currently linking to and explaining clearly why yours is better. The email outreach is personalised and relevant, increasing response rates vs. cold link requests.
Executing the Technique Effectively
The key failure mode is creating content that isn't genuinely better—slightly longer or superficially updated content rarely earns links from this approach. 'Better' means: more recent data, original research, superior design, additional examples, video support, comprehensive coverage of subtopics the original missed, or expert contributions. The outreach email should be brief, specific about what you improved, and make the link update as easy as possible.
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