The Skyscraper Method for SEO: A Beginner's Guide

Are you finding it tough to get your content ranking on search engines? Struggling to secure that one high-authority backlink despite your best outreach efforts? Worried that you're missing out on valuable traffic?

You're not alone. It’s easy to feel like your well-crafted articles are buried beneath a mountain of online noise. You could be writing bestsellers worthy of a Pulitzer, but people might still not notice and link to your content. It just isn’t that easy anymore.

But what if you could flip the script and make your content stand head and shoulders above the rest? What if the backlinks come on their own for your content? 

It's time to introduce you to the Skyscraper Technique, a proven SEO strategy. With a little help from SEO tools, you can turn existing content into something bigger, better, and more engaging that will naturally attract many backlinks.

The technique was created by Backlinko’s Brian Dean back in 2015 and gained immense popularity after the organic search traffic to his entire site doubled in only 14 days.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to use it to boost your rankings and build high-quality backlinks without a big budget or a brand. There’s even a little checklist and a list of tools you can use to make it easy. And just so you know, we refreshed this article by following the skyscraper technique.

Let’s dive in.

Understanding the Skyscraper method in detail

The Skyscraper Technique searches for popular and well-received blog posts about topics you or your business normally cover. Once you’ve found a piece that fits the criteria and already has a substantial audience, you then look for ways to improve the content.

Original data points,  listicles, infographics, videos, user-generated content, and any new and unique ways you can make the content better – much better.

The goal here is to deliver the same message as the original blog post but with your own twist. There are myriad ways to do this, which we’ll explore later.

But just a quick note: the Skyscraper Technique isn’t about copying or replicating existing content. Instead, it’s about improving it from every angle, making your version so comprehensive and valuable that readers won’t need to look anywhere else once they find your article. The goal is to create the definitive resource on the topic.

Once you’re done creating the improved content, reach out to the right people, aka the sites that have linked to the high-ranking content.

Since the site’s already linked to similar content, they’re clearly interested in the topic and already have an established audience base for such blogs. This means all you have to do is get your blog on their radar, and lo and behold, you’ve landed a promising link opportunity. 

Why the Skyscraper Technique works

Since its release, the skyscraper technique has been the surefire way to success for many content marketers. Here are three reasons why it works.

1. There’s a proven demand

You hit the jackpot every time you find existing content that is already pulling sizable traffic. This is because there’s already guaranteed demand for the topic you’re considering. So you no longer have to scour for hours to write articles your readers aren’t looking for. Piggybacking this way cuts down the effort and time required to produce new content while also adding to the information available to your readers.

All you have to do from here on is understand why that topic was such a success. Was it emotional or entertaining? Did it solve some problems that your readers are experiencing? Look at what makes it great so you can learn to do the same, but much better.

2. There’s an existing audience

The audience you’re writing for has already gone over the original content. All you have to do now is build upon that content, and you’ll have the potential to get them excited. Adding visuals and other value-adding content will have them interested from the get-go.

If your topic is timely, you should also list influencers and brands who’ve shared the original content. This way, you can reach out to them immediately and tap into their audience while they’re still intrigued.

3. There’s considerable ranking potential

More likely than not, Google has already ranked the existing resource well if it was such a success. It intuitively follows then that if you create something even better, you can topple over the original piece. You can easily attract more traffic and outrank the previous blog post - especially if you win over those high-quality links. You still come out on top by putting in just half the effort. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

The Skyscraper method: proven examples

The Skyscraper Technique has helped countless websites achieve massive gains in search rankings, traffic, and backlinks. Let’s dive into some real-world case studies of how this strategy has been successfully implemented.

Brian Dean's Backlinko

Brian Dean, the creator of the Skyscraper Technique, used this method to increase organic traffic to one of his posts on Backlinko by 110% in just 14 days.

• Content: He created an in-depth guide on "Google's 200 Ranking Factors"
• Approach: Identified a popular but outdated post, created a more comprehensive version, and reached out to sites linking to the original
• Result: 110% increase in organic traffic, with the post ranking #1 for "Google ranking factors."

This post is refreshed regularly, the latest being in September 2024. It is still the #1 result for the keyword "Google ranking factor," along with 150+ keywords in the top 3 position, bringing in 8,000+ monthly traffic and 17,600+ backlinks. 

G2

G2's content and offsite SEO team use the method to fuel their rapid traffic growth in the B2B software review space.

Content: Refreshed and expanded blog posts, comprehensive software category insights

Approach: Identified and updated outdated blog posts, turning them into more comprehensive, current resources targeting top-ranking content in highly competitive software categories. Offered more in-depth insights than their competitors

Result: Contributed significantly to G2's growth from zero to over a million monthly visitors within a year.

The skyscraper method is still part of G2's link-building strategy and helps it consistently obtain hundreds of quality backlinks from highly authoritative sites. 

How to execute the Skyscraper method

Are you ready to try the technique out for yourself? Here’s a short checklist to help you along the way! Let this be your holy grail for executing the Skyscraper Technique. 

1. Research and find opportunities

To start with the Skyscraper Technique, you first need to do your research. Don’t blindly choose a blog simply because it is doing well. That obviously won’t add any value to you or your company. Instead, restrict your research to relevant topics that you want to cover.

• Start by defining the keywords and topics relevant to your niche and audience. Think about what topics your target audience is searching for, essentially keyword research.
• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Moz, or Ubersuggest to identify high-traffic keywords. These tools will help you discover what people are searching for and what competitors are ranking for.

For example, G2 wants to reach out to SEO professionals and encourage them to explore SEO tools available in their marketplace. Targeting SEO-related keywords, such as "Skyscraper Technique" or "SEO tools," makes sense to attract this audience and provide value related to their work.

To make sure, targeting the KW is beneficial, you can use keyword research tools like Ahrefs and Semrush.

2. Analyze existing top-ranking content

Discover top-ranking innovative content based on your target keywords. You can just search directly on Google to see what ranks on the first page for those keywords. 

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the top-ranking content. Review what makes the existing content successful: strong data, structure, or engagement. Look for gaps in the information, outdated statistics, or missing multimedia elements.

Ask yourself: How can you make your content more comprehensive, engaging, or valuable than what's already out there?

Here are some ways to do it.

• Use the Competitive Analysis feature in Ahrefs to do a competitor analysis on a scale. Add your existing content URL and the URLs of the top-ranking pages. You'll get a list of keywords for which the top-ranking content ranks, but you don't. 

• Use the Site Explorer feature on Ahrefs to analyze each of the competitor's content. Here, you can see the keywords the competing article is ranking for. Use these queries to understand the search intent and look to satisfy them in your article. 

• Analyze the backlinks and their anchors to see what data points or information they are linking back to. This gives you an idea of what you can add to your content to attract those links. 

2. Create better content

You have the original content in front of you. How are you going to improve it? You can’t just copy-paste it, throw some fancy jargon in there, and think your work is done. Instead, ample ways exist to improve the content into a piece that genuinely excites the audience.

Here are a few of them:

Use the content analysis you did in the previous step to improve your content. Focus on adding value in these key areas:

• Address gaps: Fill in any gaps the original content left. Did it overlook new trends or strategies? If so, incorporate them into your version to make your content more valuable.
• Add visuals: Enhance your content with visual storytelling. Add infographics, charts, or videos that make the information easier to digest. Ensure your visuals are relevant and add clarity to your points.
• Add data points: Strengthen your arguments by incorporating original data points, updated statistics, and research-backed insights. This adds credibility and makes the content more engaging for readers.
• Expand on depth: Turn the content into a holistic guide, making it longer and more comprehensive. Add fresh, updated statistics, real-life examples, and actionable insights. 

You can use tools like Clearscope to find gaps, grade your content, assess how well it covers relevant keywords, and grade its overall SEO performance. 

For example, while working on this article, I noticed that existing content on the Skyscraper Technique lacked information on advanced tools and strategies, such as using AI tools for content analysis or influencer outreach for link-building. I added a section on advanced Skyscraper Techniques to address this gap, highlighting new approaches no other article includes.

3. List down possible distribution partners

Even though you’re writing a blog that is sure to be a success, that doesn’t guarantee that all the people you contact will publish it. You need a list of potential blogs, brands, and influencers interested in your content to reach out to.

Brian Dean had an outreach success rate of 11%. This might not sound like a lot, but it made a great impact. How so? Remember that it isn’t the quantity that matters; it’s the quality. An 11% success rate can bring amazing results if your entire list consists of high-quality links. A good way to start the list is to write down the blogs you already know of. Then, jump online to search for similar blogs with an overlapping audience. Here's how you do it. 

• Use the Link Intersect feature under Competitor Analysis on Ahrefs to find the list of referring domains linking to the top-ranking content that you don't have. These are your potential targets.

• You can also look at the competitor content's backlink profile and export the list of sites linking to it using Site Explorer on Ahrefs.
  
  

The list usually includes spam and irrelevant sites. Clean it up to include only high-authority sites with higher domain ratings and relevant content.

Find the relevant person to reach out to for these domains. They may be the writer, editor, website owner, or someone from the SEO or website management teams. You can use tools like Hunter.io to find their email addresses or connect with them on LinkedIn. Keep this list ready. 

4. Promote the new and improved content

Showing social proof is a necessity now before you can reach out to any sites or brands. You must first create a buzz with your audience to establish such proof. So get on your social media channels and promote your piece.

• Create social copies: Prepare about 20 snippets from the content to share on social media, including variations of your headline, key quotes, statistics, or compelling takeaways. Tailor these snippets to different platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) for maximum reach. 
• Use visuals: Incorporate your content's eye-catching images, infographics, or short videos to make the posts more engaging and encourage shares.
• Tag influencers: Mention or tag relevant influencers or industry experts in your posts to increase visibility and encourage engagement.
• Activate Your Network: Ask your team and professional network to help amplify the content. Their shares and engagement can help build initial momentum and increase the reach of your post.

Once your content starts gaining traction, it becomes more attractive to external websites and partners, who are likelier to link to it.

5. Share with the right people

At this point, your enhanced content will have gained some momentum, so it’s finally time to share it. Here, you can use the list of possible distribution partners from step two of the checklist.

Here’s how to do an effective outreach campaign:

• Personalize your outreach: While you may have a template, always personalize each email to demonstrate genuine interest. Mention specific points about their site, and explain why your content will resonate with their audience.
• Highlight mutual benefits: Clearly communicate what you're asking for and how sharing your content will benefit them and their followers. Make it compelling, whether it’s filling gaps in existing information or providing more depth.
• Position your content: Let them the unique selling point of your content over the piece they already link to.
• Make it easy: Attach a direct link or copy of the content so they can easily review it without jumping through hoops.

6. Work hard to stay relevant

Any content is only useful if people are interested in reading it. Over time, however, the usefulness of even the most outstanding content starts to decline. Others do the same as you and publish even better content. Newer industry trends emerge. So, your once “new and improved” content will eventually become stale.

The only way to defeat this curse and ensure that your content remains evergreen is to keep updating it. It’s hard work, but it continues to pay off because you continue to create value and, consequently, rank well.

Advanced skyscraper techniques for 2025

As SEO continues to evolve, so should your approach to the Skyscraper Technique. Here are some advanced strategies to keep your content competitive:

Use generative AI tools

Love 'em or hate 'em, generative AI tools are extremely helpful. Use AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to generate fresh content ideas, analyze gaps in existing content, and optimize for keywords.

AI goes beyond keyword density and search volume, offering unique insights such as tone analysis, content structure improvements, and even recommendations for audience-specific adjustments as long as you prompt them well.

For example, I used ChatGPT to analyze this article, revealing content gaps that traditional SEO tools missed.

Interactive content

Engagement is everything. To increase page and user interaction time, incorporate interactive elements like quizzes, calculators, or free tools into your content that users might find valuable.

This can also make your content more shareable, enhancing your link-building potential. In fact, free tools are found to be driving more traffic to websites. 

Data-driven content

With recent algorithm updates and the rise of generative AI tools, one thing is clear: Google prioritizes Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT) more than ever. In this situation, original research and exclusive data are key to standing out.

By conducting surveys, using industry data, or creating proprietary reports, you can offer insights that others can’t replicate. Data-driven content boosts your authority and makes your content more valuable, credible, and shareable.

The result? Greater chances of attracting high-quality backlinks and improving your rankings. Content backed by solid data isn’t just preferred—it’s essential for SEO success.

Multimedia integration

Boost engagement by adding high-quality multimedia elements like videos, podcasts, or explainer animations. These improve the user experience and help your content rank better in search results. If you are not adding multimedia to your content, consider creating one when distributing it on social media channels. 

Skyrocket your traffic 

The potential of the Skyscraper Technique is clear. By transforming existing high-performing content with fresh insights and promoting it effectively, you can significantly boost organic traffic, attract quality backlinks, and strengthen your brand's authority.

However, achieving success with this strategy demands both creativity and persistence. So, consistently deliver smarter, more valuable content than your competitors. You’ll create a powerful foundation for long-term growth and sustained visibility.

Want to improve more? Read about proven on-page SEO strategies from an SEO expert.  

This article was originally published in 2020 and has been updated with new information.