The “skyscraper technique” is a link building strategy developed by Brian Dean of Backlinko. It involves creating a piece of content that is significantly better than anything else that currently exists on the web on the same topic. Once you have created this piece of content, you then reach out to websites that are linking to the existing content on the topic and let them know about your new, improved piece of content.
The skyscraper technique can be a very effective way to build backlinks because it is based on the principle of reciprocity. When you create a piece of content that is genuinely better than anything else that is out there, people are more likely to be willing to link to it. Additionally, by reaching out to websites that are already linking to content on the topic, you are increasing the chances that they will be interested in linking to your new piece of content.
The skyscraper technique has been used to great success by many websites, including Backlinko itself. In fact, Brian Dean claims that the skyscraper technique was responsible for helping Backlinko grow its organic traffic by over 110% in just one year.
1. In-depth research
In-depth research is a critical component of the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique because it allows you to identify the most popular and authoritative content on your chosen topic. This is important because it helps you to create a piece of content that is truly unique and valuable, which is more likely to attract backlinks from high-quality websites.
For example, let’s say you want to use the skyscraper technique to build backlinks to a blog post about “how to choose the right keywords for SEO.” You would start by conducting in-depth research to identify the most popular and authoritative content on this topic. This might involve using a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush to find the top-ranking blog posts and articles on this topic.
Once you have identified the most popular and authoritative content on your chosen topic, you can then use this information to create a piece of content that is even better. This might involve adding new information, providing more in-depth analysis, or creating more visually appealing content.
By conducting in-depth research, you can increase the chances that your content will be seen as a valuable resource by other websites. This will make it more likely that they will link to your content, which can help you to improve your website’s search engine rankings and increase your organic traffic.
2. High-quality content creation
High-quality content creation is the cornerstone of the skyscraper technique because it is the foundation upon which all other aspects of the technique are built. Without high-quality content, it would be impossible to attract backlinks from high-quality websites. This is because websites are only going to link to content that is valuable and informative to their readers.
There are a number of factors that contribute to high-quality content, including:
- Unique and valuable information: Your content should provide new and unique information that is not available elsewhere on the web. This could involve conducting original research, providing in-depth analysis, or sharing your own unique insights.
- Well-written and engaging: Your content should be well-written and engaging, with a clear and concise writing style. It should also be visually appealing, with the use of images, videos, and other multimedia elements.
- Authoritative: Your content should be written by an expert on the topic. This will help to establish your credibility and authority, which will make it more likely that other websites will link to your content.
Creating high-quality content takes time and effort, but it is essential for the success of the skyscraper technique. By creating content that is truly unique and valuable, you can increase the chances that other websites will link to your content, which will help you to improve your website’s search engine rankings and increase your organic traffic.
3. Skyscraper outreach
Skyscraper outreach is a crucial component of the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique, as it involves actively promoting your improved content to websites that are already linking to the original content on your topic. By reaching out to these websites, you are increasing the chances that they will replace the original link with a link to your improved version.
- Personalized communication: When reaching out to websites, it is important to personalize your message and tailor it to the specific website and contact person. Avoid sending generic emails, as these are less likely to be read or acted upon.
- Highlight the value of your content: In your outreach message, be sure to highlight the unique value and benefits of your improved content. Explain why your content is better than the original and why it deserves to be linked to.
- Provide clear instructions: Make it easy for the website owner to link to your content by providing clear instructions on how to do so. This may involve providing a direct link to your content or sending them the HTML code that they can use to add a link to their website.
- Follow up: After sending your initial outreach message, be sure to follow up with the website owner to see if they have had a chance to review your content. This shows that you are invested in building a relationship with them and that you are serious about getting your content linked to.
By following these tips, you can increase the chances of success with your skyscraper outreach efforts. Remember, the goal is to build relationships with other website owners and to provide them with valuable content that their readers will appreciate.
4. Value proposition
A value proposition is a clear statement that outlines the unique value and benefits of your content. It explains why your content is worth linking to and how it will benefit the reader. A strong value proposition is essential for the success of the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique because it encourages website owners to link to your content over the original content.
When creating your value proposition, be sure to highlight the following:
- How your content is unique and different from the
original content. - The benefits of linking to your content, such as increased traffic, improved SEO, or enhanced credibility.
- A clear call to action, such as a request to link to your content or share it on social media.
Here is an example of a strong value proposition:
“This skyscraper content is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to link building on the web. It includes everything you need to know about building high-quality backlinks, from identifying the right targets to outreach and promotion. If you’re serious about improving your website’s SEO, then you need to read this guide.”
By creating a strong value proposition, you can increase the chances that website owners will link to your content. This will help you to improve your website’s search engine rankings and increase your organic traffic.
Conclusion
A value proposition is an essential component of the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique. By clearly articulating the unique value and benefits of your content, you can encourage website owners to link to your content over the original content. This will help you to improve your website’s search engine rankings and increase your organic traffic.
5. Backlink acquisition
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a link building strategy that is designed to help you acquire high-quality backlinks to your website. Backlinks are links from other websites to your website, and they are one of the most important factors in determining your website’s search engine ranking. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank in search results, and the more organic traffic you will receive.
- Relevance: The relevance of a backlink is determined by the topic of the linking website and the content of the page that the backlink is on. The more relevant the linking website is to your website, the more valuable the backlink will be.
- Authority: The authority of a backlink is determined by the website’s overall quality and reputation. Websites with high authority are more likely to have their backlinks counted by search engines, and they will pass on more link equity to your website.
- Placement: The placement of a backlink on a web page can also affect its value. Backlinks that are placed in the main body of a content-rich page are more valuable than backlinks that are placed in the sidebar or footer.
- Diversity: The diversity of your backlinks is also important. Having a variety of backlinks from different websites is better than having all of your backlinks from the same website.
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique can help you to acquire high-quality backlinks to your website by creating content that is more comprehensive and valuable than the content that is currently ranking for your target keywords. By creating high-quality content, you can attract links from other websites that are in your industry and that have a similar target audience. This can help you to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic.
6. Traffic generation
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link building strategy that can help you to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. One of the main benefits of the skyscraper technique is that it helps you to build backlinks from authoritative websites. Authoritative websites are websites that are considered to be experts in their field and that have a high level of trust and credibility. When you get a backlink from an authoritative website, it sends a signal to search engines that your website is also authoritative and trustworthy. This can help to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic.
For example, let’s say you have a website about SEO. If you can get a backlink from a website like Moz or Search Engine Journal, it will send a strong signal to search engines that your website is also an authority on SEO. This can help to improve your website’s ranking for SEO-related keywords and increase your organic traffic from people searching for information about SEO.
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a great way to build backlinks from authoritative websites. By creating high-quality content that is more comprehensive and valuable than the content that is currently ranking for your target keywords, you can attract links from other websites that are in your industry and that have a similar target audience. This can help you to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic.
7. SEO improvement
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link-building strategy that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. One of the main reasons why the skyscraper technique is so effective is that it helps you to build backlinks from high-quality websites.
Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They are one of the most important factors that search engines use to determine your website’s ranking in search results. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your website will rank in search results, and the more organic traffic you will receive.
The skyscraper technique is a great way to build backlinks from high-quality websites because it allows you to create content that is more comprehensive and valuable than the content that is currently ranking for your target keywords. By creating high-quality content, you can attract links from other websites that are in your industry and that have a similar target audience. This can help you to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic.
Here are some examples of how the skyscraper technique has been used to improve website rankings:
- In 2017, Brian Dean of Backlinko used the skyscraper technique to improve the ranking of his article on “how to build backlinks” from #28 to #1 in Google search results.
- In 2018, Neil Patel used the skyscraper technique to improve the ranking of his article on “how to increase website traffic” from #3 to #1 in Google search results.
- In 2019, Ahrefs used the skyscraper technique to improve the ranking of their article on “how to do keyword research” from #5 to #1 in Google search results.
These are just a few examples of how the skyscraper technique can be used to improve website rankings. If you are looking to improve your website’s search engine ranking, then the skyscraper technique is a great strategy to consider.
Conclusion
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link-building strategy that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. By creating high-quality content that is more comprehensive and valuable than the content that is currently ranking for your target keywords, you can attract links from other websites that are in your industry and that have a similar target audience. This can help you to improve your website’s sea
rch engine ranking and increase your organic traffic.
FAQs on the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link-building strategy that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. However, there are a number of common questions and misconceptions about the skyscraper technique. In this section, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the skyscraper technique, including:
Question 1: What is the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique?
Answer: The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a link-building strategy that involves creating a piece of content that is more comprehensive and valuable than anything else that currently exists on the web on the same topic. Once you have created this piece of content, you then reach out to websites that are linking to the existing content on the topic and let them know about your new, improved piece of content.
Question 2: Why is the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique effective?
Answer: The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is effective because it is based on the principle of reciprocity. When you create a piece of content that is genuinely better than anything else that is out there, people are more likely to be willing to link to it. Additionally, by reaching out to websites that are already linking to content on the topic, you are increasing the chances that they will be interested in linking to your new piece of content.
Question 3: How do I find content to improve using the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique?
Answer: To find content to improve using the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique, you can use a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify the most popular and authoritative content on your chosen topic. Alternatively, you can simply search for your target keyword in Google and see what results come up.
Question 4: How do I create content that is better than the competition?
Answer: To create content that is better than the competition, you need to make sure that it is more comprehensive, more valuable, and more engaging. This means providing new information, providing more in-depth analysis, or creating more visually appealing content.
Question 5: How do I outreach to websites for backlinks?
Answer: To outreach to websites for backlinks, you need to personalize your message and tailor it to the specific website and contact person. Avoid sending generic emails, as these are less likely to be read or acted upon.
Question 6: How long does it take to see results from the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique?
Answer: The amount of time it takes to see results from the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique will vary depending on the competitiveness of your niche and the quality of your content. However, if you create high-quality content and outreach to relevant websites, you should start to see results within a few months.
Summary
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link-building strategy that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. By following the tips outlined in this FAQ, you can increase your chances of success with the skyscraper technique.
Transition to the next article section
Now that you have a better understanding of the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique, you can start using it to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic.
Tips for Using the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link-building strategy that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. However, there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of success with the skyscraper technique. Here are five tips to help you get started:
Tip 1: Choose the right topic
The first step is to choose the right topic for your skyscraper content. This should be a topic that is relevant to your business and that has a high search volume. You should also make sure that there is not already a lot of high-quality content on the topic.
Tip 2: Create high-quality content
The key to the skyscraper technique is to create content that is better than anything else that is currently available on the web. This means providing new information, providing more in-depth analysis, or creating more visually appealing content.
Tip 3: Promote your content
Once you have created your skyscraper content, you need to promote it so that people can find it. This can be done through social media, email marketing, and other outreach activities.
Tip 4: Build relationships with other websites
One of the best ways to get backlinks is to build relationships with other websites in your industry. This can be done by guest blogging, commenting on other blogs, and participating in online forums.
Tip 5: Be patient
Building backlinks takes time and effort. Don’t expect to see results overnight. Just keep creating high-quality content and promoting it, and you will eventually start to see results.
Summary
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link-building strategy that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of success with the skyscraper technique.
Transition to the article’s conclusion
Now that you have a better understanding of the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique and some tips for using it, you can start using it to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic.
Conclusion
The Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a powerful link-building strategy that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic. It involves creating content that is more comprehensive and valuable than anything else that currently exists on the web on the same topic, and then reaching out to websites that are linking to the existing content to let them know about your new, improved piece of content.
The skyscraper technique is an effective way to build high-quality backlinks because it is based on the principle of reciprocity. When you create a piece of content that is genuinely better than anything else that is out there, people are more likely to be willing to link to it. Additionally, by reaching out to websites that are already linking to content on the topic, you are increasing the chances that they will be interested in linking to your new piece of content.
If you are looking to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your organic traffic, the Backlinko Skyscraper Technique is a great strategy to consider. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can increase your chances of success with the skyscraper technique and achieve your website’s goals.
