The Skyscraper Technique: How It Works and Whether It Still Works

The skyscraper technique is a link building method where you find content that has already earned lots of backlinks, create something clearly better on the same topic, and then ask the sites linking to the original to link to yours instead.

It was named and popularised by Brian Dean of Backlinko in a post first published in April 2013. The idea is the real estate logic of building the tallest tower on the block: people notice the tallest one.

It's still one of the most taught tactics in SEO. It's also one of the most abused, which is why it works far less often than the original case study suggests.

How the skyscraper technique works

Dean's version has three steps:

1. Find link-worthy content. Look for pages in your niche that have earned links from many different sites
2. Make something even better. Create a page that improves on it in ways that matter to readers
3. Reach out to the right people. Contact the sites linking to the original and show them your improved version

In the original case study, Dean reported sending 160 outreach emails and getting 17 links, with organic traffic to his whole site doubling within 14 days. That's one site's result from 2013, and it shouldn't be treated as a benchmark for what happens today.

What "better" actually means

The most common mistake is thinking "better" means "longer". A 6,000-word version of a 3,000-word article is just a longer article.

Improvements that give someone a real reason to swap their link:

• More current. Updated figures, new developments, removed advice that no longer applies
• More original. Your own data, examples, screenshots or expert input that the original doesn't have
• Easier to use. Better structure, diagrams, tables, a summary up top, a tool or calculator
• More complete in the right places. Covering the questions the original leaves unanswered, not padding

If you can't name two or three specific improvements a linking site would care about, don't start the outreach.

Does the skyscraper technique still work?

Sometimes, but the odds are worse than they were in 2013. Site owners have received a lot of near-identical "I noticed you linked to X, my article is better" emails since the technique went mainstream, and many now ignore them on sight.

When it works	When it doesn't
The original is genuinely outdated or thin	The original is already excellent
Your version has something new: data, a tool, expertise	Your version is just longer
Linking pages are actively maintained resource lists or guides	Links sit in old news articles nobody will edit
The pitch is personal and short	The pitch is a copied template
You have a credible brand or author behind it	It's a brand-new site with no track record

The underlying principle, "make the best thing on the topic and tell the people who care", is sound. The tired part is the mass email template that came with it.

How to run a skyscraper campaign today

1. Pick the topic. Use Ahrefs, Semrush or a similar link building tool to find pages with links from many referring domains, not just many backlinks
2. Audit the original. List exactly what's outdated, missing or hard to use
3. Build the better version. Focus on the improvements that matter, ideally something the original can't easily copy, such as your own data
4. Export the linking pages. Filter out spam, dead pages, forum posts and links in old news that won't be edited
5. Prioritise. Resource pages, guides and articles that are still updated are the likeliest to change a link
6. Pitch individually. Reference their page and say specifically what your version adds
7. Promote beyond outreach. Share it, cite it in guest posts and use it in digital PR pitches

The outreach list overlaps naturally with resource page link building, and if the original page has died you have a ready-made broken link building opportunity instead.

Skyscraper vs similar tactics

Tactic	The hook in your pitch	Best when
Skyscraper technique	"Mine is better than what you link to"	A popular page is clearly outdated or weak
Broken link building	"The page you link to is dead, here's a replacement"	Well-linked pages have gone offline
Resource page link building	"Here's a useful addition to your list"	Your niche has active curated link lists
Digital PR	"Here's a new story or data your readers will want"	You can produce genuinely newsworthy material

Common mistakes

• Pitching people who'll never edit. Most links in news articles are fixed once published
• Copying the original's structure with more words. Linkers can tell
• Asking them to remove the competitor's link. Ask them to consider adding yours; the choice of what to keep is theirs
• Sending templated follow-ups. One polite follow-up is enough, and the outreach email templates guide shows how to keep it human

The short version

• The skyscraper technique, popularised by Brian Dean of Backlinko in 2013, means improving on well-linked content and pitching it to the sites that link to the original
• "Better" means more current, more original and easier to use, not longer
• It works far less often than it did, because site owners have seen so many copycat pitches
• Pick originals that are clearly weak, build something with unique value, and pitch individually
• Combine it with resource page, broken link and digital PR tactics rather than relying on it alone

For how it compares on cost and effort with every other tactic, see the strategies hub.