The Skyscraper Technique is a link-building method: find a page with relevant links, make a more useful resource on the subject, then show it to publishers whose readers may benefit. Brian Dean popularized this three-step approach at Backlinko. It is not a promise that a longer article will rank or earn links.
What Is the Skyscraper Technique?
Past citations suggest that a topic can be useful to publishers. They do not prove that a new page will win the same links. The method works only as a test of whether you can add something readers and editors would actually use.
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. A relevant editorial link can help readers discover an explanation and may be considered by search systems, but every publisher chooses its own sources. Read our backlinks guide for the basics before planning outreach.
Step 1: Find a Page Worth Improving
Start close to your expertise. Find guides or comparisons that writers in your field cite. A backlink tool can suggest referring pages, but inspect the live pages yourself: are these editorial references or directories, copied footers and unrelated sites? Does the citation still exist? A large link count alone does not make a topic worth pursuing.
For a hypothetical Malaysian kitchen-appliance retailer, a candidate might be a guide to choosing a range hood. Look at what it answers well and where readers still lack clarity: installation dimensions, cleaning requirements, noise specifications or differences between ducted and recirculating setups. A retailer should not claim a universal rule; the correct requirements depend on the actual product and manufacturer instructions.
State the gap in one sentence: “Existing guides compare styles but do not help a buyer check whether a specific model fits the kitchen.” If someone has already filled it, or you cannot verify the missing detail, choose another topic.
Step 2: Create a Resource That Adds Real Value
Better means more useful for the reader, not automatically longer. The retailer could compare published dimensions for models it actually sells, illustrate which measurements to take, show what each product manual says about installation, and state where professional advice is needed. Keep model information and warranty terms current. If a comparison uses original product photos, label them accurately and secure permission for any third-party image.
Improvements can include corrected facts, original observations or a clearer answer to a decision the old page leaves open. Extra bullet points are not enough. If the retailer already has a useful guide, improve that URL instead of making a competing copy. Be clear that it comes from a store; do not present a sales page as an independent study.
Before publishing, ask someone familiar with the products to verify every specification and limitation. The resource must make sense even if no other website links to it. Add a useful path to relevant product or service pages rather than interrupting the explanation with repeated calls to buy.
Step 3: Approach Only Publishers With a Relevant Reason
Review the actual page that links to the older resource. Why was it cited? If a publisher uses it for range-hood installation dimensions and your page offers current, model-specific measurements, a concise note may help. If they cite an unrelated point, do not pitch. Some older links may have disappeared or been replaced already. A link list is a starting point for review, not permission to send bulk mail.
Identify the publisher's page, the precise gap and how your resource answers it. Be open about your connection to the business. For example: “Your range-hood guide discusses styles. We sell these appliances and built a current, manual-checked sizing table for the models we carry. It may help your cabinet-fit section.” Then share the page and leave the editorial decision to them. The older source may still deserve to remain linked.
Google describes paid links for ranking, excessive link exchanges and automated link creation as link spam. Editorial outreach is not a license to buy links or manufacture placements. Keep the page useful and the request honest.
How Do You Judge Whether the Method Worked?
Record the starting resource, the improvement and why each publisher was relevant. Track sent notes, replies and earned links separately; a reply is not a link, and a link is not proof of a sale. Check whether readers reach relevant product information or ask better-informed questions. If nobody responds, examine the resource and targeting before contacting more people.
Do not attribute every ranking or traffic change to one link. Search demand, page changes, competition and other links can all change. The method is most sensible when you can make a resource worth keeping even without an outreach result. For a broader set of approaches, see our link-building strategies guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Skyscraper Content?
It is a resource designed to be a more useful reference than an existing page on the same subject. Its value should come from verified facts, original evidence or a clearer answer, not simply more words.
Does a Longer Article Automatically Earn More Links?
No. A longer page can still miss the publisher's reason for citing a source. A concise, accurate comparison or original measurement may be more useful than a larger list.
Should You Ask a Publisher to Replace an Existing Link?
Only if your resource is directly relevant to the point being cited. Explain the specific difference and leave the editorial decision to the publisher; the original link may still be the better source.