What Is the Skyscraper Technique?
The Skyscraper Technique is a deliberate content and link-building methodology that follows three distinct steps. First, you identify a piece of content in your niche that has attracted a significant number of backlinks from credible websites. This is done using a link analysis tool such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz, by searching for well-linked pages related to your target topic. Second, you create a version of that content that is meaningfully better. "Better" can mean more comprehensive, more current, more visually structured, more locally relevant, or based on original research that the existing piece lacks. Third, you reach out by email to the sites that link to the original content and let them know a superior resource now exists, with a polite suggestion that they consider updating or adding their link.
The logic behind the technique is straightforward. If a website already links to content on a particular topic, they have demonstrated a willingness to link out on that subject. Presenting a better resource to someone who is already predisposed to link increases the probability of earning a backlink compared to cold outreach for an entirely new topic. The technique was popularised by SEO consultant Brian Dean of Backlinko in 2015, and despite changes to search algorithms since then, the core principle of earning links through genuinely superior content remains highly effective.
Quality is the critical variable. A longer article is not automatically a better one. A Skyscraper piece must add real value: newer data, a clearer structure, original expert input, improved examples, interactive elements, or local specificity that the existing content does not provide. For South African businesses, this often means producing the definitive local resource on a topic, for instance a guide to CIPC registration requirements, VAT compliance for small businesses, or digital advertising benchmarks for the South African market, that outperforms international equivalents in depth and local relevance.
The outreach phase requires care. Personalised, specific emails that reference the exact page linking to the original content convert at a far higher rate than templated mass outreach. Mentioning specifically what your content adds that the existing resource does not is the most persuasive approach. A 5 to 15% positive response rate is considered reasonable for a well-executed Skyscraper outreach campaign.
Skyscraper Technique In Practice
A Johannesburg-based HR consultancy identified a well-linked article titled "South African Labour Law: A Basic Guide" that had 120 referring domains. Their version of the content added a comprehensive clause-by-clause summary of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, an interactive table of notice periods by employment category, updated case law from the past two years, and a downloadable checklist for HR managers. After publishing, the team emailed 90 of the 120 linking sites with a personalised note explaining the additions. Within three months they had earned 22 new referring domains, and the page ranked in the top three for several competitive labour law queries in Google South Africa.
The Skyscraper Technique pairs well with a content pillar strategy. A pillar page created through Skyscraper logic becomes the authoritative centrepiece of a topic cluster, drawing links that benefit the entire cluster's rankings through internal link equity. When combined with a content refresh cycle to keep the piece current, a single Skyscraper asset can compound its link and ranking value over several years.
How the Skyscraper Technique works
The Skyscraper Technique is a content and link-building method with three steps. First, find content on a topic that already performs well and has earned links, proving there is demand and link interest. Second, create something significantly better, more comprehensive, more current, better designed, more useful, so it stands as the tallest building on the block, hence the name. Third, reach out to the sites that linked to the original or similar content, showing them your superior version and suggesting they link to it instead or as well. The logic is that people link to the best resource, so by making the demonstrably best one and bringing it to the attention of those already inclined to link, you earn links and rankings. It combines content quality with targeted outreach.
The limits of the Skyscraper Technique
The Skyscraper Technique still works, but not as a mechanical formula, and several limits temper it. Simply making content longer than a competitor is not enough; being genuinely better and more useful is what earns links, and length without added value fails. Outreach has become harder as the tactic has been widely used, so generic requests are often ignored; genuine relevance and a real reason to link matter. It also works best in topics where people actively link to resources, and less well in areas where they do not. And it demands real effort to produce the superior content and do the outreach properly. Treated as a prompt to create the best resource on a topic and promote it thoughtfully, it remains effective; treated as a shortcut, it disappoints.
FAQ
Who invented the Skyscraper Technique?
The Skyscraper Technique was coined by SEO consultant Brian Dean of Backlinko in 2015. He documented a case study in which applying the method to one piece of content increased his organic search traffic by 110% in 14 days. The term has since become widely used in content marketing and SEO circles globally, including South Africa.
Does the Skyscraper Technique still work for South African websites?
Yes, the Skyscraper Technique still works when executed properly. The content must be genuinely better, not merely longer. In South African markets it works well for business guides, regulatory explainers, and local industry data, particularly where you can offer original research or updated statistics that no existing page has yet covered.
What are the steps of the Skyscraper Technique?
Three: find well-performing content on a topic that has earned links; create something significantly better and more useful; then reach out to sites linking to the original or similar content, showing them your superior version and suggesting they link to it. It pairs content quality with targeted outreach.
Why do some Skyscraper campaigns fail?
Usually because the new content is merely longer, not genuinely better, so it gives no real reason to link, or because outreach is generic and ignored. The technique works only when the content is demonstrably the best resource and the outreach is relevant and thoughtful, not a mechanical shortcut.