Skyscraper Technique: Does It Still Work in 2026? (Honest Answer)

Brian Dean introduced the skyscraper technique back in 2013. 

He sent 160 outreach emails, attracted 17 backlinks, and watched his organic traffic jump 110% in two weeks.

Also, that single post from Brian has driven over 2 million referral visitors to his site so far.

That was over a decade ago.

Since then, thousands of SEOs have tried the exact same strategy. And most of them failed.

So does it still work in 2026? The short answer: yes, but NOT the way most people use it.

Let me explain.

What Is the Skyscraper Technique?

The skyscraper technique is a 3-step link building strategy with three simple steps:

1. Find content in your niche that already has a lot of backlinks
2. Create something significantly better
3. Reach out to the people who have linked to the original and pitch your version

The idea is simple:

Instead of publishing content and HOPING people link to it, you find content that already has tons of backlinks and create something better.

This strategy was introduced by Brian Dean.

Here’s a quick example.

Let’s say you find a post titled “5 AI SEO Tools to Boost SEO Rankings” with 50 backlinks.

You write: “25 AI SEO Tools That Actually Work in 2026 (Tested With Real Examples)”, that’s more detailed and up-to-date,

You add screenshots, comparisons, pricing, pros/cons, and REAL results.

Then you contact the sites linking to the older post and share your updated resource with them.

Does the Skyscraper Technique Still Work in 2026?

Not as effectively as it used to.

Too many people started using it, and most of them are doing it the WRONG way.

For example, here’s an email I recently received on BloggersPassion. 

As you can see above, it looks personal, but it’s basically the same template hundreds of SEOs send every day. Most bloggers recognize these emails instantly. And they usually ignore them.

Three things killed the old approach:

1. Everyone started using it. When thousands send the same boring outreach emails, no one stands out.
2. People confused better with longer. Turning a 1,500-word article into 5,000 words doesn’t add value. Most readers don’t want that.
3. Google got smarter. Rankings now depend on content quality, user experience, and search intent, not just backlinks.

So if the old way is broken, what actually works?

How to Make the Skyscraper Strategy Work?

Step 1: Find Content Worth Targeting

You want to find content that already has a ton of backlinks. Because those are the sites you’ll reach out to later.

Here’s how.

Go to Semrush > Backlink Analytics > Enter any competitor’s URL < Click “Indexed Pages.”

Look at this example. Backlinko’s “Google’s 200 Ranking Factors” post has 6,281 referring domains. Their On-Page SEO guide has 2,448. These are GOLDMINES for the Skyscraper strategy.

But don’t just pick the page with the most backlinks. Make sure it checks these 3 boxes:

• Relevant: a topic YOUR audience actually cares about
• Beatable: outdated, thin, or missing key information
• Linked: at least 50+ referring domains pointing to it

THAT’S your target.

Step 2: Create 10x Better Content

This is where most people fail.

They just add more words. That’s NOT what 10x better means.

Here’s what actually works:

Add original data: This is a BIG one. When you include data from your own site, nobody can copy that. 

Look at this BloggersPassion post, as it now ranks for 300+ keywords simply because it went deeper than what was already out there.

Quick note: We’ve intentionally blurred the post URL, as sharing it publicly could attract competitors targeting the same keyword.

Make it more up-to-date: Old stats and outdated examples are the #1 reason people stop linking to a post. Update everything.

Go deeper, not longer: Don’t just list 10 tips. Actually, EXPLAIN each one with real examples and screenshots.

Better design and visuals: Add custom images, comparison tables, and screenshots. Content that LOOKS better gets more links.

The goal is simple: when someone lands on your post and the competitor’s post, yours should be the OBVIOUS winner.

Step 3: Reach Out to the Right People

This is where the REAL magic happens.

You’re not cold emailing random people. You’re reaching out to sites that have ALREADY linked to similar content. They’ve proven they link out. You just need to give them a better option.

Here’s how to find them.

Go to Semrush > Backlink Analytics > enter the competitor URL > click “Referring Domains.”

Look at this example: Neil Patel’s article on loading time has 2,758 referring domains. THOSE are your prospects.

Now send them a short personalized email. Here’s what works:

• Mention their specific article (shows you actually read it)
• Explain what YOUR post covers that the original doesn’t
• Keep it under 5 lines, as most bloggers are really busy  
• Don’t BEG for a link, just make a friendly suggestion

And if they don’t reply? Follow up ONCE after 5 to 6 days. That alone doubles your response rate.

Brian Dean emailed 160 people using this exact approach and landed 17 links, an 11% success rate from cold emails.

Create an email that gets opened, read, and responded to

If you forget this one section, you won’t get the desired results. Ignore this “email outreach” at your own peril.

Email outreach is the biggest strategy that makes or breaks this technique. If you don’t know how to write emails that get opened, you will never be able to get the results you desire.

It’s essential to learn how to write emails that get responses.

Unfortunately, getting a response from the most influential bloggers is not as easy as it sounds. They are extremely busy and they don’t get a chance to even read your emails sometimes. That’s the reason why you need to spend time crafting perfect emails.

Here are a few effective tips to write emails that get responses from influencers.

• Write a stunning subject line. Because it is the first thing everyone will see. If it’s not compelling, consider that your email is going to be trash!
• Keep your email short and sweet. Busy bloggers don’t have enough time to read long and boring emails. So always keep your emails short and concise.
• Serve before you seek help. Before asking for shares or links from other bloggers make sure to first tweet their stuff and frequently link out to them. Blogging is all about the win/win approach.
• Always use their names and NEVER send automated emails. Personalization is the key to getting your emails opened.
• Follow up. One of the most common mistakes most bloggers make while sending out emails to others is they just send one email and expect a reply instantly. See, top bloggers in any industry are busy. They get a ton of emails every single day. If they don’t respond to your first email, it might be got out of their radar, this is the time you need to follow them up with another email. Make sure to follow up with another email after 5 to 6 days. This always gives you better results. That’s the secret to making the most out of this technique.

Here’s a sample email pitch that gets good results.

Hi [name],

My name is Anil, founder of BloggersPassion. I’ve been reading your blog from some time and I’m really impressed.

I recently wrote a post that is highly relevant to your most popular post (link).

Hope you’ll like it.

I’d appreciate your tweet!

Regards,

[your name].

See, how simple the above email is.

Is it possible to build your blog audience from scratch using the technique?

Yes, absolutely. The skyscraper strategy is the surefire way to build a successful blog from scratch.

If you want to build a large blog audience from the beginning, then you’re not alone. By using the proven methods, you can definitely build a massive blog. Unfortunately, there are not so many “proven techniques” out there that will get you results.

And creating link-worthy content using this technique is really simple. Go and find out the most popular content ideas in your industry and create better content around them. Reach out to the right people and you’ll soon start receiving great results.

Make sure to spend extra time creating longer content, adding compelling images, and making your content SEO-friendly by better optimizing them and promoting it to the right people to get the most out of this technique.

FAQs

Final thoughts

The skyscraper technique isn’t dead. But you need to be more creative now.

You can’t just write a longer article and send the same outreach email to hundreds of sites. That worked in 2013. It doesn’t work in 2026.

Today, it’s about finding weak content (still with backlinks), creating something better or different, and doing MANUAL email outreach that adds value.

So what are your thoughts on this strategy? Start implementing it for SEO, and let us know if you have any questions in the comments.