Those in the business of content creation are competing to be ahead in terms of ranking in search engines. The so-called Skyscraper Technique is guiding content managers in this race toward better search ranking.
While the term itself is intimidating to hear, the skyscraper technique is changing the way content is being made. Writing for people with shorter attention spans, creators today are bent on getting it done correctly.
The Skyscraper Technique is thus a favored strategy utilized by the industry as it delivers results. When done well, it can improve site rankings and increase website traffic. Combine these two, and it easily translates into good performance for your online business.
What is the Skyscraper Technique?
The Skyscraper Technique is a method for capitalizing on well-performing and popular content. By taking inspiration from what’s working for content that already ranks high for your target keyword, you can create something bigger, better, and more comprehensive.
Simply put, you are building on the success of others as a solid foundation for your own success. That doesn’t mean you should plagiarize someone else’s content. Instead, with Skyscraper Technique, you are replicating best practices and improving your own unique content.
The main objective of the Skyscraper Technique is to add value. Because content is king, you need to master how to craft compelling content that has all the necessary elements to perform well.
How does the Skyscraper Technique Work?
Sources on the internet about the Skyscraper Technique look a little bit intimidating. This is especially so if you focus on big data and graphs.
While incorporating lots of rich data and graphics can influence your success, doing the Skyscraper Technique is easy as ABC. Here’s a definitive step-by-step guide on how to create new content using this technique:
1. Identify an excellently-performing content that is similar to your niche or brand
You can tell a very good article if you see one. Trust your creative instinct to find well-performing content that will serve as your guide for improvement.
What are the criteria you need to use to spot excellent content? There are plenty of things to consider in this department.
An article with many backlinks tops the list. This means publishers find the content valuable and want to share it with their audiences by linking to it from their websites or blogs. Keep in mind that you will be capitalizing on the success of others to build your content, including building backlinks once your article is complete.
Other things you need to consider are its performance in search engine rankings and the quality of the written word.
2. Analyze the links published in the pieces of content you are targeting
An article’s success depends on many factors. Among these factors include the richness and the relevance of links provided in the content.
Links found in an article are like doors that lead to many doors. The content you’re using as inspiration should lead readers to many valuable resources, and your goal is to create content that will do the same, but better.
Use these links as a starting point for your analysis. Then, as much as possible, categorize them so you can create a mind map of their strengths and weaknesses.
3. Spot the weak points of the identified content
The most tedious task in the Skyscraper Technique is not the process of producing the new content, but identifying the weak points in the article you’re using as your inspiration.
How important are the identified weak points to the Skyscraper Technique? The weak points will serve as your springboard to developing your own content.
It’s difficult to improve any given article—particularly one that’s thorough and performs well in the search engines—if you don’t spot the weak points. This is the most important part of the Skyscraper Technique, as it will make or break your strategy.
4. Develop your own content
Now here comes the exciting part: creating your own content. With both strengths and weaknesses already identified, the flow of writing will be easier. This is because you have already developed a strategy to outperform your identified content.
Remember that backlinks are the currency of the Skyscraper Technique. Therefore, you’ll want to make an effort to build backlinks after you’ve published your content. Once your article starts to gain traction and moves up in the rankings, it will naturally attract more organic backlinks over time.
Another thing to keep in mind when developing your content is search intent. What are searchers looking for or hoping to achieve when they search for your target search term? Make sure that your content adequately addresses user intent for long-term success. Otherwise, while you may initially benefit from increased views and higher rankings, you won’t get the results you’re looking for as readers will quickly bounce from your site and look for content that better answers their question or solves their problem.
Does the Skyscraper Technique Really Work?
The reason that the Skyscraper Technique is gaining immense popularity is that it really works. For instance, Backlinko recorded a 110% increase in organic search traffic in just 14 days by leveraging the Skyscraper Technique.
Once published on a website, readers who find it valuable, informative, or entertaining click the share buttons to post it to their social media profiles. This gives the article a wider reach and attracts traffic (and more potential shares and backlinks). High site traffic means good business.
With good content, you are now ready to reach out to publishers and have them take a look at your freshly-written content! There’s a good chance they’ll take the bite if you’ve done your due diligence to create exceptional content and reach out to relevant publishers. If their audience will benefit from your content, they’re much more likely to link to it, so targeting the right publishers is key.
What are the Benefits of the Skyscraper Technique?
Master the art of the Skyscraper Technique, and you can expect results like the following:
- Improved search engine rankings
- Increased organic traffic
- Increased social shares
- Increased newsletter signups or sales
Does the Skyscraper Technique Excite You?
If you’re writing content and it’s not translating well in terms of profit, maybe it’s time to evaluate how you do things. The Skyscraper Technique is a powerful strategy to help you move forward to success.
While the technique is open to experimentation, do remember that it requires analyzing data. Hence, you also need to have sound judgment every step of the way. When you take your time to do the research and plan out your strategy, you’ll be well on your way to success using the Skyscraper Technique.
