Skyscraper Method: +110% Traffic in 14 days (Link Building Case Study)

Here’s the hard truth about link building:

Too many marketers still believe that simply creating “great content” will automatically earn them backlinks.

They think, “If it’s good enough, people will link to it.”

But that’s rarely how it works.

If you want high-quality backlinks, you need a strategic, intentional approach to both content creation and promotion.

Otherwise, you’re just guessing—like throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping something sticks.

The good news?

There’s a proven method that can help you earn valuable backlinks from nearly every piece of content you publish.

Let me show you how. Keep reading.

The Skyscraper Technique: (Content Marketing for Link Builders)

I published Google’s 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete List.

After executing “The Skyscraper Technique“, the number of backlinks to that page shot up like a rocket. More importantly, organic search traffic to my entire site, not just that post, doubled in just 14 days. As a nice bonus, that single post has driven more than 2 million referral visitors to my site so far.

The best part?

You can do the same thing for your site… even if you don’t have a Fortune 500 marketing budget or connections with influential bloggers.

The 3-Steps to Using “The Skyscraper Technique” To Get Quality Links and Targeted Traffic

Step 1: Identify content that already attracts links.

Step 2: Create something even more valuable and comprehensive.

Step 3: Connect with the right audience to share it.

Why does this method work so well, and what does it have to do with a skyscraper?

Think about walking past a towering building and wondering about the 8th-tallest one. You probably wouldn’t.

People naturally gravitate toward the best and biggest.

This strategy involves finding the “tallest skyscraper” content in your niche, and then building an even taller one.

Suddenly, your content becomes the go-to resource that everyone wants to reference and link to.

Keep in mind, the Skyscraper Technique is just one of many strategies I use to achieve first-page Google rankings. I cover the rest in my premium training course, SEO That Works.

Step #1: Identify Proven Linkable Assets

A linkable asset is the cornerstone of any effective link-building content strategy (including this one).

While I’m not sure who first coined the term “Linkable Asset,” it perfectly captures what you need: a high-value page you can use repeatedly to earn backlinks.

Remember, a linkable asset isn’t clickbait like “12 Things Spider-Man Taught Me About Social Media Marketing.”

Its content is so valuable, useful, and impressive that people can’t resist linking to it from their own sites.

But how can you tell if your linkable asset will succeed or fail?

Simple—look for content that’s already attracted a large number of links.

Step #2: Create Something Even Better

Next, take the existing content and completely outshine it.

Here’s how to elevate what’s already out there:

Make It Longer
Sometimes, simply making your article longer or adding more examples is enough to stand out.

If you see a popular post titled “50 Healthy Snack Ideas,” create one with 150—or even 500—ideas.

For example, I set out to list all 200 ranking factors… or fail trying.

The first 50 were easy. 50–100 were tough. 100–150 were tough. And 150–200 felt nearly impossible.

It took gallons of coffee and 20 hours at my laptop (with bathroom breaks, of course)…

…but the result was something better than anything else available.

More Up-to-Date

If you can take outdated content and refresh it with the latest info, you’re already ahead.

For instance, many ranking factor lists were missing key elements like social signals. If you find old content, update it with fresh, cutting-edge insights while covering the same basics.

Better Designed
A visually appealing layout can earn far more backlinks and shares than a dull, cluttered page.

Take Help Scout’s Customer Acquisition Strategies for Entrepreneurs—it’s basically a curated list of marketing resources but gets tons of attention because it looks great.

For my guide, I added a polished banner at the top to enhance its appeal.

More Thorough
Many list posts just skim the surface with bullet points and little substance.
By adding detailed explanations and practical info for each item, your content becomes far more valuable and stands a better chance of ranking at the top.

For example, I noticed other ranking factor lists lacked references and depth, so I included a brief description with sources for every point.

Important: Beat the existing content on every front—length, design, freshness, and detail.

This way, it’s clear that YOUR content is the superior resource, which is crucial when you start promoting it.

Step #3: Reach Out to the Right People

Email outreach is the core of the Skyscraper Technique — but it’s not just random link begging.

Instead, you target site owners who have already linked to similar content. This means:

• They run websites in your niche.
• They’re genuinely interested in your topic.
• They’ve previously linked out to related articles.

Your job is to kindly notify them about your new, clearly better content.

Here’s how to do it:

• Export all backlinks pointing to your competitor’s content into a spreadsheet.
• Filter out irrelevant links (like forums or directories). After cleanup, I had 160 solid prospects.
• Reach out with personalized emails using a tested template.

The results? I got 17 backlinks from 160 emails — an 11% success rate.

You might think 17 links isn’t much, but it’s about quality over quantity.

Those 17 links included powerful, high-value backlinks that caused a rapid boost in my organic traffic, and many came directly from this outreach strategy.

Sure, some links happened organically, but the Skyscraper Technique was key to landing some of the best ones.

Now it’s your turn.

I hope you see the power of the Skyscraper Technique for your website and business.

Yes, it requires effort to build something outstanding.

But with this approach, you can be confident your hard work will deliver results, unlike endlessly producing content and hoping something catches fire.

Struggling to get high-quality backlinks? Engage Coders offers expert link-building and SEO outreach services to boost your website’s authority and rank higher on Google—results you can trust. Contact us today!