Skyscraper Technique: How to Rank Higher in SERPs and Convert More Users

The Skyscraper Technique is the key to SEO success. But what is it, and how can it help your website? Read on to find out!

Skyscraper Technique

Photo by Myriam Jessier on Unsplash

 

What’s the secret to online success? Having a stunning user interface? Maybe adding the best content? Or, perhaps it involves looking at OnlyDomains, Domain Names to find the perfect URL? There’s no denying that these are all important elements. 

 

But to achieve true success online there is one factor that outranks all others: your search engine position. After all, what’s the point of having an excellent website if no one visits? Your search engine ranking is key to gaining users and making conversions. 

 

If you’re reading this article, you probably want to ensure that your site is top of the search list. We’ll explore how the Skyscraper Technique can help you do just that. 

What is SERP? 

SERP simply stands for Search Engine Results Page. How often do you scroll beyond the first few results when searching on Google? The average searcher is no different. The top result has 28.5% click-through rate (CTR). After that, the CTR begins to fall rapidly. By position 10, the CTR is only 2.5%. 

 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one way of making your site more search-engine friendly. But to succeed in SEO you need to make sure you have the right systems in place. The IBM mainframe computer is being used by many businesses due to its flexibility. 

 

The skyscraper technique has quickly become one of the most popular forms of SEO. 

What is the Skyscraper Technique? 

What is the Skyscraper Technique

Photo by Sean Pollock on Unsplash

 

For the skyscraper technique to work, you need to look at popular online content. For example, a blog post that has been widely shared. The piece of content you choose should have lots of backlinks (when other websites link to a page. Backlinks are a crucial part of climbing the search engine ladder). 


Once you have found the right piece, write another article on the same topic. The twist is to do it better than the original. With the new piece written, promote your article to other domains that focus on the keyword of your article. 

 

Before long you should have a fantastic link-building operation. Your website will be climbing the SERP and users will be flooding your website. 

 

But whilst it all sounds great, where do you begin? Let’s break down the process step by step.

Step 1 – Finding the Right Piece 

 

First things first, you need a keyword. This is a phrase that is frequently used in online searches. Your keyword should relate to a topic that your brand would cover. There’s no point in creating irrelevant content. For example, it doesn’t make sense for a law firm to write an article on data analytics. 

 

Once you’ve chosen a keyword, you can look for articles that cover your chosen topic. Ideally, you want to base your content on the top result in the SERP. This alone means that its been widely shared and commented on. Above all, it means that the article has plenty of high-quality backlinks. 

Choosing the Perfect Keywords

If you’re new to SEO, you might feel unsure about finding the perfect keyword. There’s no denying that finding the right word will take time. It’s frustrating, but the more effort you put in the bigger the reward. The right keyword usage can transform an article’s success. 

The process is easier to take in if it’s broken down into a number of steps. Let’s do that: 

 

  1. Ensure that you have clear goals for your SEO strategy – your keywords will need to align with these. 
  2. Break your goals down into relevant topics, and read articles written in the same niche. 
  3. Consider the search terms people use to find popular articles. Use these terms as a basis for ‘seed keywords’. 
  4. Input your seed keywords into keyword research software. This will produce a list of ‘long tail keywords (these are more descriptive and can relate directly to your niche topic). 
  5. And there you have it, you should have a list of keywords to fill your articles. 

Step 2 – Build on Success 

Now is the time to create some new content. But don’t just write and hope for the best. Remember, your new content needs to be better than the original article. This means taking time to think about an article and asking yourself ‘what could be better?’. 

In general, it’s a good idea to focus on some of the following aspects: 

 

  • People want actionable insights. Are you providing the depth of information that people want? Are there any areas in the original article that could be expanded upon? 
  • Your article should be up to date. If the original is full of outdated stats and information, try to incorporate more relevant info. 
  • Make your article visually appealing. People don’t always want a blizzard of information. Try to include infographics and videos. 
  • Offer more content. If the original article lists 7 tips, try to list 10.  

Step 3 – Promoting Your Piece

Your article is written – fantastic. Now’s the time to begin link building. But what’s the best way to promote your piece to domains? The process begins by looking back at the original template article. Where did it gain backlinks from? To find out, you can use a backlink checker, there are many different choices online. 

Take time to research the domain and find the right person to contact. You’ll be wasting your time if you don’t contact the person with the right seniority. Once you’ve found the right person, you’ll need to have the perfect pitch. Explain how your article builds on the successes of the article that they have previously linked to. 

Tips for Boosting Success 

This is a basic framework for the skyscraper technique. Still feeling uncertain? Let’s look at some tips that will hopefully boost your levels of success. 

Always Personalize 

What’s one surefire way of having your email ignored? Sending out generic, blanket emails is arguably the biggest mistake you can make. If a high-ranking member of your target domain gets an email reading ‘dear representative’, they aren’t likely to be won over. 

 

Similarly, you might have found some outreach templates online – ignore these. Whilst they make your life easier, they’re also used by a lot of link builders. There’s a good chance that if a domain recognizes a template, they’ll ignore your email. 

 

Instead, write an email yourself. Be sure to explain why you like their website, and why link-building with your site would benefit them. 

 

Here are a few examples of basic outreach principles: 

 

  • Explain what a domain will gain from backlinking. It shouldn’t all be about your website. Remember your trying to sell yourself to them. For example, you might offer to feature their brand name within your article. 
  • Showcase your best work. There’s no point sending average articles, you’re trying to impress the domain. Prove the success of an article by pointing out the number of comments and shares. 
  • Always show up-to-date content. No matter how successful an article is, a domain won’t be interested if it’s outdated.

Find As Many Prospects As Possible 

Your first port of call might be the domain that backlinked to your source article. But this shouldn’t be your only lead. After all, by only pursuing one prospect, you’re massively increasing your chance of failure. If a domain doesn’t get back to you, you’re stuck. 

 

There will likely be many articles covering your chosen topic, each with its own set of backlinks. Why not view as many articles as possible and build up a list of backlinks? That way, if your initial choice doesn’t work out, you have some backup options.

 

And the good news is that lower-ranking posts will almost certainly be of poorer quality than your new piece. These domains are more likely to be favorable to the idea of linking to your article.  

Find Domains with Outdated or Poor Quality Links 

The aim of backlinking is to send readers to high-quality resources. No domain wants to gain a reputation for poor backlinking. Do some research and try to find outdated or poor-quality articles that have backlinks. 

 

Contact these domains and plug your up-to-date, high-quality content. The domain will want to do away with poor-quality links. By showing that you have an alternative, domains will be unlikely to resist your offer. 

Pitfalls to Watch Out For 

Like all forms of SEO, the skyscraper might not always go to plan. Without proper care and attention, you might find yourself stumbling into simple pitfalls. Two common examples are listed below. 

Not Carrying Out Proper Keyword Research 

We’ve talked about how important keywords are. In essence, they can make or break your article. That’s why it’s so important to carry out keyword research. But sadly, many content creators overlook this crucial step. 

 

Spending ten minutes picking keywords simply isn’t enough. Even if the topic is right, the article won’t see the light of day without the right keywords. What’s more, you won’t find many domains willing to add backlinks if your keywords are an afterthought. 

Longer Doesn’t Equal Better 

Some people make the mistake of making content as long as possible. After all, shouldn’t you always offer more content than your competitors? Well, not necessarily. People don’t generally read reams and reams of text. People want access to information to be quick and easy. If you make overly long blog posts, people won’t stick around.  

 

One website’s content audit found that the right length for content was 1,600 words. Of course, this might not necessarily be the case for you. Keep an eye on your successful content and the associated word counts. You can use these to find a ballpark figure for the ideal content length. 

Don’t Overlook Other Factors 

As useful as the Skyscraper Technique is, alone it’s not enough for online success. There are other factors that will influence your discoverability. For example, usability is a big factor. Google penalizes websites that aren’t user-friendly on mobile phones. 

 

Another important element is your domain name. It needs to be easy to remember, and relevant to your audience. For instance, if you’re an Australian business, you will probably choose a .au domain name (OnlyDomains, Australia might have a solution for you). 

Start Climbing 

start climbing

Image Source

 

SEO marketing to increase rankings should be at the heart of every online business. Getting SEO right, however, is easier said than done. To succeed in SEO, you need good quality, consistent content. 

 

But making content means more than just having the right tools (although having access to a tool such as Formstack integration definitely helps to improve workflows). For many businesses, content creation is a process of trial and error. 

 

The Skyscraper Technique means no more head-scratching. Instead, you already know what works. Your only task is to make the content better

 

That’s not to say that the Skyscraper Technique doesn’t pose its own challenges. Keyword research is essential, as is ensuring the best outreach. There’s no denying, though, that the Skyscraper Technique can have real benefits for your link-building operation. Done properly, you’ll start climbing the SERP and boosting website conversions.  

 

The Skyscraper Technique could be the key to online success. Why not try it out today?