Skyscraper content strategy - Creating content better than what ranks

An article ranks number three for your target keyword. It covers 10 points on the topic. But you noticed it missed five important angles. You noticed its examples are outdated. You noticed it has no visuals. So you write an article covering all 15 points, with fresh examples, with original data, with helpful visuals. You just built a skyscraper. It is taller, better, more useful than what ranks. Search engines notice. Your article outranks the competition.

What skyscraper content is

Skyscraper content is content that is demonstrably better than what currently ranks. Taller. More comprehensive. More useful. More recent. More authoritative.

The metaphor is literal. A skyscraper is taller than buildings around it. Skyscraper content is taller (longer), more detailed, more valuable than competing articles.

Skyscraper content is not just long. You can write a 5,000-word article that adds nothing. Skyscraper content adds genuine value. It covers more angles. It provides better data. It delivers better insights.

Why skyscraper content ranks

Search engines reward comprehensive content. A page that covers a topic more thoroughly ranks higher than one that covers it partially. Skyscraper content is comprehensive by definition.

Skyscraper content gets more backlinks. When you create something demonstrably better, other sites want to link to it. More backlinks signal to search engines that your content is valuable.

Skyscraper content generates more shares. Better content gets shared more. Shares are a signal of value. More shares tell search engines that people find your content worthy.

How to create skyscraper content

Identify your target keyword. Choose a keyword that already has ranking content. You cannot create a skyscraper for a keyword with no competition. You need something to outrank.

Analyze the top three results. Read them thoroughly. What do they cover? What angles do they miss? What data is outdated? What could be explained better?

Identify gaps in existing content. Maybe the top result covers 10 points but misses 5. Maybe it has no recent data. Maybe it has no visuals. Maybe it has no examples. Document these gaps.

Create content that fills those gaps. Write longer. Add more angles. Add recent data. Add original research. Add helpful visuals. Create something demonstrably better than what ranks.

Making your skyscraper taller

Add original data. Surveys, studies, original research. If you cite research, do original research too. Original data beats cited data.

Add recent examples. If existing content uses 2020 examples, use 2024 examples. Freshness matters. Newer examples show you are current.

Add visual media. Screenshots, infographics, videos. Visual content breaks up text. It helps readers understand. It also keeps them on your page longer.

Add more subtopics. If the top result covers 10 subtopics, cover 15. Go deeper on each subtopic. More depth plus more breadth equals skyscraper content.

Add actionable takeaways. Do not just explain. Provide concrete steps. Provide templates. Provide checklists. Make your content more useful than what ranks.

Promoting your skyscraper content

Skyscraper content only works if people know it exists. Promotion is critical. You created something great. Now tell the world.

Email your audience. If you have an email list, tell subscribers about your new content. Some will link to it. Some will share it.

Share on social media. Post about your new content. Share insights from it. Tease value. Some visitors will click. Some will link.

Reach out to sites that linked to competing articles. Say: "I created something better. You might want to link to this instead." Some will update their links. You gain backlinks.

Contact journalists and bloggers who cover your topic. Tell them about your research or insights. They might cite you or link to you.

Frequently asked questions