How to blog using the skyscraper technique and challenge the big boys on page one, the only place to be. Learn to earn and have a chance at success
Reading time: 6 minutes
- What is the Skyscraper technique
- Make your material better than anyone else
- ADD some data to the blog
- Challenge the status quo
- Adding authority
- Adding your own and other experience
- Adding expertise
- Bring your own experience into play
- Information Gain
- Don’t ignore the power of Bing
- The first page of a search term is the only place to be
- How to blog using the skyscraper technique to get to page one
- Conclusion
- How to blog using the skyscraper technique by Peter Hanley
What is the Skyscraper technique
In Real estate, a Skyscraper is the highest or biggest building in town. Taking that to blogging it came to mean a big long blog of many words, often 10,000 or more.
However, everything changes and the latest Skyscraper technique is taking a current-performing article with lots of backlinks and traffic and writing it better.
When many blogs simply rehash the same old material Google is looking for something more.
Google wants to refer readers to the best content and not just an exact match keyword.
Using Artificial intelligence they look for User Intent when searched and take the readers to the best available destination.
Page one of a search term is often dominated by major players all pedalling the same information in different wrapping. They understand SEO and have applied every possible trick to gain a favourable placement. So how can you beat them?
Make your material better than anyone else
The first thing to do is a Google search on your Keyphrase and see who dominates the first page. You want one with lots of backlinks and a great name like AHreffs
Look at what they offer starting at the keyword and meta description. Can you make it better?
Now go to the content and see what they have to say, or in fact, don’t say.
I am not suggesting you plagiarise material but I am saying that you can take relevant points and make them better.
Challenge what they say and offer a counterargument
Expand on the offering. turn 7 tips into 9
Check the date on the original and find recent changes you can add.
Visuals go a long way so add some appropriate images
ADD some data to the blog
Nothing grabs the eyes more than data, a Graph or a list really highlights what you are talking about.
If you can’t find anything appropriate go to Canva.com and knock up your own. It will only take a few minutes and cost nothing.
Challenge the status quo
Because it is there in black and white does not mean it is correct or has not changed since being written. Even if it is partially correct take it to the next level and challenge the position taken.
“AHreffs said to make sure there are plenty of backlinks”.However, some backlinks are just blackhat material that can not be taken into consideration. So when looking at backlinks make sure they are legitimate. so many people fall for this trap etc.
Adding authority
Google loves authority and places it ahead of so many other SEO elements. In fact, unless you borrow some authority you may not make the grade.
” a recent article by Ahreffs stated that their article was written by the resident expert in SEO.”
But, Neil Patel the owner of Ubersuggest a well-used keyword tool suggested that authority must be the highest person in the subject matter. If it is medical then a Doctor, legal a laser, or SEO is a company that specializes in it. Yoast SEO, with 5 million users takes a whole different perspective, etc
Adding your own and other experience
You will understand the power of testimonials. They are used in many places to add experience to the subject and give it credibility. This may be your own or people that have an interest in the subject.
What do my readers have to say about the Skyscraper technique and the experience and success they achieved? How could you not believe them?
Adding expertise
I have a friend Partha that promotes a different way of achieving keyword success. Partha ignores the meta description in the belief that Google will write what they want anyway and do it better than you. They have the experience so this could be true.
Partha is followed by many because he gets results. Small blogs get traffic in the thousands every month so it’s his way, Or the highway. He does not just sprout figures, he provides proof and testimonials to boot.
Partha does not scream Skyscrapers of any of the new buzzwords believing simply in the art of finding keyphrases that bring results.
Bring your own experience into play
I recently wrote a blog on the best way to do Keyword research that centred around the phrase:
Information Gain
This concept is very similar to the Skyscraper technique in that you make the current work a lot better by adding to the original content and improving on the impact.
You can even be the underdog and take on the big guns to reach page one of a search term.
When every article offers much the same material Google wants a fresh approach that challenges the assumptions within.
Your article must be written in a way to maintain page time because instant dropouts mean a bad experience. That is not what they want.
Google uses Search Intent so write for the readers and provide great answers or ways to solve an issue. This will help maintain your first-page position.
Don’t ignore the power of Bing
Bing and Yahoo combine their stats even though they are quite separate from search engines. Bing is stuck in the original mode working on exact match keywords so when Google does not give you the love you want it is often the case that Bing steps up. I find it rare to achieve a page-one rating on both at the same time.
However, Bing is still a powerful search engine in many countries so ranking with them is equally important.
Having Keywords within your post will help both Google and Bing deliver a greater volume of traffic. Of course, Content will still get you a better place in the hierarchy
The first page of a search term is the only place to be
Most searchers never go past the first three free items on page one. That is over 90% so you really need to get there. However, when that position is dominated by the big boys it is hard-core grafting to beat them at their own game.
It is far better to change your keyword to one with less traffic and competition to make life easier.
But this is not always possible.
How to blog using the skyscraper technique to get to page one
When you have to fight the battle for position one reverts to the Skyscraper technique and tackles them head-on with their own material. But, done better.
Write better quality material and add a new perspective backing it up with testimonials and user experience.
Go pretty with appropriate images, colours, and Graphs to showcase your work.
Google wants, and in fact, demands the best material. So give it your all and win the game.
Conclusion
Information gain may be the new word of the month but it carries with it a lot of growth power. When you are taking on the best you need to be better. So give it your all and watch the climb through the ranks.
How to blog using the skyscraper technique by Peter Hanley
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