Once you've mastered the fundamentals of link building, it's time to explore more sophisticated strategies that can dramatically accelerate your results. These advanced techniques require more effort and expertise but deliver exceptional returns when executed properly.
The Skyscraper Technique
Popularized by Brian Dean of Backlinko, the skyscraper technique involves finding content that has earned many backlinks, creating something significantly better, and then reaching out to sites that linked to the original to promote your improved version.
Step 1: Find Link-Worthy Content
Use backlink analysis tools to identify content in your niche that has attracted substantial links. Look for pieces that are outdated, incomplete, or could be improved in design and presentation.
Step 2: Create Something Better
Develop content that surpasses the original in every meaningful way. This could mean more comprehensive coverage, better visuals, updated information, improved design, or additional multimedia elements.
Step 3: Outreach to Linkers
Contact websites that linked to the original content, introducing them to your superior alternative. Frame your outreach around the value you're providing rather than asking for a favor.
Broken Link Building
Broken link building turns a common website problem into a link building opportunity. When you find broken outbound links on relevant websites, you can offer your content as a replacement resource.
Finding Broken Link Opportunities
Use browser extensions or dedicated tools to scan resource pages in your industry for broken links. Focus on pages that link to multiple external resources, as these site owners have demonstrated willingness to link out.
Creating Replacement Content
Before reaching out, ensure you have quality content that genuinely serves as an appropriate replacement. Sometimes this means creating new content specifically designed to fill the gap left by defunct resources.
Crafting Your Outreach
Your outreach email should helpfully alert the site owner to the broken link and suggest your resource as a replacement. This approach provides value by helping them maintain their page quality while naturally introducing your content.
Digital PR and Newsjacking
Digital PR applies traditional public relations tactics to earn coverage and links from online publications. This strategy can generate high-authority links from news sites, industry publications, and influential blogs.
Creating Newsworthy Content
Develop content with news value such as original research studies, industry surveys, provocative data analyses, or expert commentary on trending topics. According to Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab, journalists increasingly rely on quality research and data when developing stories.
Building Media Relationships
Identify journalists and publications that cover your industry. Follow them on social media, engage with their work, and position yourself as a helpful resource before pitching story ideas.
Newsjacking Opportunities
Monitor trending news in your industry and quickly create content that provides expert analysis or additional context. Timely, insightful commentary on breaking stories can attract links from publications covering the news.
Competitive Link Analysis
Analyzing your competitors' backlink profiles reveals opportunities you might otherwise miss. Understanding where competitors earn links helps you replicate their successes and identify gaps in their strategies.
Identifying Link Sources
Use backlink analysis tools to examine where your top competitors earn their best links. Look for patterns in the types of content, publications, and strategies that work in your space.
Replicating Competitor Links
Many link sources that work for competitors will also work for you. If a competitor earned a link from a resource page, industry directory, or guest post opportunity, pursue those same opportunities with your own content.
Finding Underserved Opportunities
Identify topics and link sources that competitors haven't fully exploited. Being first to create definitive content on emerging topics can establish lasting authority that's difficult for competitors to overcome.
Resource Page Link Building
Many websites maintain curated lists of resources, tools, and references for their audiences. Getting listed on relevant resource pages provides valuable links and drives targeted referral traffic.
Finding Resource Pages
Use search operators to find resource pages in your niche. Searches like "keyword + resources" or "keyword + useful links" reveal pages dedicated to curating external content.
Qualifying Opportunities
Not all resource pages are worth pursuing. Focus on pages with quality content, reasonable domain authority, and active maintenance. Outdated or spammy resource pages provide minimal value.
Crafting Your Pitch
Demonstrate that your content genuinely fits the resource page's theme and would benefit its visitors. Explain why your resource deserves inclusion alongside their existing recommendations.
Link Reclamation
Link reclamation involves recovering links you should have but don't. This includes fixing broken links to your site, claiming unlinked brand mentions, and ensuring citations include proper attribution.
Finding Broken Links to Your Site
Websites that previously linked to your content may have broken links due to URL changes, page deletions, or technical issues. Identify these broken links and either fix the underlying problem or redirect the URL to appropriate content.
Claiming Brand Mentions
Set up alerts for mentions of your brand, products, or key personnel. When you find mentions that don't include links, reach out and politely request that they add attribution with a link.
Building Linkable Assets
Linkable assets are content pieces specifically designed to attract backlinks. These investments in high-quality content pay dividends over time as they continue earning links passively.
Interactive Tools and Calculators
Free tools that solve problems for your audience naturally attract links when people share and reference them. From simple calculators to complex interactive experiences, tools generate ongoing links without continuous promotion.
Original Research and Studies
Primary research provides unique data that others can't replicate. Industry surveys, data analyses, and research reports become citation sources that earn links whenever others reference your findings.
Comprehensive Guides and Frameworks
Definitive guides that thoroughly cover important topics become go-to references in your industry. These evergreen assets earn links for years as new content creators discover and cite them.
Measuring Advanced Campaign Success
Advanced link building requires sophisticated measurement beyond basic link counts. Track these metrics to evaluate campaign effectiveness:
- Link velocity - The rate at which new links are acquired over time
- Link quality distribution - The authority levels of acquired links
- Anchor text diversity - Healthy variation in how sites link to you
- Traffic from backlinks - Actual visitors driven by link building efforts
- Rankings for target keywords - The ultimate measure of link building impact
Visit our SEO tools page for recommended platforms to track these metrics effectively.