How to Use the Skyscraper Technique with Hubspot to Grow Traffic

The Hubspot skyscraper technique is a powerful, repeatable method for turning existing top-performing content into even better resources that attract backlinks, shares, and organic traffic. By following a structured process, you can build content that outranks competitors and supports long-term SEO growth.

What Is the Hubspot Skyscraper Technique?

The skyscraper technique, popularized by Hubspot and other SEO leaders, is a content strategy that focuses on improving what already works in search results instead of starting from scratch.

The idea is simple:

• Find content that already ranks and earns links.
• Create a more useful, updated, and comprehensive version.
• Promote it to the right audiences and websites.

By focusing on proven topics, you reduce guesswork and lean on real search behavior and link data.

Step 1: Research High-Performing Content with Hubspot Principles

Before you write anything, you need to identify topics and pages that already perform well. Use the research mindset that Hubspot applies to content and SEO: focus on audience needs, search volume, and link potential.

How to Find Skyscraper Targets

Start with a core topic related to your product or service and look at the top-ranking pages in search results. Then evaluate them using these filters:

• Relevance: Does the topic match your audience and offers?
• Search intent: Is the content informational, commercial, or transactional?
• Link profile: Does the page already have multiple backlinks?
• Content depth: Are there obvious gaps, outdated data, or missing formats?

You can also look at your own analytics and, in a Hubspot-like content strategy, isolate posts that drive traffic but need updating or expansion.

Step 2: Analyze the Existing Top Content

The next step in the Hubspot skyscraper framework is a detailed content audit of what currently appears on page one of search results.

Audit Each Competing Page

Open the top 5–10 results for your chosen keyword and document:

• Main angle or promise in the headline.
• Content structure: headings, subtopics, and length.
• Types of media used: images, examples, templates, or tools.
• Publication or last update date.
• Depth of explanations and use of data or research.

Look for patterns. If most posts ignore certain user questions, fail to show real examples, or lack recent statistics, those gaps become your opportunity.

Identify Gaps You Can Fill

Create a simple list of improvements guided by a Hubspot-style user-first mindset:

• Questions users ask that current posts do not answer.
• Concepts that are unclear or poorly defined.
• Places where visuals, templates, or checklists would help.
• Sections that lack current data or case studies.

These gaps form the blueprint for your skyscraper article.

Step 3: Plan a Better Hubspot-Style Outline

Using your gap analysis, build an outline that improves on everything you studied. The goal is not just to be longer, but to be more useful and practical.

Key Elements of a Strong Skyscraper Outline

• Clear H1: A headline that states the benefit and reflects how Hubspot structures educational content.
• Logical H2 and H3 flow: Each major question or step becomes a section.
• Actionable steps: Turn conceptual ideas into numbered processes.
• Resources: Plan room for templates, examples, or tool mentions.
• Internal and external links: Connect related content and authoritative sources.

At this stage, you also decide how your version will stand out, such as adding screenshots, new research, or implementation checklists inspired by Hubspot guides.

Step 4: Create a More Valuable Skyscraper Article

Now you turn your outline into a complete resource. This is where you apply Hubspot-quality standards: clarity, depth, and user focus.

Writing Guidelines for Skyscraper Content

• Use short paragraphs and scannable headings.
• Define key terms before using them in detail.
• Support claims with data, examples, or mini case studies.
• Add step-by-step instructions where readers must take action.
• End each major section with a quick recap or takeaway.

Consider adding visual aids and downloadable resources to increase perceived value, following the kind of rich formatting you see in a typical Hubspot tutorial.

Make It Visually and Structurally Better

To outshine existing content, you can improve:

• Formatting: Use bullet lists, tables, and bolded phrases to highlight key ideas.
• Navigation: Add a clear hierarchy of headings for easy scanning.
• Examples: Show how the skyscraper technique works on a specific topic, similar to how Hubspot walks through marketing tactics.
• Trust signals: Reference credible sources and link to authoritative research.

Step 5: Optimize Your Skyscraper Content for SEO

With the content drafted, polish it for organic search so it can compete with leading results, including high-quality Hubspot-style pages.

On-Page Optimization Checklist

1. Include your primary keyword in the title, URL slug, introduction, and at least one subheading.
2. Write a concise meta description that captures value and encourages clicks.
3. Use descriptive alt text for images.
4. Ensure headings mirror the real questions users search for.
5. add internal links to related resources and pillar pages.

Also aim for fast page load times, mobile-friendly design, and clean HTML structure, all of which contribute to better search performance.

Step 6: Promote Your Skyscraper Like Hubspot Promotes Content

The skyscraper technique only works when people see your content. Promotion is a critical stage modeled on the outreach-focused strategy often discussed alongside Hubspot content marketing.

Build a Promotion List

Before publishing, create a list of potential promoters:

• Sites that linked to the original content you improved.
• Industry blogs and newsletters covering similar topics.
• Relevant communities, forums, and social groups.
• Influencers or subject matter experts who care about the topic.

Outreach and Distribution Steps

1. Publish your skyscraper article and test that all links and visuals work.
2. Send personalized emails to site owners who linked to earlier versions, explaining how your content adds value.
3. Share the piece via social channels, tagging experts you reference.
4. Include it in email campaigns or nurturing workflows.
5. Repurpose the content into short posts, threads, or videos to drive traffic back to your main page.

This steady, targeted promotion mirrors how a mature marketing team, such as one following Hubspot methodologies, amplifies cornerstone content.

Step 7: Measure, Refine, and Repeat

After launch, track performance so you can refine your approach and continuously build new skyscraper content.

Metrics to Monitor

• Organic traffic and rankings for your target keywords.
• Backlinks acquired and referring domains.
• Time on page and scroll depth.
• Conversions, signups, or other key actions.

Use these insights to update the article, expand sections that perform well, and identify new skyscraper opportunities, similar to how Hubspot iterates its top-performing guides.

Learn More and Apply the Skyscraper Technique

To explore a detailed example of this strategy in action, study the original skyscraper technique article from Hubspot at this resource. You can then adapt the same process to your own industry, topics, and offers.

If you want help designing a broader SEO and content strategy around skyscraper posts, consider consulting a specialist agency such as Consultevo, which focuses on performance-driven organic growth.

By blending the skyscraper framework with a user-first, data-driven mindset inspired by Hubspot content, you can systematically create pages that earn links, build authority, and drive sustainable organic traffic.