Google’s “Helpful Content Update” Is Crushing the The Skyscraper Approach
The skyscraper approach (or skyscraper technique) has been a bedrock of content creation for years.
Long before it had a name, people were doing it.
Every generic business book after “Think and Grow Rich” used this approach in some way (whether or not they were aware).
The method is simple.
- Find something that people already like
- Copy it without stealing it verbatim
- Add a little extra to make yours better
- [Optional but Recommended] Sprawl out all the cash you’ve made across your bed and dive into it like Scrooge McDuck.
Bloggers do this all the time.
We write our own version of a blog post that is already seeing the results we want and then we add 20% more to it (give or take).
More images, data, etc.
Here’s a pretty little picture I made explaining it.
On the surface, this isn’t a terrible thing. It means the content we read is always improving.
It also incentivizes creators to regularly update their content so that other people don’t knock them out of their spots.
Google sees beyond that, though.
Google realizes that it’s time to encourage more originality and less emulation and flat-out copying.
Google realizes that it’s time to encourage more originality and less emulation and flat out copying.
They want a more holistic view for the searcher as opposed to showing them page after page of the same article.
Google’s goal, after all, is to answer the searcher's query as quickly as possible.
If they don’t like the first result, why would they prefer the next ones that are nearly identical?
Wouldn’t they increase the chances of answering the query if they showed more types of content that could be helpful?
Their latest update in May 2022 showed they’re taking this approach seriously.
What the May Google Algorithm Means
You should read the full update brief here, but for now, here is a tremendously over-simplified explanation…
The new update favors original content and no longer rewards “me too” pieces that bring little more to the topic.
Google’s algorithm is amazing for people performing searches but it was brutal for a lot of bloggers and SEO professionals who leveraged the skyscraper approach.
Bloggers who had been getting results simply by mimicking content that was already ranking likely saw a sharp decline in traffic.
How the Skyscraper Approach Changed
The problem here is that the very nature of “building but making it better” is based on, mostly, unoriginality.
Unoriginalilty is the enemy of the May update.
Although there is still a place for this sort of content, and we should always aim to make the “best piece” on a topic, we can’t focus so much on the emulation and addition approach.
It means creating content that gives the searcher unique options.
Instead of a taller skyscraper, maybe we build an apartment complex?
Time will tell how this plays out.
I live and die by analogies, so here’s another one to explain how I think Google wants us to approach content creation after the May update.
Imagine you're an investor considering opening a new business in a nice empty lot in a bustling city.
If there are already 5 bakeries on the street, do you think the people want another one?
Yes, it’s clear that people like bakeries since 5 are here and in business, but is a 6th really our best opportunity?
How about…a wine bar instead?
That sounds like a nice stop before or after grabbing a cupcake from one of the 5 bakeries!
Stepping out of analogies and into some concrete examples with our content…If everyone is trying to rank for “Product + Review + Year,” we should shift a bit.
We could compete with these articles with something like, “5 (Product) Features That I Didn’t Realize I Couldn’t Live Without.”
This type of article also showcases your unique experience. This plays into the new originality bias well.
Obviously, the skyscraper approach will still work going forward, BUT it shouldn’t be the bedrock it once was. It will be less effective for certain topics and we can’t blindly follow it.
We need to focus on creating more unique content and less “me too” fluff.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!
