The three steps
- Find: use a backlink tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush to find popular content with many links.
- Improve: make a better version: more up to date, more thorough, better designed or with original data.
- Reach out: contact the people who link to the original and show them your version.
Does it still work?
It can, but less often than it used to. Many site owners receive similar emails every day, and longer isn’t the same as better. It works best when your version is genuinely more useful, for example with original research, expert input or a free tool, and when your outreach is personal rather than a mass email.