Founder stories
Brian Dean and team joined Semrush. Price not disclosed.
SEO training and link building strategies blog.
How Brian acquired customers
Tools used to build Backlinko
I failed with my first 5 online businesses before Backlinko worked. Created the "Skyscraper Technique" which became an industry standard. Eventually acquired by Semrush.
Don't expect your first idea to work. My first 5 businesses failed before I found what worked.
Find content that's ranking, make something 10x better, then reach out to everyone linking to the original.
170K+ newsletter subscribers. Became one of the top 100 business blogs. Then Semrush acquired us.
Find content gaps and fill them 10x better
Skyscraper Technique works for link building
YouTube complements written content
Persistence through failures is key
See what it covers before you sign up: the pattern worth copying, the channel to test, and the risk to avoid when you adapt this story.
$100K ARR
SEO / Content
Action checklist
See what it covers first. Create an account only if you choose to unlock.
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Brian achieved 4 milestones on the path to $100K ARR
$1,000
$10,000
$1,000,000
The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone
See the complete breakdown: launch strategy, validation methods, startup costs, expert analysis, replication playbook, and more actionable insights.
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