# Brian Dean

> Brian Dean is the founder of Backlinko and co-founder of Exploding Topics, two companies he built and sold to Semrush. He invented the Skyscraper Technique, one of SEO's most widely replicated link-building frameworks, and turned a nutrition PhD dropout's basement hustle into a $4M+ exit running a 7-person contractor team. Now based in Berlin, he's a sought-after voice on building media businesses that don't depend on algorithmic luck.

- **Role:** Content Contributor at Semrush / Founder (Post-Exit)
- **Organizations:** Backlinko (founded 2012, sold to Semrush 2022), Exploding Topics (co-founded 2019, sold to Semrush 2024), Semrush Academy
- **From:** Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. in Nutrition, University of Rhode Island, M.S. in Nutrition, Tufts University, Ph.D. in Nutrition (incomplete - dropped out), Purdue University
- **Known for:** Invented the Skyscraper Technique, one of SEO's most widely adopted link-building frameworks, Built Backlinko to 500,000+ monthly readers and 175,000 email subscribers with only 7 contractors, Sold Backlinko to Semrush for $4 million (January 2022)

## Career timeline

- **2008** — Dropped out of nutrition PhD at Purdue during the financial crisis; read Tim Ferriss's The 4-Hour Workweek in his father's basement in Rhode Island
- **2008-2010** — Worked as a freelance health writer for sites like Livestrong; discovered the mechanics of Google ranking
- **2010-2012** — Launched and failed at five different online businesses; ran a successful personal finance site that became his SEO laboratory
- **2012** — Founded Backlinko in December as an SEO education blog, deliberately positioned against high-frequency publishing norms
- **2013-2015** — Developed and published the Skyscraper Technique; Backlinko became a top-cited resource in digital marketing
- **2015-2020** — Expanded Backlinko into YouTube (550K+ subscribers), large-scale SEO research studies, and premium courses (SEO That Works)
- **2019** — Co-founded Exploding Topics with Josh Howarth to identify emerging trends before they go mainstream
- **2022** — Sold Backlinko to Semrush for $4 million (January 13); site had 500K monthly visitors and 175K email subscribers
- **2024** — Sold Exploding Topics to Semrush (August); site had grown to 1.61M monthly visits
- **2026** — Featured on Tim Ferriss Show Episode #861 — full circle from reading The 4-Hour Workweek in 2008

## Achievements

- Invented the Skyscraper Technique, one of SEO's most widely adopted link-building frameworks
- Built Backlinko to 500,000+ monthly readers and 175,000 email subscribers with only 7 contractors
- Sold Backlinko to Semrush for $4 million (January 2022)
- Co-founded Exploding Topics and scaled it to 1.61 million monthly visits before selling to Semrush (August 2024)
- YouTube channel grew to 550,000+ subscribers teaching SEO
- Named 'world's foremost expert on SEO' by Success Magazine
- Described as 'SEO genius' by Entrepreneur.com and 'brilliant entrepreneur' by Inc. Magazine
- Clients at Exploding Topics included Apple, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Target, and Shopify
- Featured on Tim Ferriss Show Episode #861 in April 2026
- Generated 99% of Backlinko's lifetime revenue through email marketing to 175K subscribers

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Featured on Tim Ferriss Show Episode #861: '4-Hour Workweek Success Story: Brian Dean — From Dad's Basement to Selling Two Companies'
- **2026-03** — Published 'How Brian Dean Would Launch Backlinko in 2026' — advocating YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, email, and podcasts over pure SEO blogs
- **2026-01** — Published '5 Massive AI SEO Predictions' and 'How I'd Build a Business in 2026 (Zero SEO Dependency)' on YouTube
- **2024-08** — Sold Exploding Topics to Semrush (second acquisition by same buyer); site had 1.61M monthly visits
- **2022-01** — Sold Backlinko to Semrush for $4 million on January 13, 2022

## Links

- Website: https://backlinko.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianedean/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/BrianEDean
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrianDean
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briandean/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/brian-dean
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-04