I’ve had some interesting conversations with prospective clients lately. They come to me asking for help rewriting a blog that someone else wrote for them.
Here’s the thing. I don’t ask a lot of questions. If they want me to know the backstory, they will tell me. But when I review the content, I can usually see what happened.
- The blog is not optimized for SEO.
- There are spelling and grammar mistakes.
- The writer did not even run it through a basic tool like Grammarly.
- The tone feels off.
- Sometimes it reads like it was written by a non-native English speaker.
- Other times, it is clearly AI-generated.
The list goes on.
All of these issues can be concerning. And they can be expensive.
In many cases, you either tried to write it yourself or you hired someone at the lowest rate you could find. There is no shame in that. Not everyone is a trained writer. We all have different skills. I likely cannot do what you do. And that is okay.
But now you are paying the price.
What Does “Cheap” Content Really Cost?
Cheap content rarely stays cheap.
If you pay for a blog post that does not rank, does not convert, and does not reflect your brand well, you are not saving money. You are adding another task to your to-do list. You still have to fix it.
What does that mean? It’s not pretty. Here’s what ends up happening.
- You pay someone else to rewrite it
- You spend your own time editing it
- You publish something that hurts your credibility
- Or worse, you let it sit on your website doing nothing
When content does not work, it is not neutral. It can hold your business back.
What Is a Reasonable Investment in Content?
Let’s talk numbers for a moment.
Peak Freelance recently outlined common industry ranges, which I shared in a recent article that I wrote about unrealistic writing budgets. That said, the rates below are not unreasonable. They’re pretty common for good-quality content.
- $250 to $399 for a 1,500-word blog post
- $500 to $999 for a whitepaper
- Per-project pricing is the most common model
In that same article, I also shared that ZipRecruiter reports the average annual pay for a freelance blogger in the U.S. at $62,275. That includes writers with far less experience than I have and those with more. Peak Freelance also suggests that writers with more than two years of experience are more likely to bring in closer to $100,000 per year.
I have more than 30 years of experience.
So where do I fit?
If I were to use similar ranges per my current rate card, it would look like this:
- $180 for a 1,500-word blog post
- $300 to $600 for a whitepaper, depending on length
- Per-project pricing at $0.12 per word or $75 per hour
Those numbers tend to work out about the same.
You might be wondering why my rates are lower than many of the averages listed above.
First, you are paying me directly. I own my own business. I work from home. I do not have agency overhead to cover. Agencies have teams, office space, and additional expenses. That often means markup.
Second, I want to offer a price point that allows you to move forward. I do not want you sitting there debating whether you should start a business blog.
Because yes, you should.
Why Blogging Still Matters for Your Business
A business blog is not just “nice to have.” It can support your growth in real ways.
Blogs can accomplish so many things. Here are just a few ways that your business can benefit in a big way.
- Help generate leads and increase revenue
- Improve your search engine optimization so more people can find you
- Build authority and trust with your audience
Google values content that reflects experience, expertise, authority, and trust. When your blog shows that you understand your field, you are more likely to show up in search results.
There is also research to back this up. A study conducted by Research Now some time ago found that 84% of consumers make a purchase after reading about a product or service on a blog.
That is not a small number. And I don’t think that number has changed over the years. So when your content is poorly written, unoptimized, or clearly rushed, you are missing real opportunities.
The True Cost of Cheap Content
So what is the cost of cheap content? Let me lay it on the line for you.
- You pay twice when you have to hire someone else to fix what should have been done right the first time.
- You lose traffic when your blog is not optimized for search engines.
- You damage trust when readers notice grammar errors or awkward phrasing.
- You waste time editing content instead of running your business.
- You miss sales when your blog does not clearly guide readers toward action.
None of that feels inexpensive in the long run.
A Fair Rate for Quality Content
I am not the cheapest content writer out there. I am also not the most expensive.
I have intentionally set my rates to earn a comfortable living while providing well-written, SEO-optimized content at a reasonable price.
When you hire a professional writer, you are not just paying for words. You are paying for research. Strategy. Structure. Experience. You are paying for someone who understands how to write for both humans and search engines.
And you are paying for peace of mind.
If you are tired of rewriting content that should have worked the first time, it may be time to rethink what “cheap” is actually costing you.
Ready to Invest in Content That Works?
If you are ready to publish blog posts that reflect your expertise and support your business goals, I would love to help.
Contact me to learn more about my services, view samples, or request a quote. Let’s create content that works the first time.