10 Pitfalls to Avoid When Hiring a Web Content Writer

Detangling the Web:  Using these 10 Tips to Find the Right Web Writer for your Site

Hiring a web content writer is an efficient and economical way to increase your site’s search engine status and, thus, your business. But finding a content writer who will actually deliver on their promises with content that is original and finely tailored to your business can be tricky. When considering content writers, be sure to watch out for these ten pitfalls:

1. “I can deliver 50 articles in a day…” If the content writer you’re considering claims they can deliver mass amounts of content in record time, chances are they’re poaching content from other sites, running it through article spinning software, and passing it off as original work. Sites that get caught using this type of content can get banned from search altogether, rendering your website useless.

2. “…and I can do it for only a dollar an article.” Quality costs. A good website content writer will be worth the price because it’s a marketing investment that will create value through organic search hits for years to come.

3. “I’ll tag your content with every possible keyword phrase so your site always comes up.” Cramming your site with irrelevant keywords is just another way to get your site booted out of major search engines. Conversely, a quality web content writer will provide content that is ideally and specifically matched to your customer’s searches.

4. “I have tons of experience in your industry, but my client list and previous work is all confidential.” Ask for samples. If the content writer won’t provide them, move on.

5. “The future is Flash. Forget about plain text and let me build you an all-Flash site.” Flash is a great element to incorporate into your site, but search engine crawlers can’t read it. Current technology only allows text to be read and utilized by search engines, and any legitimate website content writer understands this.

6. “I’ll help you get listed on all the best pay-per-click content network sites.” Organic SEO results, the un-paid for results that appear in the middle of the page, are the results that search engine users are most likely to click on. And unlike their pay-per-click relatives, organic results can be achieved through the one-time assistance of a website content writer. After that, organic results are completely fee-free.

7. “My specialty is unique, attention-getting titles.” If your content writer is creating titles for you that don’t clearly represent your content, then you’re missing a major chunk of what draws visitors to your site. Take this article’s title for example—a clear use of keywords and a concise description of the article’s content.

8. “Social networking? We don’t do that.” Content writers that don’t offer blogging, twittering, or other social networking services are only delivering a piece of the package.

9. “I know all the best tricks for bringing customers to your site.” There are no tricks. Great content writing using well-researched keywords generates more business. It’s as simple as that.

10. “No need for us to talk. I know exactly what you need.” Your business has something unique to offer. A great web content writer will take the time to understand you and your business so the content you receive is optimally suited to your particular needs.

If you're looking to work with a professional web content writer who has what it takes to improve your site, contact our team today!

This article was written by Angela Guess, Content Strategist at Star Content, LLC. All rights reserved © Star Content 2010.