Judging by the popularity of our blog post about how much social media marketing costs, people are very interested in how much agencies and freelancers charge to manage social media.

In fact, that post is currently ranking #1 in Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) for a variety of keywords associated with that phrase.

So we decided to write a post about how much professional web content writing costs.

This pricing guide has been updated for 2018, and will tell you how much it costs to outsource landing pages, blog posts, press releases and other web content — both for our agency and in general. We did quite a bit of research, so you won't have to!

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How Much Does Web Content Writing Cost?

There are many different types of web content writing, each with different price points. Most of our web content writing services involve one of the following:

1. Landing pages involve writing content like you see on our home, about and services pages.

They should have distinct calls to action, include the SEO keywords you're trying to target and be somewhere in the range of 250-450 words long (depending on the design of the site). The purpose of landing pages is to convert browsers to buyers, and having amazing content can make a huge difference in your conversion rates.

Poorly written content can seriously affect your sales. Landing pages are the most difficult to write out of all the web content, which is why they're so expensive.

2. SEO blog posts are one of the easiest ways to increase your website traffic.

They drive SEO, fuel social media marketing campaigns and are a good way to introduce people to your brand. Blog posts give people a reason to visit your website, and once readers are there they tend to click around a little. In a directly indirect way, blog posts drive sales — or at least, they do when they're written correctly.

How to Write a Blog Post That Converts — AND Brings in SEO Traffic [Checklist + Complete Guide]

To see what it takes to write a blog post that ranks in SERPs and converts site visitors into buyers, read our guide to writing blog posts that convert.

3. Mini blog posts â€“ like regular blog posts, only e-mailed to the client as a Word file.

Most of our clients have us post the posts directly to their websites (we include relevant tags/categorization, social bookmarking and other extras), which saves them time and costs them more money. Choosing the mini blog post option takes the client a little more time, but saves them some cash. Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe.

4. Link bait and "in-depth" articles â€“ like standard SEO blog posts, only twice the length and hyped up on awesome.

Designed to go viral, link bait articles tend to be provocative in one way or another. There's a huge amount of effort and talent involved in writing link bait articles, but the traffic payoff is often worth the per-word rate.

So, how much does all this web content writing cost? It's hard to say, because most companies don't advertise their prices. Here's what we were able to find out, though:

How Much Do Landing Pages Cost?

Landing page content is where you want to drop your money, since it acts as your website's silent salesman.

If your web content is coming off like a sweaty and desperate used car salesman, it's not going to convert and your sales are going to suffer. Who cares if you're getting a ton of traffic if none of it is converting into actual sales? With that said, how many Benjamins should you expect to throw at your website copy?

"Your website #copy can be your best #sales asset, but not if it sounds like a sketchy used car salesman." - The Content Factory

It's difficult to tell what companies really charge for landing pages, because there are different packages to consider:

Someone hands writing on a paper with a pen. The paper has highlight sections and on top of the paper it says, " Content "

https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/product-design-drawing-website-graphic_12189388.htm#query=Content&position=3&from_view=search&track=sph

  • Do you only need landing page copy, or do you need design and development, as well?
  • Are you updating an existing website, or building a new one? In that case, do you already have a custom domain or WordPress themes, or will you (or your agency) include that in the invoice?
  • Does your landing page copywriting include SEO services?

For example, at The Content Factory, we offer both website content writing services on their own, or include them as part of a website design and rebranding package. That way, you get just the copywriting services you need, and don't end up paying more for what you don't need.

Many web design businesses roll the cost of the content writing into their design fees, and then scratch together the content themselves. This is why so many websites have such crappy landing page copy.

How much do writers charge for landing page copy?

There was a really interesting forum discussion about how much to charge for website copywriting — and some professional landing page writers quoted $1,500-$25,000 per page of content. Here's how they responded to somebody who said that landing pages cost ~$100 per:

"The missing part of that sentence '...and earns about that much per month.'... And that's because the clueless know the price of everything and the value of nothing. So they think low price equals a good bet the way a lotto player with a flimsy grasp of odds does. You have about the same chances of winning either way."

– John

"I like your thinking. A landing page for under $100 — that's a fantastic idea. Hey, while we're at it, cars take a lot of effort to build and provide a lot of value — lets start selling those for $500. You're sure to get a reliable vehicle for that price! Another day as a copywriter, and yet another unrealistic pricing expectation from a potential client..."

– Cherilyn

"I'd have to agree with John. If your client is serious about a landing page that converts and makes money, you'd be looking at $3000 to $4000 all up. There's a huge amount of time involved in creating a successful landing page."

– Plainwords

Now, I'm not going to argue that there isn't a ton of time and skilled labor involved with creating landing pages that convert. But $3,000-$4,000 per page still seems a bit excessive.

When you consider that you're looking at five or more pages per website, the actual cost of content comes to $15,000-$20,000 — about the cost of a new compact car.

Here's the argument these and other people use to justify such expensive fees: if you pay more for content, you'll get a better conversion rate and the extra sales will make up for the obscene per-piece rate.

That may hold true for a luxury car dealership, plastic surgeon's office or home remodeling company, but only because they make so much money on each transaction — and the truth of the matter is that most businesses don't.

The majority of the people who come to us for web content writing services make less than $500 profit on each sale, or are fresh startups that don't have that kind of capital. For them, that argument just doesn't work (especially not in the short term).

At The Content Factory, we bill for landing pages by the word — $1 per, with a project minimum of $1,000.

On rare cases it may cost slightly more, depending on the complexity of the subject and research involved. Our landing pages are usually around 250-500 words and most clients need five pages of content written, which means that the average 5-7 page website content project costs around $2,000 - $4,000, including all edits.

For that price, you get pretty sweet copy — the copy on our site features a certain tone that we find preferable, but when we write for clients we do so with their preferred tone. We've written content for large law firms, real estate agents, adult e-tail sites, startups and everything in between. Everyone wants something a little different, and we can modify our writing style to deliver exactly what the client wants.

How Much Do SEO Blog Posts Cost?

For our regular SEO blog posts, we charge between $80 and $950 each.

How much you pay depends on the length and how many you want (we give bulk discounts). If you want a 2,000+ word in-depth article that features interviews from industry experts and thought leaders, it's going to be on the higher end of the spectrum. Our WordPress blogging rates include posting the content to your website, using proper tags/categories, formatting, etc.

If we have access to your analytics, we'll even target our topics based on the popularity of past posts. If you're looking to save some money and know how to publish the blogs yourself, we'll e-mail the Word docs and let you take care of the posting and promotion. We call these "mini blogs" and charge $60 per. Plus, we give bulk discounts for orders of 10 or more.

How Much Do Link Bait Articles Cost?

Link bait blog posts take much more time and talent to write than a standard blog post, although some of our posts turn out to be link bait anyway (we can't help it, sometimes our writers submit incredible work). The whole point of writing link bait articles is to get as many sites to link back to you as possible, which boils down to getting more site traffic.

Link bait takes a lot of time to write and even more time to edit — but it won't cost you as much as a new Honda Civic. We weren't really able to find too many prices for link bait articles, but Christopher Angus says they cost $2,000 each.

Our link bait costs around $750 per post.

Do we guarantee that each one will get you hundreds of backlinks? No...but nobody else can, either. What we can do is employ content strategies that we know work well, such as quoting experts and linking back to their sites in the articles. More often than not, the experts share the content that you feature them in, which can be a great way to leverage larger networks to increase the size of your own.

How Much Does Content Strategy Cost?

Another thing that isn't really outlined is the most important: content strategy. Before you can execute a successful content marketing plan, you need to know:

  • Everything about your target audience
  • Which keywords to target, to target the target audience (is that enough targeting?)
  • How difficult the keywords will be to rank for
  • Which keywords your site currently ranking for
  • Which keywords the competition is ranking for
  • Which keywords are more likely to convert
  • If your site needs any technical SEO fixes
  • Does Your Site Need Technical SEO Fixes?

    Your site needs a strong technical SEO foundation for your content to perform well. That means that there should be no issues in the actual source code, or the way your website is structured, that makes it difficult for Google and other search engines to crawl and index your content.

    You can get a free, high-level overview of your site's technical SEO health by completing the form below.

    How Much Does Technical SEO Cost?

    Technical SEO prices are hard to pin down, because there are so many variables. According to Moz, agency SEO rates fall into three basic categories:

    Average Cost of SEO Services

    Pricing ModelCost
    Per Hour$76-$200
    Per Project$1,000-$7,000
    Monthly Retainer$251-$500

    As you can see, there's a pretty wide range of prices even within the same pricing model, and there's a good reason for that. Technical SEO requires a diverse range of skillsets, including:

    • SEO writing: Meta descriptions are the first thing people see when they search a keyword and find your content. In 155 characters or fewer, an SEO must captivate your audience enough to win their clicks over your competition, while accurately summarizing the web page and incorporating keywords.
    • Web development: Optimizing your website for speed and performance, implementing accurate Schema markup and even simple tasks like setting canonical tags require a comfortable grasp of HTML, CSS, JavaScript and JSON.
    • Link building and digital PR: There's a right way and a wrong way to go about link building, and just submitting content to a bunch of directories won't cut it. Successfully pitching media outlets takes finesse and patience, as many reporters regard their inboxes with a "Thar be dragons" approach from too many spammy link builders.

    You also have to take the quality of the agency into consideration. More experience and proof of results can come with a higher price tag, but cheap services from fly-by-night SEO shops may not give you the marketing results you need — worse still, some agencies still resort to black hat SEO tactics that result in manual penalties from Google, which can take countless hours and thousands of dollars to fix.

    A graphic illustration of a person holding a laptop in a yellow dress.

    https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/beautiful-african-american-business-woman_32278473.htm#query=business%20women&position=17&from_view=search&track=sph

    Which SEO Pricing Model Makes The Most Sense?

    There are benefits and drawbacks to each technical SEO pricing approach.

    • Monthly retainers make your SEO budget more predictable, but even if you don't need technical SEO services one month, you still have to pay.
  • Per-project pricing is the most popular SEO pricing model, according to Moz. Project costs may also seem predictable, but some agencies can be more change order-happy than others.
  • Hourly SEO rates are the least predictable, and you could be paying more than you bargained for if you hire a less-than-speedy consultant.
  • At TCF, we take a hybrid approach between per-project and per-hour pricing. There is no standard technical SEO project, as every website has different needs and different problems. A 25-page website with relatively minor structural problems will cost less to fix than a 1,000-page website with hundreds of 404 errors, a botched https migration and no image alt text to speak of.

    Our technical SEO services cost $175 per hour, and you get a detailed project estimate before kick-off.

    We provide conservative estimates for each technical SEO project, so you don't get hit with an invoice that costs more than you were expecting, and we have wicked-fast workflows to speed up and automate the remediation process.

    In just a few weeks, our technical SEO geek was able to take our site audit score from 66% to 95%. After completion of the project, contentfac.com ranked for 20 new #1 keywords, and the organic traffic TCF received from new and improved keyword rankings in one month was worth $29,650.

    How Much Does SEO Keyword Research and Competitive Analysis Cost?

    Check out our comprehensive how-to guide for SEO keyword research, if you want to see what it takes to DIY. This all requires quite a bit of time, knowledge and experience — along with a dash of A/B testing. The guide to SEO keyword research we wrote is over 4,000 words and covers a half dozen very important SEO tools. Take a gander at it, and you'll see that this SEO research and writing stuff is neither fast nor easy.

    a business person at their desk in front of a laptop looking through a several printed documents.

    https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/business-documents-office-table-graph-business-with-social-network-diagram-man-working-background_1203641.htm#query=laptop%20spreadsheet&position=2&from_view=search&track=sph

    Many SEO agencies are tight-lipped about their keyword research report prices, which makes sense if you know the industry â€” while SEOs tend to use a similar marketing stack of keyword research tools (you got your Ahrefs, you got your SEMrush, you got your Serpstats, etc.), the methods we use to categorize keywords by search intent, volume, priority, etc. can vary greatly from agency to agency.

    It's not like the secret Coca-Cola recipe, but SEOs like to keep some things proprietary.

    What do you get with an SEO keyword research analysis?

    This can also vary from agency to agency, so it's important to ask the following questions:

    • How many keywords do you provide with your report?
    • Do you conduct competitive analysis, and how many competitors do you compare?
    • Do you include a content strategy with your report?
    • Do you provide content ideas?
    • What data do you provide with the keywords (e.g., volume, competition, search intent, etc.)?
    • Will you break out my keywords by category (e.g., audience verticals, products/services, etc.)?

    We've seen SEOs charge as low as $400 for a basic keyword list with no content strategy, and as high as $47/keyword (don't spend all your keywords in one place, I guess!).

    At TCF, we complete comprehensive keyword research and competitive analysis for $3,500.

    a graphic illustration of a lighting bulb with fire coming from the bottom behind blue skies.

    https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/business-background-design_1072818.htm#query=idea&position=1&from_view=search&track=sph

    This includes:

    • Your monthly search volume and competitive ranking
    • The PPC value of your search traffic
    • A full list of the keywords you already rank for, including the corresponding pages on your site that draw the search traffic
    • A full review of your existing keywords
    • Identifying which pages on your site should be updated to move up SERPs for specific keyword searches
    • A list of any additional keywords worth targeting
    • A full analysis of how you rank for keywords, compared to your competition
    • A technical SEO analysis of your site, along with recommended fixes
    • 12 content topic suggestions based on keywords, including descriptions of the suggested posts
    • How much your top two competitors spend on AdWords campaigns per month
    • Which keywords your competitors for, and the corresponding pages on their site that draw the search traffic
    • Which of their keywords overlap with yours (and where you stand)
    • Which sites link to theirs (where they're getting media coverage/backlinks from)
    • Graphic representations of both their organic search traffic and their AdWords spend

    We provide hundreds of keywords and a content strategy to target those keywords, while also appealing to your target audience in a way that gets them to convert into paying clients or customers. It's something we've done with great success for our website, and we've helped clients achieve similar goals.

    How Much Do Other Writing Services Cost?

    There are a couple of other writing assignments that we get in on a regular basis:

    • Press releases â€“ A professional press release writer knows how to format the damn thing correctly, which is the hardest part. Well, at least the second hardest part, since coming up with a catchy headline isn't as easy as you'd think. Press releases should be written from a semi-objective viewpoint, so that journalists can copy/paste it into their articles and blogs.

    How to Write a Press Release Like a PR Pro (With Free Template!)

    Writing a press release that media outlets want to pick up is an art and a science. Read this guide to learn how TCF PR pros write press releases that outlets like Forbes and The Wall Street Journal feature in their coverage. You'll also get a our downloadable press release template â€” free!

    • Email newsletters â€“ A good email newsletter writer knows how to create subject lines that boost open rates. Once the readers are in, it's up to the writer to hold their attention and get them to click through to the website (or some other action). The ROI of email marketing is insane, returning $38 for every $1 invested, but great email newsletters are hard to come by â€” which is why so many end up in the spam folder.

    There are all kinds of BS prices listed online for e-mail newsletter and press release writing.

    How much does press release writing cost?

    You can find somebody on Craigslist to write either for less than $15, or you could pay $2,500 with a fancy online PR agency. Obviously, we're somewhere in the middle.

    We charge a flat rate of $1,500 per press release, which includes writing, editing, distribution and promotion.

    Our clients have been featured in places like the Wall Street Journal, CNN and the Today show, to name a few. Meanwhile, TCF writers have been quoted everywhere from the New York Times and Forbes to PRDaily and Social Media Today).

    You can write the best press release in the world, but there's no guarantee top journalists are going to see it. Our press releases include reaching out to reporters directly, because over the years we've developed a network of connections and tools that give us the direct contact info of just about any journalist, producer and editor you can think of. We've built relationships and earned trust, and it hasn't come easily or quickly.

    "You can probably pay someone on Craigslist $15 to write your press release, but you'd be better off spending that $15 on fancy coffee. #PR" - The Content Factory

    How Much Does Online SEO Training Cost?

    Website content can be fairly tricky to write and format in a way that resonates with both readers and search engines. Chances are, if you're reading this right now it's because you found us via search engine — this wasn't by accident on our part. It was by hard work.

    And now, our site works for us – we receive around $250k per year in organic search traffic alone (via SEMrush). Our website is one of our highest producing employees, and that's how it should be!

    "#SEO turns your website into your most productive #marketing employee." - The Content Factory

    We've been able to achieve similar results for clients, which is something you should always check for when looking at agencies or freelancers you may want to outsource your content writing to. The web content writing cost isn't the only thing you should be considering when it comes to outsourcing, you also want to consider the previous record of success that the agency or freelancer has been able to deliver in the past.

    Or, if you'd prefer to go the DIY route, we offer online SEO and content writing training.

    We'll show you everything from how to run an SEO audit and research keywords to advanced web content writing techniques and link building. For an idea of what it's like, check out our free webinar: 9 Expensive SEO Mistakes You're (Probably) Making.

    We've seen other companies charge anywhere from $1,100 to $8,500 for SEO training. Some of the upcharges don't make a ton of sense â€” for example, in-person, on-site SEO training often adds bulk to your invoice, even though you spend most of your classroom time in front of the computer. This is the 21st century, and there's no reason you shouldn't be able to learn search engine optimization in your pajamas.

    Need SEO Training? Here’s Everything You Should Know About Online SEO Courses

    How much do online SEO training courses cost, and how do you choose the right option for your business and search engine optimization skill level? Read our guide to SEO training to learn everything you need to know!

    Web Content Writing and SEO Pricing Table

    How much do SEO and web content writing cost?

     

    ServiceIndustry RangeTCF Price
    Website Copywriting$1,500-$25,000 per page$1 per word($2,000-$4,000 average for a 5-7 page website)
    SEO Blogging$100-$2,000 per post
    • $60 for mini blogs
    • $950 for 2,000+ word in-depth posts

    (Bulk discounts available)

    Linkbait$2,000 per post$750 per post
    Technical SEO
    • $76-$200 per hour
    • $1,000-$7,000 per project
    • $251-$500 per monthly retainer
    $175 per hour
    Keyword Research & Competitive AnalysisAs low as $400 for a full report to as high as $47 per keyword$3,500
    Press Release Copywriting$15-$2,500 per press release$1,500 per press release
    SEO Training Courses$1,100 to $8,500$349

    Contact TCF for A+ Web Content Writing

    Interested in learning more about our professional web content writing services? Feel free to shoot us an e-mail, and let us know what kind of wordsmithery you're looking for.

    Or if you'd like to just cut to the chase and see our full generic proposal and pricing sheet that outlines the cost of all the services we offer, click here. We have a simple, straightforward process and a 15-day turnaround or less for most content.

    Are you a lady in SEO? We've got a killer Facebook group you'll want to check out ASAP! You've got questions, we've got answers – with a lot of actionable advice and support from other women slaying it in the industry.

    By Kari DePhillips

    cost of outsourcing blogs, cost of web content writing, how much do blog posts cost, how much do blogs cost, how much do SEO blogs cost, how much does web content cost, Web content writing, web content writing cost, Web content writing tips, Web Copywriting

    1. I just wanted to comment and say that I really enjoyed reading your blog post here. It was very informative and I also digg the way you write! Keep it up and I’ll be back to read more in the future

    2. Interesting information. Some are getting rich as mentors/experts in creating landing pages… a single page brings them more income than others earn in an entire year!

    3. I am not exaggerating but this article may be a turning point for me. In my freelance writing career of 2 years, the client always appreciated me but sadly I was not aware of the actual price I can quote. I charged drastically lower rates and I believe that the quality was never low (none complained till date). Really thanks a lot for this valuable article…

      1. Anjit, I am also a victim of the same. 

        I used and still charge less for a good quality write-up; however, I believe its time to speak out loud. Anyway, what according to you would be a better quote for a 500 word write up?

      2. I completely agree with you Anjith and Irfan. Although it’s quite late now, I at least know what I should actually be charging for my articles. I had no idea and the clients are the last people who you can trust to help you with these as they will try to reduce the costs for themselves. In India especially, I’ve noticed this trend of cheating freelancers out of a good pay and might even resell your articles without your permission (even when there is no agreement or contract stating that they can).

    4. This is very interesting. Pricing for SEO content writing and blog writing does vary quite a bit across the board.

      I think it’s a good idea to always ask for a writing sample, just to ensure the writer can really write. Numbers and numbers– but only the right words justify the accuracy of those numbers :)!

    5. I think the cost varied depending on both the writer’s expertise and the budget of the client. But, the more money the client intends to pay, the better the contents are supposed to be.

    6. I think the cost varies depending on both the writer’s expertise and the budget of the client. But, the more money the client intends to pay, the better the contents are supposed to be.

    7. I think, the sector average prices are too high. That’s insane. I would rather hire a in-house journalist than outsource at this high prices.
      Thanks for insides!

    8. Very interesting, thank you. I’m a ghostwriter who has been asked to write a website and was looking for an idea of what to quote, this really helps – I’ll be coming back to this site!

    9. Thank you for this post. I’ve been doing research to determine my own pricing; and I wasn’t actually finding much despite my excellent Google-do ninja skills. This helped me immensely in making my decisions. Thank you.

    10. Mostly it is all based on quality of the content. So getting web content writing services is little bit difficult because it is our responsible to check whether it has good quality or not. In my opinion they may offer up to $25.

    11. How do you charger someone? I mean what are the steps and how do you get money into your account? I mean for example, your a freelance coder and you offer your services to change their website, what information do you need to access the website and change things and how do you assure you get paid. I know aboutsoluetly nothing of this so anyone help please?

      1. PayPal is a good place to start for payment options! It sounds like you need more background info that we’ve given in this blog – maybe a book would give you a better overview. We recommend Freelancing for Dummies.

      2. A lot of people here are getting the wrong idea about this information. It’s great to be motivated to write great content, and it’s certainly wonderful to be able to charge a lot for the work that you do, but make no mistake, people will pay what you are worth. If you provide excellent content you will get paid more. If you are a generic freelance content writer with sub par skills and little knowledge of what you are doing except “writing and making some cash”, you aren’t worth nearly as much as these folks are writing about here. 5 star, top notch content writers are worth 1$ per word. Most of the people I see clamoring for all this money are really only worth 5-6 per 500 word article.

        This is a great information piece from some wonderful writers, but this isn’t at all a gauge to what you all should be charging for your content. Or you might find yourself sitting around a lot with very little work to do and a whole lot of free time.

        1. As a freelance writer, I've found that many clients can't tell the difference between the kind of writing that's worth 2¢ to 3¢ a word and the kind of writing that's worth 8¢, 10¢ or yes, $1 per word. If you're working with an educated person who can produce readable, error-free blog posts, then you should never be paying $5 per post, which amounts to 1¢ per word. A simple 500 word article takes at least an hour to research, write and edit, on average, and that's below minimum wage for an hour's work in every major English-speaking country. 

          Sorry, but NOBODY who's smart enough and well enough educated to write competantly is worth less than minimum wage. Anybody who's working for that is either horribly desperate or living in a developing country. In the first instance, you're taking advantage of someone and in the second, you're probably getting low quality work. 

          People who insist on underpaying writers usually get what they deserve: poor quality content that won't do much to boost search engine rankings and that will turn off any potential customer who's a native English speaker.

          I agree that $1 per word is a rate that only a very experienced, knowledgable and skilled content writer can get away with charging, but less experienced, less knowledgeable writers are not worth $5 per post. There's a vast middle ground between casual but competant freelancers and expert copywriters, but the minimum you should be paying per post is around $20. Anything less than that isn't worth a competant writer's time.

          1. I really hope you have not used the words “competantly” and “competant” in your work product… quite ironic given the point you’re trying to make AND the fact that this website offers spellcheck during the comment writing process… or is it “commant”?

        2. I beg to differ.

          If you think that each client will know the exact value of what he's getting in terms of content writing, as well as being willing to pay the same value, you're awfully mistaken.

          Generally, the market defines the price for value, and if you take the global market, the pricing changes country to country, and it's hard to see what the actual price should be.

          Not to mention, as Dee said, not all people see the difference in value of one article to another. Couple that with an exponential rise of pricing compared with quality, you have a true forest of prices and qualities…

          Popularity and authority are vital as well. You can have the same value in terms of content, and different prices for each. And if the more expensive one has a name to him or herself, you'd see them get more work for the higher price, but still the same output quality…

          Of course, if your output is shitty, and you put a high price tag to it, you won't get anywhere.

          But assuming you'll get the price for your exact value, and that's all to it, that the world just works like that, is plain wrong.

    12. I am not sure by any means people pay $1500 per press release. Suppose, a press release has 2000 words, still, it does not make sense to pay this much. 

      If peopel are paying you, I believe you are creating magic for them. I am from developing country, and you know in Pakistan, $1500 can feed a family of 10 people for 5 months.

      Not sure what to say.

      1. $1500 doesn’t exactly have the same affect in the US these days (not even close in fact), but you are right, we are indeed creating magic for our clients at this rate. 

        1. What Michael said – also, $1500 is what my husband and I used to pay in monthly rent for our small, one bedroom apartment in Toronto. Just to clarify for people who don't live in the US, UK, Canada or Australia: $1500 is around a week's wages for a native English speaker with a mid-range income. It's a lot for a single press release (completely worth it when a network of journalists is coming into play, IMHO), but it's not crazy. 

      2. Because they're charging for distrubution as well. You're not just paying for the words, you're paying for getting your story placed, too. That's specialized work.

    13. I work for a US marketing firm with all American employees. We charge about $150 to write a press release and the same amount to distribute it through a service like PR Leap. No wonder why we're so busy… I can't believe people charge $1500 for a single press release.

      1. Glad to hear you guys are busy! Most of the media coverage we generate is not through a press release distribution service (like PRWeb), but through our own reporter and editor contacts – this is primarily what our clients pay for, besides the strategy and writing of the release itself.

        Generally speaking, our clients think that $1500 per press release is a good value for what they receive in return (our releases have led to coverage by CBS Evening News, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Today show, etc.), otherwise they wouldn’t consistently pay for them – we’re also pretty busy these days. If we don’t think we’ll be able to generate at least $1500 in value from a press release for a client, we try to encourage them to look at other options. 

        I’d be curious to see what a $150 press release reads like. Thanks for your comment!

    14. Useful info for those of us just starting to venture into content production for others. I have previously worked for businesses that told me what I'd be paid, but it's much nicer telling someone else to pay me what I'm worth! 🙂

    15. I love it when a company trying to sell content has links in their article that are broken.   Shows me I am in the wrong place….

       

    16. Nice clear article. Very helpful for those in our field – and great patience by Kari, given some of the comments.

    17. Very informative article about outsourcing. Very useful, now i know how much do I have to charge my clients! Haha! Thanks for this! 😀

    18. For someone who's being outsourced, these rates are way too high! But I'd agree, if clients do get what they're paying for, then there's no question about it. Small business owners might prefer lower rates and get poorly written articles. For big companies, however, there's a high chance that they'd opt for a $500 article. But if someone from my place would receive such rate, that would already be a month's salary for someone working for around 5 years. 🙂 

      1. Thanks for your comment! One thing I’m hung up on: a month’s salary for $500?! If that’s what the company is paying employees, they’re probably not going to want to pay a digital PR firm $500 per blog post. And that’s okay – we’re not for everyone.

    19. The cost seems like a bit too high but I guess you'd see the real worth if you see the website's rank getting better and better, the content is, for me, the biggest key to achieve that.

    20. I want to do the job of content writer. I have experience. I am skilled in writing articles and reports as a graduate of science. I am interested in writing articles. Please help me finding a job of content writer online that is reliable.

    21. I so adore your blog. it is simply insighful, thought provoking and highly informative. As someone who works for a Recruitment Agency that specializes in getting the best talents for clients all over the globe, i have to admit that copywriting is indeed a job that needs to be well-thought of as this is a way to generate sales for many companies. thank you so much for sharing this ariticle. I have to admit that i am a fan of your blog. Cheers!

    22. Hello,

      Reading this post now in 2015 and wondering how much your prices have changed since the posting? More importantly, I'd like to know about email newsletters- industry as well as your prices, and what all is included (only the content or managing the campaign, i.e., sending out the mails as well)? 

      It's a great post BTW, so thank you!

      1. Hi,

        We try keep this blog post updated with our latest pricing for copywriting (we circle back every six months or so), but you’re free to email Karilee(at)contentfac(dot)com to get the latest pricing info. The link at the top of the article, to our generic proposal, is always up to date.

        Thanks!

        Kari

    23. Hey Plz tell me, that how much I should charge for below requirement:

      1.       The content should be unique.

      2.       Min. 20 pages for each topic with minimum 500 words each. The content should also contains pictures / coding /etc where ever it is necessary for better understanding of the topics.

      3.       Idea here is visitor coming to the site can learn for it and get fair idea about the technology.

      4.       Each technology content should have interview questions asked in the industry with 50 questions

       

      1. Hi Piya,

        How much you charge for website content (including your rates for blog content) is up to you. We’ve developed our rate structure over the last five years, and we’re able to charge more now than we were at the beginning because we’ve built up case studies and our own internal sets of best practices to help clients achieve the SEO and conversion successes that they’re looking for.

        What you charge for online content writing is largely dependent on your skill, past successes, client testimonials, turnaround time, etc. There’s a lot that goes into it — and unfortunately, that means that i’m not able to advise what your rates should be.

        Good luck!

        Kari

    24. Great info, very specific.Freelance is awful. $30 an hour or less for projects and they allot little time. 200 for a landing page, 200 for a print ad, 200 for an E-mail– before taxes. I really wish I had been a plumber.

      1. I agree Daniel. I am shocked that some of the people who post projects on Freelancer start the range of payments from $10 onwards for work that actually should go into intellectual property! It is totally unfair and unsuitable for professional and experienced writers! Yes there are times when we actually end up thinking doing something else would be more worthwhile… 

    25. Writing an article requires lots of creativity and patience. Its the game of words and if You like juggling with words, Freelance writing is a great career for You. but because of my busy schedule there is some one that has being helping me.
       

    26. This is great information on the costs of blogging. I wanted to know the estimates and you clearly stated them. Thanks a lot.

    27. Not only the content prices but SEO and web design and development costs are decreasing now  days. This is because of the high amount of man power available in the field. Till the time we are not going to respect our own work than how others will do the same. Stop working on low prices. If you are good at anything .. charge accordingly.

    28. Having quality content stand out and makes your website and product to rank high on Google.
      My website ranked on Google fist page from an article that was professionally written for me.

    29. Great…..Very helpful blog….I am a freelancer since 1 year and working for a top freelance website but I seriously don’t know the actually market price of writing. It helps me to improve my writing and approach to writing.

    30. I just happened upon your site and read your article. You gave a ton of great info. I will continue to follow as I too, am a writer and can use as much advice and education I can get. My website thewriter-robertagriffin.com (I know very original right?) I am currently constructing my site so there is nothing to see just yet. I guess I have to say, it was fortuitous for me that I found you.

      Again, thank you for the great information.

      Sincerely,

      Roberta Griffin

      1. Hi Roberta,

        Thanks for the great feedback! Make sure you sign up for our newsletter, we share a ton of great tips and tricks for content, PR, SEO and social media marketing. We’re also starting a mastermind group and class series soon, which will start with keyword research and go all the way through marketing your content after you’ve published it.

        Kari

    31. Hello, thank you for such an informative article. My friend and I had been freelancing for middleman clients for quite a long time. My friend writes really amazing and I do it like so-so. We were paid $2 and even $1 for a 500-word article. It is really great to have known the actual cost. Would you, please tell how to contact/reach clients directly to get paid this much?

    32. I was trying to find out how much I should pay for a guest article. “For our regular SEO blog posts, we charge between $80 and $950 each…” I didn’t expect it to be this much! I am actually happy too see that the prices are in that range.

    33. I do wish more firms, like yours, understood the amount of good will they generate when they don’t “hold back” on pricing information that 1) helps so many others – even competitors and 2) helps to strengthen the industry as a whole and raise the perception of writers as the same time.

      Publishing this kind of “bedroom” information (in a well-considered, detailed manner) brings everyone closer and positions THE CONTENT FACTORY as a credible industry leader and, as an organization where “knowledge resides openly” – two big gains in my book. Thank you for your awareness and contextualizing what you’ve shared in a way that truly makes it worthwhile. Please don’t stop.

      Far too many independent consultants and/or freelancers lack sounding boards with any kind of deserved authority. Many business owners fail to recognize that “friendly expert advice” is more a contradiction in oxymorons, than a worthwhile source of feedback. It’s not unlike saying, “Upon hearing Mr. Trump conclude his finely-honed remarks with such an elegant flourish, the fat chicks in attendance enthusiastically nodded their chubby heads as well as their oversized yabbbo’s.”

      Chris Traynor, Knowledge Scout
      WHIP-SMART CONSULTING
      “Making Business Brilliant”
      ctraynor@whip-smart.com

    34. Does The Content Factory ever use freelance writers? Because, compared to the other rates for content, $60 to $80 seems awfully low – at least, assuming posts of 500 words. Although, it may just be that my assumptions are off. I always thought that agencies charged clients twice as much as writers were paid for a post, but I can’t remember where I got that idea. Still, at this level, I would expect those prices to be the starting rates for what the writers are actually being paid for SEO posts.

      1. Depends on the content and the number of words. I use a website – they charge about $60 for a 1500 word article, very good price for the quality of the articles, unlike those other garbage I’ve had other people work on. For web content and landing pages, about a $150.
        They are not the cheapest if you’re used to odesk and guru writers, but hey, quality trumps price. So far, all articles have been superb. 🙂

    35. We are consuming about 100 articles a day from different levels of writers (for SEO, guest posting, putting on our own blogs and highly researched product review articles).

      Few insights as a client –

      1. When we pay per word, there is certain lack of accountability in the content and more often would seem like the words were put together just for the sake of meeting the content word count.

      2. When we pay per article, we sometimes feel like the content could have been explained a bit better but since it was per article project it was cut short. .

      After dealing with the confusion for few months here is what we came up with –

      Pay per article, where the price depends on the range of words.

      Lets say from 750-1000 words $XX , from 1000-1500 words XX and so on.

      This way, the writer doesn’t stuff words and have room for putting only the words needed while still getting fairly paid for the effort and the quality is maintained for the sake of long term relationships and bulk work.

    36. How much does correct content writing can grow your ROI? – I think it’s even better title for that article. Great overview, thanks.

      And content writing is correct when every article is in TOP Google, isn’t it?
      That’s why importance of using long tail keywords grow every day.

    37. I am new to content writing but not new to writing. I’ve written for a community newspaper and I maintain a blog of my own. I have been offered a content writing opportunity writing content for websites to build business. But when I do the math, I’m inclined to say no. 50 articles at 500 words to be produced in two week and paid a total of $400. That is $8.00 and article and less than a penny per word. What I’m understanding is that $20 per article may be a good starting point?

      1. Hi Beth,

        I think it’s a good move to pass on the gig that pays less than a penny per word. Writing website content (e.g.: home page, about us, etc.) is a lot more time and labor intensive than writing blog content, and you could almost certainly do better. $20/500 words could be a good place to start, depending on your experience. I’d go through Craigslist (here’s a great guide outlining how to find freelance work), and apply for writing gigs on an ongoing basis until you can build your portfolio and increase your rates to be commensurate with your experience and the ROI you provide to clients.

        Good luck!

        Kari

    38. I want to know how much i will charge for an article to publish on my website if the article is of 350words and m not professional , i m writing post on my website from 4months.

    39. This is great! It is such a lovely article. It’s just amazing how you put all these together on “How Much Does Professional Web Content Writing Cost” with such great tips! Looking forward to more of these.

    40. excellent post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t
      understand this. You must continue your writing.
      I’m confident, you have a great readers’ base already!

    41. Basically it’s all on the quality of the content, how much fresh content?
      Thank You so much.

      1. You want to update your site at least once a month, but it’s more important to post the right kind of content (long-form, keyword-targeted) than it is to just constantly post fresh content that isn’t designed to rank well in SERPs.

    42. SEO service is the most convenient way of reaching thousands of new customers every day. Web content is a boon to brand your business to the potential audience. Very informative post.

    43. The answer to the question is: It depends…there are so many factors involved to answer this question. To look for a baseline is ludicrous. Sadly, now that you’ve outlined your fee structure, you’ve commoditized your brand… just like tomatoes.

      1. It’s not sad at all – we put our rates out on front street to save everyone time, and there is some fluctuation depending on the industry and difficulty of work involved. Don’t have the $ to pay us to manage SEO for you? Our trainings are probably the way to go.

        Maybe focus on your brand, and not ours 😉

    44. Thanks for the article to know about the SEO Serice and Web Content Writing cost and its a motivation for the other writers to make the money. Thank you for the information.

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