Yep, there are some cheaper prices floating around. But it’s important to make sure you’re comparing apples with apples.

Here are a few things to consider when shopping around:

- How long will the blog post be? Most of the posts I write for my clients are around 800-1,200 words. Sometimes I write shorter posts for simple topics, but generally I find that 800-1,200 words is the length needed for a substantial, memorable piece of content. You’ll often find that cheaper writers are repeatedly pumping out short, fluffy 400-word blog posts that your audience won’t be inspired to read from start to finish, let alone remember months down the track when they need your services

- Is the blog post optimised for search engines? If so, how? Some copywriters don’t know how to optimise content or they use outdated techniques (which can do more harm than good). I constantly keep myself up to date with SEO best practice and always optimise blog posts if Google is a priority for my client

- Will the writer provide a title tag and meta description for the blog post? Some writers don’t include these, but I see this as a crucial part of a blog writer’s job - not something the client, website developer or SEO pro should have to whip up themselves. It’s particularly important that the title tag and meta description are written well, as these are the first things your audience will see when your post appears in the Google search results. It’s one thing for your blog post to rank at the top of the results, but if the title tag and meta description aren’t written in a compelling way then you won’t get many clicks (and Google will eventually drop your post in favour of other content with a higher click-through rate)

- Does the writer know how to create a headline that attracts attention and clicks on social media and in email newsletters? My background is in marketing, so I’ve been involved in the entire process and seen the results for the blog posts I write. Therefore, I know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to headlines

- Has the writer allowed time for briefing and additional research? Ideally, you want both. Some copywriters skip the briefing stage and write the blog post with very little input from you by re-hashing content already available online, but this tends to result in shallow, ho-hum blog posts. Additional research is also really important, as it enables the writer to look at similar content competitors have published and identify gaps in the information you’ve provided

- How many rounds of revisions are included? Most of the time I find that one round of amends is enough, but occasionally two rounds are required to ensure a blog post is perfect. When a copywriter has only included one round of revisions in their pricing, you may be tripped up with unexpected costs if additional revisions are required - particularly if they’ve written the post without much input from you

I know how tempting it can be to opt for the lower price. But is that $300 blog post truly going to be money well spent? If marketing funds are tight, I’d suggest thinking quality over quantity. Even if you were only able to invest in three or four exceptional, memorable blog posts each year, that would be a smarter choice than regularly churning out weak content that does nothing for your business.

Yes, they are. But not in an old-school, spammy kind of way.

Cramming keywords into content too many times makes it awkward and unenjoyable to read. That’s not going to impress your audience and it’s not going to impress search engines either. Google is getting smarter and smarter, using signals like the average time spent on a page to work out which content is best and rank that content higher in the search results.

Rather than stuffing your blog post full of keywords, I focus on creating original, high-quality content. Content that people genuinely want to read, bookmark, share with others and read again.

What about keywords? I use them to guide content strategy and blog topic choices. And I write content with your audience (i.e. humans, not search engines) in mind, incorporating keywords naturally within the text.

When writing title tags and meta descriptions, I always make sure the character count and formatting are in line with current best practice. And if SEO is a priority for your business then I’ll ensure the primary keyword for that post has been included in the title tag. But most importantly, I write enticing title tags and meta descriptions. Because we don’t just want your blog posts to rank. We want people to actually click on the post when they see it in the search results.

If you want your website to rank higher in the search results, professional blog writing is one of the best investments you can make, because the content on your website has a huge influence on your ranking.

In saying this, I can’t guarantee your ranking will improve. Why? Because my role - blog writing - is just one piece of the puzzle. There are so many factors outside my control, from the speed of your website right through to the design of your logo.

If you’re thinking about investing in blog writing, we’ll chat about things that might prevent your business from getting good results and I’ll point you in the direction of people who can help.

But even if you get all your ducks in a row, there are still too many variables for me to make any guarantees. Some things - like your competitors - just can’t be controlled.

In my experience, blogging works best for businesses who have valuable knowledge and expertise their customers or clients are eager to soak up. Often this tends to be service-based businesses, but blogging can work well for product-based businesses too.

There’s definitely no need to shy away from blog posts if your business is in a dry, ‘boring’ industry. I’ve created engaging, effective content for plenty of businesses like law firms and drainlayers. My clients say I have a knack for turning complex, dull information into fresh, readable content their audience enjoys reading.

And if your industry is a little boring, you’ll probably find your competitors aren’t publishing blog posts - at least, not good ones. So there’s a huge opportunity for your business to stand out by providing the information your potential customers are looking for.

Some people might argue that nobody has the attention span for blog posts anymore, but I disagree.

I firmly believe that long-form, hearty content is what people crave. It’s the kind of content that people will bookmark, save to their Pinterest board or share with a friend. And it’s memorable. When people who’ve read your post think of that topic later down the track, your business will be the first one that comes to mind.

I know it’s a bit unnerving giving your best advice away for free. But people are online looking for entertainment and information, not a sales pitch. They don’t want advertising. They want interesting, helpful content.

By creating content that’s tailored to your ideal client - content so valuable it blows them away - you build trust, establish yourself as an industry leader and position your business as the obvious first choice when they’re ready for your services.

When you help your audience solve their problems (rather than pitching to them) and give them a huge amount of value for free, they can’t help but wonder what they’d get if they actually paid for your services.

And usually, people need specific advice tailored to their circumstances - general advice typically isn’t enough.

Here’s how you know you’re in safe hands with me:

- I have more than 10 years’ experience writing blog posts for businesses

- I’ve been operating my own business for more than three years

- I honed my skills at one of New Zealand’s top PR agencies, writing press releases and scoring media coverage for clients like Kmart, Freedom Furniture, Cadbury and Moa Brewing Co.

- I read blogs and listen to podcasts every single day, constantly finding ways to improve my writing skills

- I have a Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Marketing and Management), so my writing is grounded in a solid understanding of traditional marketing methods and consumer psychology

- I have a Diploma in Publishing, which means I know how to edit and proofread my writing effectively