Google, and other search engines, live on content. It is like water to them as they drink in the millions of words created on the web every day to help direct people to information. One of the best ways to improve your search engine optimization and increase web traffic is by providing a constant stream of new content on your site. This can be daunting and time consuming to most business owners, so they may look at hiring a content provider.
Not all content providers are the same! Some companies specialize in SEO work designed just for you, while others may sell you content that is shared with dozens of other companies. There are even companies that you can hire to post in your forums to make them appear to be more popular than they really are.
Before you even start to hire a content provider, look at what type of content you want. Is it something very industry specific? Most content providers lack specific industry knowledge, so you might be better off paying one of your staff to take on the content position. Also, find out the background of the content writers. Many large content providers sub-contract your job to college students or stay-at-home-mothers who have no specialized training or skills.
A better, and more affordable option, is to find your own personal content writer instead of hiring an agency to act as the middle man. Craigslist and other job boards have made it easy to find content writers. In fact, many content providing companies use these same boards to find their writers. By hiring them directly you will have more control over a project as well as pay less money.
The important thing is to find someone who can understand your brands voice. The style of content on a surf shop site should be different than an investment bank. The tone of the content on your pages all becomes part of your branding. Having a writer who knows you , and your brand, is very important. Which is why it’s important you have someone you know and trust behind those words.
