Considering SEO blog writing services is a smart move, but there are common pitfalls you should avoid. You wouldn’t want to learn the hard way by wasting resources, time, and opportunities. So, if you can identify these errors and learn how to sidestep them, you'll confidently select an agency that aligns with your goals and delivers tangible results.
At tiny lever, one of our core services is providing SEO content creation that can meet and exceed your industry standards. Our team of experienced writers crafts human-written and optimized content, so you won’t have to worry about authenticity and engagement. We employ meticulous keyword research and SEO best practices to ensure each piece of content ranks well and hooks your readers.
With our experience as an SEO blog writing service provider, we will explore the common mistakes to avoid when looking for content writing services. From overlooking industry expertise to focusing solely on price, these pitfalls can lead to subpar content that fails to engage your readers. By the end, you’ll be aware of the many mistakes and confidently choose a writing service that works for your business.
1. Overlooking Industry Expertise
SEO blog writing services refer to specialized content creation optimized for search engines like Google. These services combine expert writing skills, strategic keyword integrations, and on-page optimization techniques. The ultimate goal is to create compelling and informative content that draws the target audience to your website, driving traffic and conversions.
When hiring, one common mistake is overlooking industry expertise. Don’t be one of the many who may prioritize general writing skills over specialized knowledge. This could result in a lack of depth, authenticity, and relevance to the target audience.
To solve this, thoroughly vet potential SEO blog writing services for the industry expertise. Examine their general writing skills and assess their understanding of your niche, market trends, and target audience. Many services claim expertise, but it is essential to dig deeper and ensure they have a proven track record in producing high-quality content for your industry.
Here are a few things you could consider asking for when evaluating a blog writing service's industry expertise:
- Blog writing samples specific to your industry or closely related fields
- Case studies of successful content campaigns in your niche
- A list of content writers with relevant educational backgrounds or professional experience
- Examples of industry-specific keyword research and topic ideation
- Testimonials from clients in similar industries
2. Focusing Solely on Price
It’s natural to want to minimize costs. However, basing your decision entirely on the lowest SEO blog writing services can lead to subpar content that fails to meet your content marketing goals. Also, extremely low-priced ones often compromise quality, resulting in poorly written articles that may damage your brand's reputation.
Always find the between cost-effectiveness and quality. Instead of fixating on the cheapest option, consider the value you'll receive from the writing service. Look for providers that offer reasonable pricing and demonstrated expertise in your industry. Evaluate their portfolio, client testimonials, and SEO blog writing examples to gauge the quality of their work.
Investing in skilled writers who can produce well-researched, engaging content optimized for search engines will likely yield better results in the long term.
3. Ignoring Writing Samples and Past Performance
Writing samples can give insights into how a blog writing service can create engaging, well-optimized content. Moreover, you can evaluate their past performance through case studies or client testimonials. These can reveal the service's track record in delivering measurable results, such as improved search rankings or increased organic traffic.
So, it's essential to thoroughly review a potential service's portfolio before hiring. Request writing samples related to your industry or niche and analyze them for effective keyword integration, readability, and engagement.
See how well the samples balance SEO optimization with natural, compelling writing. Additionally, ask for previous client case studies or performance metrics to see how well they achieve tangible SEO results. Look for improved search rankings, increased organic traffic, and higher engagement rates.
4. Not Defining Clear Goals and Expectations
One common mistake when hiring SEO blog writing services is needing to be clearer about your goals and expectations.
Writing services can easily deliver content according to your business needs with a solid content strategy and specific SEO objectives. You don’t want to invest in services that create content that doesn’t connect with your target audience, support your marketing strategy, or meet your SEO goals.
To address this issue, establish clear goals and expectations. Start by outlining your content and SEO objectives, such as increasing organic traffic by a certain percentage, improving rankings for specific keywords, or boosting engagement metrics like time on page or social shares.
Most importantly, create a content brief with target keywords, desired tone and style, content structure, and information or angles you want to cover. Then, establish measurable goals with the writing service. These include target word counts, publishing frequency, and expected turnaround times.
5. Ignoring SEO Best Practices
Many businesses focus solely on content quality and need to consider the crucial role of search engine optimization (SEO) in driving organic traffic. This oversight can result in well-written SEO articles that fail to rank in search results or attract the intended audience. For example, a beautifully crafted blog post about "premium link building services" may fail if it lacks proper keyword optimization, meta descriptions, or an effective internal linking structure.
To avoid this pitfall, hiring services that understand and implement SEO best practices throughout the content creation process is essential. When vetting potential providers, ask about their approach to keyword research, on-page optimization, and internal linking strategies.
Also, check if they apply essential SEO best practices in their blog writing, such as:
- Creation of high-quality, relevant content that addresses user intent
- Image optimization with descriptive alt text
- Structured data markup where appropriate
- Regular content updates and historical optimization
- Avoidance of keyword stuffing and over-optimization
6. Failing to Communicate Regularly
With consistent communication, writers can understand brand guidelines and crucial keywords. Conversely, infrequent communication can cause delays in content delivery. This is because writers won’t receive timely feedback or information to complete their work efficiently.
Some of the best practices for effective communication with SEO blog writing services include:
- Establish Clear Channels: Use reliable communication tools like email, project management software, or video calls while setting clear expectations for response times and availability.
- Share Comprehensive Briefs: Include detailed information about your target audience, tone, style, and essential SEO elements such as target keywords, internal links, and meta descriptions.
- Schedule Regular Check-ins: Set up weekly or bi-weekly meetings to discuss progress and address concerns. These sessions can provide feedback and make necessary adjustments to the content.
- Offer Timely Feedback: Review drafts promptly to provide specific, actionable feedback, and utilize collaborative editing tools like Google Docs to streamline the revision process.
- Share Performance Data: Discuss SEO metrics by informing your writers about how published content performs. These are keyword rankings, traffic, and engagement to identify areas for improvement.
7. Neglecting Long-Term Content Strategy
Many companies prioritize short-term goals, such as producing a high volume of keyword-optimized blog posts. Consider how these pieces fit into their marketing objectives if you're one of them. If not, this could result in disjointed content that may not build brand authority or drive sustainable organic traffic growth.
For instance, a company can publish monthly SEO blog posts targeting the same high-competition keywords. However, a better approach is to develop a diverse SEO strategy that addresses various stages of the buyer's journey and builds topical authority over time.
To avoid this common pitfall, communicate your business goals, target audience, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to the writing team. Work together to develop a content calendar that balances timely topics with evergreen content. This includes incorporating a mix of informational and commercial intent keywords.
Consider implementing a hub-and-spoke content model, where cornerstone pages on core topics are supported by related blog posts. This can enhance the overall content structure and improve SEO performance by increasing internal linking opportunities. Additionally, regularly review and update existing content to keep it relevant and continue to perform well in search results.
8. Not Considering the Service’s Research Capabilities
A blog writing service’s ability to conduct thorough research is important when creating high-quality, SEO-optimized content. Without strong research skills, you’ll get content lacking depth, accuracy, or relevance. For example, a blog post about "top e-commerce strategies for 2024" that doesn't include up-to-date statistics, industry insights, or consumer behavior data is unlikely to rank well or provide value to readers seeking authoritative information.
When evaluating potential SEO blog writing services, ask for samples of their work and inquire about their research process. Look for services with data-driven content and have access to reputable sources and tools for both SEO keyword research and topic exploration.
Key research capabilities a blog writing service should have:
- Proficiency in keyword research tools (e.g., SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner)
- Ability to analyze competitor content and identify content gaps
- Skills in conducting and interpreting industry-specific market research
- Access to reputable databases and academic resources for fact-checking
- Experience in creating data-driven content with proper citation practices
- Understanding of search intent and user behavior analysis
9. Skipping Over Contract Details and Deliverables
One of the businesses' most critical mistakes when hiring SEO blog writing services is paying attention to the contract details and deliverables. This oversight can lead to misaligned expectations, disputes, and unsatisfactory results.
For instance, a company can assume that its SEO blog writing package includes essential services like keyword research, content creation, and on-page optimization, only to discover later that keyword research is an additional service. Similarly, a business might expect weekly blog posts but find that the contract only covers monthly deliveries. These misunderstandings can result in delayed content production, unexpected costs, and a strained relationship with the service provider.
To avoid these issues, thoroughly review and discuss all contract terms and deliverables before signing an agreement. This includes carefully examining the scope of work, content production timelines, quality assurance measures, and performance guarantees. A well-defined contract should specify:
- The number of blog posts to be delivered per month
- The word count range for each post
- The turnaround time for revisions
- The process for topic selection and keyword integration
- Any additional services, such as image sourcing or social media promotion
10. Not Evaluating ROI
One common mistake businesses make when hiring SEO blog writing services is not evaluating the return on investment (ROI). Many companies closely monitor the service's cost or the content volume produced. However, they might not notice neglecting the actual impact on their website's performance and overall bottom line. This can lead to wasted resources on content that fails to drive traffic, engage readers, or convert visitors into customers.
For example, a company might choose a low-cost writing service that produces many blog articles. However, these articles won’t generate meaningful results if they rank poorly in search engines. Thus, quality content that aligns with SEO best practices is crucial for attracting and retaining visitors.
Setting Clear Goals and Metrics
To address this issue, establish clear goals and metrics for your SEO content before hiring a writing service. This includes tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:
- Organic traffic growth
- Keyword rankings
- Conversion rates
- Revenue generated from organic search
For instance, a B2B software company could set a goal to increase organic traffic by 20% and generate 50 new monthly leads through their blog content. By tracking these metrics and comparing them to the cost of the writing service, you can accurately assess the ROI and decide whether to continue, adjust, or terminate the service.
Key Takeaway
SEO content creation can be tricky, with common mistakes like unclear goals, neglecting originality, or poor keyword integration. Even seasoned marketers fall into these traps when outsourcing blog writing. To succeed, partner with a writer who understands your brand, masters search engine algorithms and creates content that resonates with your audience while boosting search rankings.
Conversely, cutting corners with SEO blog writing can lead to many problems. You might end up with a writer who overpromises but delivers nothing but fluff and keyword stuffing or a service that doesn’t understand your industry, giving you generic content that fails to engage. Even worse, you could face plagiarized content that harms your site’s reputation. So, you must carefully vet the best blog writing services and invest in quality over quantity.
Are you tired of bland, generic content that misses the mark? tiny lever is an SEO marketing agency that offers tailored SEO blog writing services. Our team understands the nuances of your industry and crafts original pieces that speak directly to your target audience. Don’t make the mistake of hiring the wrong service again. Contact us via david@tinylevermarketing.com or fill out this form to drive web traffic and conversions for your business.
