You have accepted that the blog will not write itself, at least not by you. Now you are looking at writers: a freelancer who sent a polished portfolio, an agency with a package of articles each month, a student who writes well and wants experience. They all say they understand SEO. You have no idea how to tell which of them will produce something useful for your business.
Before you hire a content writer, it helps to know what separates good work from generic work, because the difference rarely shows in a sales conversation. This guide covers the choice between a freelance writer vs agency, the questions to ask, how to read samples, why subject knowledge and a good brief matter, how edits should work and who should own the finished copy. It deliberately leaves out pricing.
Decide what you actually need first
“A writer” can mean very different jobs. Be clear which you are hiring for, because it changes who suits you.
- One-off website copy: home, service and about pages for a new or rebuilt site.
- Ongoing articles: blog posts and guides each month, planned around customer questions.
- Product descriptions: a catalogue, often large, needing consistent structure.
- Editing and refreshing: improving what already exists rather than writing new pages.
- The whole process: planning, writing, publishing in WordPress and reviewing results, so you only give input and approve.
Also decide how much of your time you can give. Every good writer needs input from you. If you can only spare a short call now and then, look for someone who is good at drawing knowledge out of people quickly.
Freelance writer vs agency vs in-house
Each option suits a different situation. None is better in every case.
| Option | Suits you when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance writer | You want one consistent voice, direct contact and someone who learns your business over time | Limited capacity, gaps when they are ill or busy, and you may need to handle publishing and SEO yourself |
| Agency | You want planning, writing, editing and publishing handled together, with cover when one person is away | Your work passed between people who never speak to you, and packages built around volume rather than need |
| In-house staff member | You have steady, high demand and someone who knows the business and can write | Writing gets pushed aside by their other duties |
| You plus an editor | You enjoy writing but need help with structure, polish and publishing | Drafts that never get finished because the business comes first |
Whichever you choose, the important question is the same: who will actually write your content, and will that person ever speak to you?
Questions to ask before you hire a content writer
About how they learn your business
- How will you find out what my customers ask and what I know that competitors do not?
- What do you need from me each month: a call, voice notes, written answers?
- What do you do when you do not understand something technical about my work?
About the writing
- Who writes and who edits? Will it be the same person each time?
- Which parts of the work, if any, involve AI tools, and who reviews that material?
- How do you check facts, especially on regulated or technical topics?
- Where do your topic suggestions come from, and would you ever advise against a topic I propose?
About the process
- What does a brief from you look like, or what do you need from me?
- How many rounds of changes are included, and how do I give feedback?
- Do you publish in WordPress, with headings, images and SEO fields done, or do I get a document?
- What will you show me to prove the articles are doing their job?
About ownership and ending the arrangement
- Who owns the text once it is paid for?
- Can you show your work in your portfolio, and do I mind?
- If we stop working together, what happens to drafts, briefs and accounts?
A careful writer answers these plainly. Vague answers, especially about who writes and how facts are checked, are a warning.
Reading samples properly
Every writer’s portfolio looks good, because they choose what goes in it. Read samples with a few specific questions in mind:
- Does the piece answer a real question early? Or does it spend paragraphs warming up?
- Is there specific detail, the kind only someone who understood the subject could include? Or could it be about any business?
- Is it accurate? Pick a sample on a topic you know something about and check it.
- Does it sound like a person? Watch for stock phrases, repeated points and empty conclusions.
- Is it the writer’s own work? Ask which parts they wrote and which were edited by a client. For published pieces, ask for the live link.
A paid trial piece on one of your real topics is often the most revealing test. You see how they ask questions, how they handle your input and how they respond to feedback. Agree up front what the trial covers and that you own it if you use it.
Subject knowledge and why the brief matters
A writer does not need to be an expert in your trade, but they do need to be good at learning from one, and honest about what they do not know. Writers who have worked in a related field can be a real advantage, especially on medical, legal, financial or technical topics where mistakes have consequences.
Whatever their background, the brief is where your knowledge enters the work. A writer given only a keyword will produce something generic. A writer given the reader, the real question, your answer, the points to cover and the things not to say can produce something only your business could have published. The guide to writing a content brief sets out what to include.
If a writer relies heavily on AI tools, it is worth understanding where that helps and where it creates risk. Our post on AI-written content and Google explains the concerns.
Edits, approval and feedback
Agree how changes work before the first piece arrives.
- Feedback in one place, such as comments in a shared document, rather than scattered across calls and messages.
- Clear rounds. Know how many rounds of changes are included and what counts as a new piece rather than an edit.
- Specific comments. “This section is wrong because we do not offer X” helps more than “not quite right”.
- One approver. If several people in your business comment, decide who has the final say.
- Your final check on facts. You approve before anything goes live, because it carries your name.
Ownership of the copy
Make sure you will own the content you pay for. In many places, including India, copyright in commissioned writing does not always pass to the client automatically. Rules differ between countries, so ask for a short written agreement stating that, once paid, copyright in the finished text belongs to your business. This is general information, not legal advice; if the work is substantial, ask a lawyer to check the wording.
Also agree:
- That the writer will not reuse or resell the text elsewhere.
- That the content is original, not copied or lightly reworded from other sites.
- Whether the writer may show the work in a portfolio.
- That logins to your website, if given, are personal accounts you can remove at any time.
Warning signs
- A large fixed number of articles each month, regardless of whether you have that much to say.
- No interest in talking to you or your staff.
- Promises of rankings, traffic or a set number of leads.
- Samples that all sound the same, whatever the client’s trade.
- Reluctance to say who writes or whether AI tools are used.
- No clear answer on who owns the work.
For where hiring fits into a broader plan for content, see the content marketing for small businesses guide. For a view of all the channels writers often get asked to support, from search to email, see our digital marketing services overview.
Frequently asked questions
Should a content writer also handle SEO, or do I need someone separate?
A good content writer should understand search intent, headings, internal links and the basic SEO fields. Technical SEO, such as site speed, indexing problems and redirects, is a different skill. For a small site, one person or team covering content and on-page SEO, with technical help when needed, often works well.
Is it a problem if my writer is in another country?
Not necessarily, but check that they understand your customers. Spelling, terms, prices, rules and the way people phrase questions differ between countries. A writer in another country can do good work if they ask the right questions and you check local details carefully.
How do I hand over to a new writer without losing consistency?
Keep a short style note covering tone, spelling conventions, terms you use and avoid, and how you refer to your services. Keep your briefs and a list of published pages. A new writer who reads these and a few existing posts can usually match the voice quickly.
If you want to see how one provider answers the questions above, our content writing services page sets out how we work, who does the writing, and how AI tools are and are not used.
Next in this series: Repurpose Blog Content for Email, Social and More
