Zwielicht
Elite Member
- Aug 31, 2013
- 21,128
- 40,596
For those of you who don't know, on top of primarily being an administrator of Black Hat World, I'm also a marketplace moderator. As such, I've had the opportunity to work with hundreds of content writers.
You see, content writers come in all shapes and sizes. However, when you're ordering content for yourself or your clients, you want to make sure the content you receive is up to the standards you're looking for. If you're not quite sure what those standards should be, then this guide is for you.
1. Be Specific With Your Requirements
Content writers aren't mind readers, therefore it's important to be specific when you provide your content requirements. As an example, send your content writers the following:
- Whether you want the content in UK or US English.
- What the tone of the article should be (professional, jovial, etc).
- The purpose of the content (to persuade, inform, or entertain).
- Any keywords you want in the content.
- Any specific sub-topics you want them to go over.
2. Don't Rely On Grammarly
Don't get me wrong, Grammarly can be decent for checking over basic spelling and grammar, but it's not perfect (as you can see in the gif I made above). It's really popular among native and non-native English-speaking content writers alike because it makes their job easier, but it's not to be relied upon. I've run abysmal articles through grammarly that supposedly had no issues, so that says everything right there.
3. Ensure The Content Is Unique
Some sellers like to say the content they write is "100% unique on Copyscape". However, plagiarised content isn't always going to be detected on Copyscape. This is why it's important to use multiple plagiarism checkers. As an example, something that comes up on Quetext might not come up on Copyscape or Grammarly.
Some content writers like to Frankenstein articles together. These always sound terrible and you'll be able to spot them out pretty easily just by noting the way the paragraphs transition, or rather how they don't.
4. Make Sure The Content Isn't Spun
On a related note to the previous, check the content to ensure the content doesn't sound spun, regardless of whether or not it was done through a program or manually. The most common ways shiesty content writers spin content are by using a thesaurus for synonyms or swapping around sentences. Some of them get craftier and re-write the whole sentence, but this still isn't acceptable (unless you intentionally ordered spun content a PBN, in which case, you want it spun well).
5. Avoid Sellers Who Use The Description You Provided As The Title
This is a pet peeve of mine; I can't stand it when I send a writer a brief description of what I want them to write, and then they use that as the title. For example, if you tell your content writer that you want an article on the topic of running a dropshipping business during coronavirus for males between the ages of 18 to 24, you sure as hell don't want that as your title.
It's just sheer indolence and I expect any content writer I work with to come up with a more engaging title that isn't my description.
6. Reputation Doesn't Mean Everything
Reputation can be a good indicator, but don't just use this to find a competent writer. They could have a good reputation as a content writer for any number of reasons, including providing basic content at a cheap price. There's certainly nothing wrong with this if that's what's advertised, but if that's not what you're looking for, you'll be disappointed when you hire them.
7. Don't Rely Solely On Reviews
Some of you will understand this reference. If not, read this thread.
Reviews aren't always reliable. As an example, some customers will initially leave a bad review, but then leave a good review as soon as they receive a refund. This is a fairly common, albeit disappointing occurrence.
Some of you will understand this reference. If not, read this thread.
Some writers also offer incentives for good reviews. This isn't against the rules of Black Hat World as long as it's disclosed, but they aren't always disclosed. Because of this, they give glowing reviews for subpar content.
8. Ask Them To Provide A Sample Of Their Writing
Make sure you run the sample you receive through the previous points in this guide (i.e., plagiarism check it, make sure it's not spun, etc).
If they're unwilling to provide a sample, use their sales graphic as an example of how they write. If you see that their sales graphic is addled with spelling and grammar errors, assume they won't be putting much effort into the content they send you. Think about it, if they have good content writers, wouldn't they use them for their sales pitch? Sure, a content writer doesn't necessarily mean they write ad copies, but it's better than nothing.
9. Pay Attention To How The Seller Writes Naturally
Granted, not all sellers are going to be the ones writing the articles as some have teams of writers. However, if they do state they're the primary writer, or at least involved in the writing process, then pay attention to how they write when they post around the forum, more specifically in their sales thread. If they're claiming to provide 100% native English content, yet they sound like they're an English-language learner, then they're not being completely honest there.
10. The First Draft Should Be As Advertised
The purpose behind sending drafts . Unfortunately, some sellers use this model as an opportunity to provide drafts addled with spelling and grammar errors. They do this in hopes that you'll point out their mistakes, essentially doing their job for them. This is not acceptable by any means.
Additionally, a seller offering unlimited revisions is still not an excuse for them to provide you with an abysmal first draft, especially if that first draft is not as advertised (e.g., great spelling and grammar).
