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Time taken to write an original & good quality 500-word article

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by Content Maestro, Jan 29, 2014.

  1. Emma Pollard

    Emma Pollard Active Member

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    #81
    25 articles in 2 days is good going but I have a question (please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offence) why did you send them to the client if you thought they were crap? Regardless of how long it takes me to write a piece (or how much the client is paying) I have a certain standard to meet before it is sent to the client. If is not good enough to go on my website then it simply is not good enough to send to the client.
     
    Emma Pollard, Jul 30, 2014 IP
  2. Content Maestro

    Content Maestro Notable Member

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    #82
    Nothing highlights more distinctly the central difference between 'quality' and 'not so quality' writers.
     
    Content Maestro, Jul 30, 2014 IP
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  3. TIEro

    TIEro Active Member

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    #83
    Some people just write faster than others. If they can produce high-quality content in 20 minutes, it's just something they can do. I can do that, too... but I can't do it every time, I can't do it on every subject and I would never say it's an average, because it's such an intense process when it happens! Equally, I can't do that all day and I can't write 10,000 words of a novel in one sitting, like some people can. Everyone's different: I know some great writers who take for EVER to produce content, simply because that's how they work, even if the idea and research takes almost no time at all.

    Education, intelligence, experience, research and everything else are all factors, but in the end, the time it takes is the time it takes. That could be 20 minutes. It could be 20 hours. The result can be of similar quality: it depends on the person, the subject, and a million other things. Looking for what's "right" and "wrong" is pointless.

    People only quote an hour as average because it is exactly that - an average.
     
    TIEro, Jul 30, 2014 IP
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  4. Jameyson MacDonald

    Jameyson MacDonald Well-Known Member

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    #84
    I never said it's not possible to write a 500 word article in 20 minutes; there have been many times when I have been able to write a really good 500-600 word article in a short amount of time. But I don't care how good a person is, they are not averaging 20 minutes for a well-written 500 word article unless they are some kind of prodigy and I have yet to see that here... What I have seen here is more than a few individuals quite obviously lacking fluency in the English language or a firm grasp of English grammar, claiming to write "quality" 500 word articles in 20-30 minutes on average, and to that I say B.S...
     
    Jameyson MacDonald, Jul 30, 2014 IP
  5. Content Maestro

    Content Maestro Notable Member

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    #85
    This I think is the rarest of the rarest kind of scenario where differences between both writers must be exorbitantly big. Say like the one who does it in just 20 minutes is a top-notch guy who has been working for years together in this industry and the other who takes 20 hours has barely started, the '20 minutes' can write on the niche in question with shut eyes (because he/she has a very deep conversance with it) and the '20 hours' needs to scan a sh*tload of data to get even a basic idea about what should be written, the first has a lightening-fast typing speed and the other needs to look critically at every key before entering etc. etc.
    I am NOT AT ALL challenging what you say, but this is a little hard for me to accept. That for the most part is so because I am more of the doubting Thomas. I'll believe it fully only when I've seen such a thing happening in fact, which I have never till now.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2014
    Content Maestro, Jul 30, 2014 IP
  6. Jake The Competition Man

    Jake The Competition Man Active Member

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    #86
    Anyway, Content Maestro explained perfectly the situation. But at the end of the day, the question is: did you deliver quality content or not? 30 minutes, one hour or 2 hours, is the article good? More important, is it useful for that kind of website, blog, magazine, project. This is what I consider more important. Someone can write beautiful articles, but are they useful? This is another point to discuss about.
     
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  7. Normanwalker

    Normanwalker Greenhorn

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    #87
    I honestly think that there's way too much hype about native writers.

    I've worked with plenty of writers and some of the native speakers have produced really shoddy work, while writers from non-native english speaking backgrounds possess a surprisingly strong command of the language. Needless to say, some of their articles were probably even better.

    We really need to get rid of this 'native writers are better' mindset, because it's not always true.

    Also, writing great quality 500 word articles probably take at least an hour. Why? Because at least half of that time should be dedicated to proper research. You can have a ton of fluff and colourful vocabulary decorating your article, but if it's message is flawed, then you can't classify it as great any more.

    Experienced writers also make use of speech-to-text software and then editing their writings from there. It's not a proven method, but definitely worth a shot!
     
    Normanwalker, Jul 30, 2014 IP
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  8. YMC

    YMC Well-Known Member

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    #88
    Why, because non-native writers don't like it? It simply means the buyer wants a certain standard of grammar and syntax MOST non-natives can't provide. Certainly, not all native speakers make good writers.

    For the most part when people are asking for "native writers" they are really asking for a high-level knowledge of a particular language. Writing for websites is far from the first or the last job description where employers ask for full language fluency. Just as people have accents when they speak, they often have accents when they write.

    When the "accent" leads to sentences with improper subject verb agreement, missing modifiers, incorrect word choices or confusion between past and present; it shows. While some readers might miss it, others don't.
     
    YMC, Jul 31, 2014 IP
  9. Jameyson MacDonald

    Jameyson MacDonald Well-Known Member

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    #89
    If it were simply a matter of native vs. non-native, it would not be an issue at all. The problem isn't "non-native" English speakers; non-native simply means they weren't born here. The problem is that there are way too many freelance content writers producing "shoddy" work very quickly and calling it "quality", then selling it for next to nothing.

    It is true that there are such content writers among the "natives", but the fact remains that the vast majority of those producing shoddy content these days do not speak English as a first language and this is apparent to anyone reading their work.

    It is a statistical fact that the majority of content writers marketing their work today hail from places like India and Pakistan. That isn't stereotyping or saying that it is necessarily a bad thing; it's just the way it is...

    Many of these individuals write quality content, but many of them don't and it is this segment that I was mainly referring to.

    The problem isn't so much that they speak English as a second language; it's more that they don't spend enough time making sure their content is free of spelling and grammatical errors, and then come on forums like this one and brag that they can produce a 500 word article in 20 minutes.

    The comparison came about because it only stands to reason that if an intelligent, well-educated individual who has always spoke English and has a firm grasp of English grammar spends an hour on average to produce a well-written 500 word article, someone with less of a grasp of English should spend at least that long ensuring their work is well-written and free of error...
     
    Jameyson MacDonald, Jul 31, 2014 IP
  10. 01123581321345589144

    01123581321345589144 Active Member

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    #90
    30-60 mins I think for a good, well researched, original article with SEO integration. You have to put some good time into an article and while 500 words isn't horribly long, it's not about length, it's about content. You can help a 10 page article on something get no recognition in Google because it wasn't properly search engine optimized, etc. even if that article is well written and researched.

    But have a 500 word article that took some time, but has good SEO and keywords scattered about (not too much!) rank high in Google. Honestly though Google is huge, constantly changing mystery to me, with each update more hurdles and adjustments.
     
    01123581321345589144, Jul 31, 2014 IP
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  11. Emma Pollard

    Emma Pollard Active Member

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    #91
    I think it's a good thing that Google changes the algorithms from time to time. It often helps to level the playing field for smaller businesses, it also helps to create work for writers and SEO guys.
    I know the saying 'If it isn't broke then don't fix it' but there is always room for improvements.
     
    Emma Pollard, Jul 31, 2014 IP
  12. 01123581321345589144

    01123581321345589144 Active Member

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    #92
    I agree. Google is keeping people honest with their algorithms often. And that's good. But it can make life more difficult, I guess. I agree it's still a good thing to have updates.
     
    01123581321345589144, Jul 31, 2014 IP
  13. Jameyson MacDonald

    Jameyson MacDonald Well-Known Member

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    #93
    I couldn't disagree more, Emma. The changes Google has made the past couple of years have made it very difficult for smaller businesses and websites to rank well. Before, there were clear cut rules about SEO and if you followed them, you were guaranteed to rank well: have good keyword density, get a lot of backlinks, and generate a decent flow of traffic. Unfortunately, because some unprincipled individuals were manipulating the system, Google flipped everything on its head and what used to work no longer does. In fact, if you follow the old way of doing things, chances are you'll be penalized because many of those links were not "relevant" to your niche. Even if you didn't create the link yourself, you could still get smacked with a penalty (Can anyone say, "Guilt by Association", or lack thereof?)...

    The old way of doing SEO was relatively straight forward and inexpensive, but effective SEO today costs money and takes much longer and exactly how to make it work is a mystery to most smaller website or business owners.

    And as for "relevancy", Google's search results are more IRrelevant than ever! Used to, I could find whatever I was looking for on the first page of the search results. Not so today. I get nothing but the megasites that have either been around forever, or are investing millions on SEO. The little, well-crafted sites no lonegr make it into my search results and this is a shame because they often had the best information.

    To be completely honest, Emma, I respect Google as the entity that can either float or sink your website and as such, I pay attention to their "rules", but in my personal web searches, I have long since stopped using Google. To me they are irrelevant...
     
    Jameyson MacDonald, Jul 31, 2014 IP
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  14. dscurlock

    dscurlock Prominent Member

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    #94
    google is irrelevant to anyone that has a site. If you follow their rules, then google can provide that
    free organic traffic that you do not have to pay for, of course there is no guarantee; These days, google
    can slap you just because, and if you do not have that google free traffic coming in, then you have
    to find other sources of traffic, and unless you are a robot, then other sources are not so free....

    I think google's intention is clear; They could care less if you are just coming online, and it seems like
    they want to discourage people from starting up; google is obviously for the site owner that has
    been around for a few years, and their site has already proven some type of success, and if that is
    the case, then google may not do you much google, and you need other sources of traffic, but that
    does not mean you should ignore what you can get from google on the side...

    you are right, why even bother to setup anything at all...
    What possible info can we provide that has not already been around for years....
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2014
    dscurlock, Aug 1, 2014 IP
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  15. dscurlock

    dscurlock Prominent Member

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    #95
    You guys seem to be concerned who can write the best quality article in 20 min or less....
    I hate to tell you this, google cant read, they are most likely looking for patterns in your
    content, spammy links, duplicate content, backlinks, popularity, and many other factors....

    at the end of the day, you can pump out all the quality/unique content you want in 20min...
    but who is going to read your great content if you have no traffic? Your quality content
    will sit at the bottom of the sea, along with millions of other unique pieces that may never be read.....
    but you do have to start somewhere; If you have no content, then why would traffic even come...
    and according to posts above, then why even bother setting up a new site, pointless, right?
     
    dscurlock, Aug 1, 2014 IP
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  16. Content Maestro

    Content Maestro Notable Member

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    #96
    The concern is partly about who can or cannot write a quality piece, but more about whether an average time frame can be defined to write a 500 words unique and (at least) a good quality article. Most replies say an hour or some time above that is OK but that is subject to a hell lot of factors, not just the word count.
    I agree, all unique and quality content doesn't get noticed by Google and even if it does, it's more often than not found in some remote corner of the SERPs. Who anyway cares to go that deep!?
    The algos are changing very rapidly and there is no absolute guarantee that your SEO work will get you any good ranking. As far as writers are concerned, these constant updates have made defining a mean time frame for finishing a 500-worder up even more ambiguous, leastways when SEO is majorly involved.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2014
    Content Maestro, Aug 1, 2014 IP
  17. dscurlock

    dscurlock Prominent Member

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    #97
    for the most part, I do not care how long it takes for the content to be written as long as is within reason...

    1: Does the content provide buzz
    2: Will my visitor find my content interesting/enraging?
    3: If you are playing with google, does my content have proper on-page seo?
    (I know some are anti-google, but google can provide that free organic traffic)
    4: First, is my content readable; Is it natural, does it flow, or will it just confuse SE, and visitors....
    and so on....

    It really does not matter how often google changes; If you follow some basic principles
    then you should not have to worry to much, unless your intention is to game google...
    then you should worry and find other sources of traffic that may suit you better....

    The biggest concern should not be so much about the quality content, ok, you got the
    best content, now what? Now you have to figure out how to get it to rank. If you do not
    get anything ranked under certain keywords, then you will just end up getting min
    organic traffic as time goes on; it will come, it will go, so unless you become popular,
    then nothing solid will develop; This is why people say keyword research is so important.
    (and I assume you have no other sources of traffic....)
     
    dscurlock, Aug 1, 2014 IP
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  18. Emma Pollard

    Emma Pollard Active Member

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    #98
    Google will pick up on the keywords IF they are in the right places, if not there would be no point in using them. Obviously everything else is a factor as Google now prioritizes content and sites which are useful for the user. Social popularity is an increasing factor now, social media is taking over the world and this is now recognized by the search engines, where facebook now leads Google+ will soon take over for business.
    It is Social Media where the traffic now comes from for many businesses, it is a useful tool and should be used to it's full advantage.
    Regardless of where your site ranks you should be filling it with useful content which is well written and well advertised, growing a website takes time and patience much like a beautiful garden.
     
    Emma Pollard, Aug 1, 2014 IP
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  19. Content Maestro

    Content Maestro Notable Member

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    #99
    For the writers, it does matter esp. when there are deadlines.
    It's sometimes very difficult to time yourself and write content that includes all this -
    We always have clients pressing to finish work fast.
     
    Content Maestro, Aug 1, 2014 IP
  20. dscurlock

    dscurlock Prominent Member

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    #100
    Right now, I have too many gardens...
    and they are all rotten...
     
    dscurlock, Aug 1, 2014 IP