Written by Steven Brough on March 11th, 2010

Ghostwriting and Web Copy: Outsourcing Benefits

2 Comments

A ghostwriter is an author who specializes in writing material for buyers who become the ‘perceived writer’ and (through contractual agreement) legal owner of that material. Web copy is usually taken to mean all the text published on a website. This article examines the outsourcing benefits available to businesses which use ghostwriters in order to increase their online library of web copy.

The web outsource market for ghostwriting is growing every day. It is affected by the role of search engines which take the inputted search words and match them up with the most applicable websites. Search engines use computer technology and to judge the relevance of web copy by counting keywords. This means that domain names with substantial keyword focused web copy are more likely to be ranked higher in an internet search. This generates more internet traffic, increasing the potential to reach customers and generates advertising revenue streams. Quite a lot of project planning goes into ensuring the right balance.

By way of example, keywords and phrases which might be relevant to a law firm include ‘insolvency’, ‘real estate’, ‘wills’, ‘probate’ or ‘corporate finance’. A law firm uploading substantial web copy with these words would be said to be using a marketing technique called ‘Search Engine Optimization’ or SEO so that, when somebody typed in one of these words, it would be noticed in a prominent position, and there would be a good chance that the website would be visited by potential customers.

Because an increasing number of businesses are realizing the marketing potential of SEO, competition for places on the top of the search engine results is increasing. There is even greater competition for businesses which operate in a mainstream market. Many businesses therefore outsource work to freelance writers, providing keywords and other salient article details in order to increase their web copy. There are a number of well-established websites such as ScriptLance, Freelancer~GAF, RentACoder and Elance , the purposes of which are to introduce freelance writers and business owners.

The type of work varies from individual users working on projects compiling a backlog of articles on virtually any subject through to specialist firms who want well written articles in their particular area of business. Freelance writers must demonstrate an aptitude to research subject matter thoroughly and create clear, intelligent and readable articles. Whilst the keywords often provide the article’s primary value their overall quality is a reflection of the business. Standards tend to be higher for bigger companies and this is reflected in remuneration.

One of the principle outsource benefits for freelance writers who are able to meet these requirements is the option of forging a career as their own boss. They can work from home, in order to spend more time with their families and, within reason, the opportunity of taking on as much or as little work as they desire. Other freelancers might use this skill as a secondary source of income, combining it with full time employment. Businesses benefit from access to a worldwide network of talented freelance ghostwriters and therefore can often command very competitive rates of pay. However, highly talented freelance writers can use the network to cultivate a good reputation, so that they are sought after by the bigger providers who offer the better rates of pay.