How Much Does It Cost to Outsource Blog Writing?
Freelancers charge $100-500 per article. Agencies charge $2,000-6,000 per month. But the real cost includes your time, SEO tools, and management overhead. Here is the full breakdown.
Blog Writing Cost Comparison (2026)
Prices for 10 SEO articles per month across every common option.
| Provider | Per Article | 10 Articles/Mo | Quality | Your Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer (Entry-Level) | $100-200 | $1,000-2,000 | Variable | Briefs, editing, SEO, publishing |
| Freelancer (Experienced) | $250-500 | $2,500-5,000 | High | Briefs, light editing, publishing |
| Content Agency | $300-600 | $3,000-6,000 | High | Strategy calls, approvals |
| Premium Agency | $500-1,200 | $5,000-12,000 | Very High | Strategy, brand guidelines |
| AI Tool (DIY) | $1-5 + your time | $30-100 + 20hrs | Low-Medium | Prompts, editing, formatting, SEO, publishing |
| FirstSearch (Done-For-You) | $3.30 | $99 (for 30 articles) | High | Nothing |
The Hidden Costs of Outsourcing
The per-article price is never the full story. These costs add up fast.
Your Time (2-4 Hours per Article)
$100-200/articleWriting briefs, reviewing drafts, requesting revisions, doing final edits, formatting for your CMS, and publishing. At $50/hour, that adds $100-200 in hidden costs per article.
Finding and Managing Writers
$500-1,000/monthScreening applicants, doing test assignments, onboarding, managing deadlines, handling no-shows, and replacing writers who leave. This takes 5-10 hours per month.
SEO Tools for Keyword Research
$99-399/monthBefore a single word is written, someone needs to identify what topics to cover. Ahrefs costs $99/month, Semrush costs $139/month. These are separate from writing costs.
Inconsistency and Gaps
Opportunity costFreelancers get busy, take vacations, or disappear. Every week without a new article is lost SEO momentum. Consistency matters more than occasional brilliance.
The Real Math: 10 Articles Per Month
Or with FirstSearch: $99/month for 30 articles
That is $3.30 per article. Zero hours of your time. 3x more articles than the freelancer scenario above. Compare the full cost breakdown in our blog writer vs AI cost analysis.
When Outsourcing Makes Sense (And When It Doesn't)
Outsource to a freelancer if...
- You need a specific brand voice or personal tone
- Your niche requires certified expertise (medical, legal, financial)
- You have $2,000+/month budget and time to manage the relationship
Outsource to an agency if...
- You need coordinated content strategy across multiple channels
- You have $3,000-6,000/month content budget
- You want a dedicated account manager handling everything
Use FirstSearch instead if...
- You want SEO content without spending your time on it
- You need 10+ articles per month at an affordable price
- Your budget is under $500/month
- You want content published directly to your site automatically
30 Articles for the Price of One Freelancer Article
$99/month. 30 SEO-optimized articles. Keyword research, images, and CMS publishing included. No hidden costs, no time investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to outsource blog writing in 2026?
Blog writing costs range from $100-1,200 per article depending on the provider. Entry-level freelancers charge $100-200, experienced writers charge $250-500, content agencies charge $300-600, and premium agencies charge $500-1,200. These prices don't include your time for briefs, editing, and publishing, which typically adds $100-200 per article.
Is it worth paying for blog writing?
Yes, if you want organic search traffic. Businesses that publish consistently see 3-5x more organic traffic than those that don't. The question is not whether to invest in content, but how to do it cost-effectively. At $99/month for 30 articles, FirstSearch makes blog content accessible for any budget.
How much should I pay a freelance blog writer?
For SEO blog content (1,500-3,000 words), expect to pay $200-500 per article for an experienced writer. Cheaper writers ($50-100) often produce thin, unoptimized content that won't rank. The sweet spot for quality SEO content from a freelancer is $250-400 per article.
Are content agencies worth the cost?
Content agencies charge $2,000-6,000/month for 4-12 articles. They handle strategy, writing, and some optimization, which saves you time. They make sense for businesses with $5,000+ monthly content budgets. For smaller budgets, automated services like FirstSearch deliver more articles at a fraction of the cost.
Can AI writing replace outsourced blog writing?
DIY AI tools (ChatGPT, Jasper) produce raw content cheaply, but require significant editing, SEO optimization, and publishing work from you. Fully managed AI services like FirstSearch combine AI writing with automated keyword research, SEO optimization, and publishing, making them a complete replacement for outsourced writing at a fraction of the cost.
What is the cheapest way to get quality blog content?
The cheapest option for quality, SEO-optimized blog content in 2026 is a fully managed AI service. FirstSearch delivers 30 articles per month for $99 ($3.30 per article) with keyword research, full SEO optimization, and automatic publishing. The next cheapest option is hiring entry-level freelancers at $100-200 per article, but you still need to handle editing, SEO, and publishing yourself.