You’re either in the midst of launching a new website or refreshing an old one and wondering, how long does it take to write website content? There’s no definitive answer to this question, and it all depends on a few factors. These include how long you want your website content to be, how complex the information is, and how much keyword research you’ve done.
A successful website needs high-quality content that is interesting to read and relevant to a majority of your audience. First and foremost you need to deliver on search intent. To have an engaging website with optimized content, you need to have (or hire) someone who knows how to write for the internet.

Sadly many new websites are design-led and many forget about the most important content of all. The written form. If you don’t have a website, or you’re in the middle of revamping your website, what you need to understand is that a vast majority of visitors will come through a search engine. This means that having quality content is paramount.
Breaking down how long does it take to write website content
Here are some things you need to consider when estimating the time required:
- How long does the content need to be?
- Who will need to approve it?
- Who is writing the content?
- Is there a style guide for your brand?
- Does the writer have SEO writing experience?
- How technical is the content?
If you are looking for some quick estimates just use the below table to give you an indication of how long it will take (Single page of approximately 500 words):
Task | Time |
Briefing | 0.5 Hour |
Content Research and Outline | 2 Hours |
Content writing production and editing | 3 Hours |
Client / Internal review and feedback | 0.5 Hour |
Revisions and final edit | 1 Hour |
Therefore including all the steps of content production. It would take approximately 7 hours to write a page worth of website content.
It sounds like a lot, but it is the reality of it and hence why so many companies do not put in the proper amount of effort into writing for their websites. You need to get your internal team to write for you, a content writer or hire someone externally.
One advantage of hiring an external writer is that they will have the right expertise in providing content that will push through the ranks on search engines. Writers who have extensive experience with SEO can help prioritize targeted keywords and provide you with the information you need to focus on your niche market topic of interest.
Tips to making website content production more efficient
When embarking on website content production program it is best that you do not underestimate the amount of effort that will be required. However with experience, you will be able to gain a better understanding of how long does it take to write website content.
Here are some tips that you can use in order to optimize your content production:
- Spend the first two weeks of production getting an idea about the level of work involved and what lies ahead when producing content for a website. Determine what topics you want to cover, what keywords you have ideas on and identify client requirements.
- If you have looked at examples of other websites that are similar to yours, use the example to see how they are structured. The style and structure of these types of websites should be used as a guide for your structure. You will find that the most successful websites have a style that is based on their industry and plays to their strengths.
- Make a list of content ideas, according to your website groupings. Based on this list of ideas, brainstorm new ideas for content. You can also become creative in generating new material by using current news items or by mining other areas of your business.
- Hire a writer to assist you in creating the structure for your website and then review the content before it is finalized. You also need to look at possible style guidelines of the site so that there is agreement in style and tone, as well as content hierarchy and consistency between pages.
- Test the site with visitors to get feedback on the content. This will help you pinpoint areas for improvement and identify whether elements need more attention, or incorporation is required.
- Edit the content and make changes based on customer feedback and keeping in mind SEO, keyword research and your clients’ needs.
- Create a schedule for dissemination of the new website content, so that there can be a well-organized flow of information throughout the site.
How to hire a good content writer
Probably the most important part of this process is finding the right writer for your role. You need to be able to relate easily with someone who can draft quality content that you will be happy with.
You will also need to make sure that they have enough knowledge of your brand and business to articulate this in the proper context or messaging and layout of the content. You want someone who understands SEO and knows how search engines work as well as what keywords you are interested in ranking for.
It is also essential to make sure that they have the proper writing skills, which include grammar, spelling and punctuation. You want someone who will be able to produce the best content possible. A good writer will be able to write content that is of high quality and will be persuasive and catchy with a clear call-to-action for customers to visit your site. As part of this process you should realize that good writers are never cheap because they can create quality work on time, with a lot of research and attention to detail.
Make sure they have a portfolio and that they have created content for websites similar to yours so that you can get idea of the quality of their work. You need to ensure that there is a good rapport with the writer and you should be able to communicate well with them.
When hiring writers it is important to find someone who can work in a team environment as well as work independently on their own projects. You will also want someone who has a positive attitude and wants to do a great job, which will add value to your company’s reputation.
Check to see there reviews and testimonials as a final step . You want to make sure that the writers’ previous clients are happy with their work.
How much does it cost?
The cost of creating content for your website will vary greatly, depending on the work involved, whether or not there are graphics involved, and how hard it is to get easy access to sources of information. While you should expect to pay between $50 and $500 per page for well-written content that has been properly researched, you should also expect a personal touch and communication as part of the package.
Not all content is created equally . Some writers will charge less money for less thorough, niche-specific SEO content. Other writers will charge more but provide you with general business writing (articles, white papers, case studies and so on) for a slightly higher price. The answer to this question will vary from company to company; the most important thing is to test out a few different writing agencies and get feedback on their work.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to pricing.
Conclusion
Knowing how long website content takes is only a small part of the puzzle. Knowing what kind of content you need will change over time as your business develops. Sourcing good, reliable writing services will be key to your success.
Once you have found a good writer, it is important to communicate with them about their deadlines and the costs involved. Make sure you don’t leave too much of a gap between when they are due to deliver and when they are due to deliver it.
Finally, allow yourself some time to test the quality of their work. If you are paying between $50 and $500 per page then you need to make sure that what you are getting is good quality, well-written content that is great for SEO. This means taking time to read it carefully and have others in your company read it as well. Evaluate the content by its flow and its flow to your readers – not just your search engine visitors.