A complete guide on how to price blog writing services

Trying to figure out how to price blog writing services can feel a bit like throwing a dart in the dark. The truth is, rates are all over the map. A single 1,500-word article could set you back anywhere from $150 to over $1,000. That massive gap isn't random; it reflects everything that goes into creating content that actually works.

A blog post is way more than just a word count. It's the deep-dive research to find out what your audience is asking. It's the SEO work that gets it seen on Google. And ultimately, it's the potential to bring in leads and grow your business.

But now, AI has entered the chat and is shaking things up. One Redditor pointed out that after ChatGPT, paying an agency $600-$1200 for a blog post just feels steep. The conversation is moving away from how many hours a writer clocked and toward the actual business results.

This is where tools like the eesel AI blog writer are making a difference. It's part of a new wave of tech that can produce high-quality, SEO-ready content for a simple, predictable price. This changes the old "how much per word?" question to "how much value am I getting?"

Think about it: we went from typewriters (just words), to word processors (words plus formatting), and now to AI platforms that handle writing, SEO, research, and even visuals all at once. The value you get has just exploded.

Key factors that influence blog writing service prices

Before we get into the different pricing models, let's break down what you're actually paying for. A few key things shape the final price tag on a blog post.

Experience and expertise of the writer

Not all writers are the same, and their experience level really moves the needle on cost.

A beginner might charge less, often under $.20 per word, which can seem like a great deal. But there's usually a hidden cost: your own time. You'll probably spend hours editing their work just to get it ready to publish.

On the other hand, an expert writer brings a lot more to the table. Take someone like Elna Cain, who has over seven years of digital marketing experience. She can command premium rates of $.50-$.80 per word. Why? Because she's an expert who gets technical topics and SEO. Her content isn't just well-written; it’s authoritative and designed to get business results from the get-go.

I charge from $500-$750, but I only work hourly and I’m in healthcare. It’s a niche with a lot of demand and not many content writers with my experience and skill level, so I can charge a decent hourly fee and get it without much difficulty.

Reddit

Content complexity and research depth

A simple 500-word listicle about office snacks is a completely different animal than a deep-dive technical article or a comprehensive white paper, which can cost up to $5,000 per project.

The more research and brainpower a topic demands, the higher the cost. As one freelancer smartly put it, a project's price should cover "research, thinking time, writing, editing and procrastination," not just the final word count. If a post needs original data analysis or interviews with industry experts, you can bet that extra work will show up on the final invoice.

SEO and strategic input

There’s a world of difference between just writing and creating strategic content. A writer might just fill a page with words, but a content strategist builds an asset that's designed to perform.

Services that include keyword research with tools like Ahrefs, deep competitor analysis, and on-page SEO (like writing meta tags and building internal links) will cost more. But they also provide a clear return on your investment. You're not just buying a blog post; you're investing in a piece of content engineered to rank on search engines and pull in organic traffic for years. This strategic layer is why an SEO-focused blog post has an average flat rate of around $550.

Scope of work: Revisions and additional assets

Finally, the scope of the project itself is a big piece of the puzzle. Most quotes will include a set number of revisions, maybe one or two. If you need more tweaks, that's usually billed as extra.

The same goes for multimedia. If you need custom graphics, charts, or even just someone to source relevant screenshots, that all adds time and cost. These "extras" can quickly add up, turning what looked like a simple project into a much larger expense.

A breakdown of common blog writing service pricing models

With those factors in mind, let's look at the most common ways freelancers and agencies price their work. Each approach has its pros and cons, and knowing them will help you decide what makes sense for your budget and goals.

Per-word pricing

• Description: This is the classic model where you pay a set rate for every word. It's especially popular with new freelancers. A Peak Freelance survey found that 8 out of 10 writers who use this model have less than a year of experience.
• Pros: It’s incredibly simple to calculate and understand, particularly for projects with a set length.
• Cons: It can tempt writers to add fluff just to increase the word count, putting quantity over quality. In the age of AI, where words can be generated instantly, this metric is becoming obsolete because it doesn't factor in research, strategy, or the overall value.
• Typical Rates: The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) puts median rates for nonfiction writing somewhere between 22.5¢ and 65.0¢ per word.

Per-hour pricing

• Description: Exactly what it sounds like. The writer or agency tracks their time and bills you for every hour they spend on your project.
• Pros: This model is fair for projects where the scope isn't perfectly clear from the start, or for work that involves a lot of meetings and back-and-forth.
• Cons: It focuses on effort, not results. A fast, efficient writer is actually punished because they get the work done in less time. It can also be tough to budget for, since costs can creep up if the project takes longer than you thought.
• Typical Rates: EFA data shows hourly rates for nonfiction writers usually land between $75 and $90, although some marketing agencies might charge over $150 per hour.

Per-project (flat fee) pricing

• Description: You agree on a single, fixed price for the entire project. This has become the go-to model, with 65% of freelance writers preferring it.
• Pros: It gives you a predictable budget with no surprises. The focus is completely on the final product, not the hours logged or words written.
• Cons: It requires a very detailed scope of work upfront. If the project needs change halfway through, you could hit "scope creep," where you end up needing more work than you originally agreed on.
• Typical Rates: A standard blog post often averages around $550, while a more in-depth guide or ebook can run as high as $5,500.

Retainer pricing

• Description: This is a recurring monthly fee for a set amount of work, like four blog posts per month.
• Pros: It’s perfect for keeping a consistent stream of content flowing. It also lets the writer or agency get to know your brand and audience deeply over time, which leads to better, more effective content.
• Cons: It's a longer-term commitment and requires a bigger budget. If your content needs change from month to month, you might pay for work you don't need.
• Typical Rates: Agency retainers for content marketing can be anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000 per month. A common starting point is often around $4,000.

Comparing the models

Here’s a quick table to help you compare the different approaches.

How AI platforms are changing content pricing

While traditional models each have their advantages, AI content generation platforms introduce another option. These tools can be used to produce content at scale, offering a different approach to budgeting and resource allocation.

This is where the eesel AI blog writer comes in. It introduces a different pricing model, often a transparent, pay-per-use system. For $99, you get 50 blog post credits. This pricing structure contrasts with per-project or retainer fees common in freelance and agency work.

Each credit typically provides a complete, publish-ready blog post, often including elements that might be priced separately by freelancers or agencies. This approach bundles services like asset creation into a single price.

What you get for a predictable, low cost

The real value of an AI content platform like the eesel AI blog writer is everything that's included in that predictable price.

• Deep Research & SEO: It doesn't just write. It analyzes top-ranking content for your keyword to understand and match search intent. Then it optimizes the post with the right structure and keyword placement. It even structures content for AI Answer Engines (AEO), helping you show up in new formats like Google AI Overviews.
• Automatic Assets Included: Forget about paying a designer or spending hours looking for stock photos. It automatically generates relevant AI images, infographics, and data tables to make your content more engaging.
• Social Proof & Media Embeds: To add authority and keep readers on the page longer, it can pull in real Reddit quotes and embed relevant YouTube videos. This is a time-consuming task for a human writer, but it's done automatically.
• Human-Like Tone: This isn't generic AI writing. The AI has been trained to learn from your existing website's tone, producing content that sounds natural and engaging, like it was written by someone on your team.

The eesel AI blog writer is designed to be a force multiplier. It can deliver strategic outputs similar to what a content agency provides, but with a different cost structure.

Choosing your path: Freelancer vs. agency vs. in-house vs. AI

So, what's the right move for your business? It really comes down to your budget, resources, and goals. Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of each option.

Hiring a freelancer

• Pros: It’s a flexible option, great for single projects. You also get direct access to writers with specialized knowledge in your niche.
• Cons: Quality can be a mixed bag, and rates are all over the place. It also takes a lot of your time to manage, edit, and provide clear direction.

Partnering with an agency

• Pros: You get a complete, done-for-you service with a full team of experts, including strategists, writers, and SEO specialists.
• Cons: This is often the most expensive route. Content marketing retainers often start in the $2,000-$5,000 per month range. You also have less direct control over the day-to-day process.

Building an in-house team

• Pros: You get total control, deep brand alignment, and a dedicated resource that lives and breathes your company.
• Cons: The overhead is incredibly high. You're paying for salaries, benefits, software, and training. To do it right, you often need to hire for multiple roles, which is a big challenge.

Empowering your team with eesel AI

• Pros: It offers a highly cost-effective and scalable way to produce content. You get features like SEO optimization, research, and asset creation, which can free up your team to focus on high-level strategy.
• Cons: It's not completely hands-off. You still need someone on your team to manage the process, inputting keywords, adding brand context, and giving the final post a quick review before publishing.

For a deeper dive into the different pricing strategies and how to calculate your rates, this video from Coach Carmine Mastropierro offers a great breakdown of typical fee models and industry benchmarks.

A video from Coach Carmine Mastropierro explaining different fee models and industry benchmarks for how to price blog writing services.

Final thoughts: Focus on results, not words

The way we think about content pricing is finally changing for the better. We’re moving away from outdated metrics like per-word rates and focusing on what really matters: the value a blog post delivers. That means looking at its ability to rank in search, generate leads, and build your brand's authority. It’s why project-based pricing is now the method preferred by 65% of freelancers.

Whether you choose to work with a freelancer, an agency, or an in-house writer, creating high-quality content is a real investment.

For teams looking to scale their content production, exploring a tool like the eesel AI blog writer can be a practical step. It lets you produce strategic, high-quality content at scale for a predictable and incredibly low price. You get the power of a full content team in a single tool. We put it to the test ourselves and used it to grow our traffic from 700 to 750,000 daily impressions in just three months.

Ready to scale your content without the high costs? Try the eesel AI blog writer for free and publish your first SEO-optimized article in minutes.