Do writers just copy and rephrase content from others?
This Q from Quora asks:
Do most content writers for websites and blogs just copy and rephrase what others have already written?
Happens a lot. In fact, it’s the open secret of content farms.
Unless a writer is given original material based on a client’s specific expertise or a content brief with some actual weight to it, they’re pretty much resigned to finding what’s already online, summarizing it, and rephrasing it.
This is where understanding the client’s goals matters.
- Some clients just want to target keywords for SEO because they believe it’ll bring in traffic.
- Others just want to have something fresh for the sake of having a blog so the site doesn't look abandoned.
- Then you have the clients who actually want to showcase their expertise and experience in the subject matter.
As a freelance writer, you usually just have to deal with the situation as it comes.
But you can really tell when you're working with a business that is being intentional about their blogging. The best ones I’ve worked with don’t use content to game algorithms, use SEO hacks, or just regurgitate info already online.
They know that blogging is a way to showcase what they know based on real industry experience.
Will their content have some similarities to what's already out there? Possibly.
Especially if it’s regarding industry best practices. But they will have their own specific points about why they do certain things, what they’d change, or a customer experience where they did something different.
They aren’t just talking about a topic; they’ve done the work and they're sharing what they know.
ready to work together?