Professional content writers are a dime a dozen these days.  If you’re searching for a GOOD content writer it is important to do some research before actually hiring someone.  Your goal in finding a quality writer is simple:

•    Interesting and informative content
•    Not overstuffed with keywords or keyword phrases
•    Ability to write on a variety of topics
•    Short and concise paragraphs

Take the time to ask a lot of questions about the writer’s experience.  Ask for samples of their work as that is a good way to see what their range is or give them a sample theme to write on and have them provide you a paragraph or two utilizing relevant keywords to see how well they do.  It’s good if a writer has a broad range of topics as it shows they are capable of writing on almost any subject.  Writing legible content is only half the battle, though.

Even if you find someone who is able to write decent articles you need to make sure they are able to conduct quick and effective research.  It’s one thing to throw an article together that is easy to read, but the article needs to be informative and accurate as well.  When people view the pages of your web site if the information isn’t immediately relevant or interesting they tend to move on.  It’s important that the writer keep the most pertinent information at the beginning of the article so the reader stays entertained and keeps going.  It also needs to be done in a timely manner so your site can be constantly updated with fresh material.

Another big part of good content writing is keyword placement.  It’s important to use relevant keywords that the search engines can pick up but it’s also very important to not overstuff an article with these keywords and keyword phrases.  A lot of writers will concentrate solely on the keywords and produce content that is very hard to read.  Keyword stuffing is an obvious tactic that search engines are keen to and will actually result in the search engines penalizing your site.