The True Cost of Cheap Blog Posts
$30 for 1,000 words? Sounds like you’ve cracked the code.
But here's the truth.
Cheap blog posts cost way more than you think.
They cost you trust.
They cost you credibility.
“The moment you make a mistake in pricing, you're eating into your reputation or your profits.” Katharine Paine
So, that $30 blog post isn’t a win.
First things first.
“Content rules. It did ten years ago, and it does today. People don’t use things they don’t understand. Writing for the Web is still undervalued, and most sites spend too few resources refining the information they offer users.” - Neilsen Norman Group
Bad writing breaks trust even before you build it.
Let’s find out how.
1. Cheap Content is Dead Content
Brands that skimp on content are on their path to tank their brand sometime soon.
They think of content like a checkbox and get it done quickly at cheap rates.
But here’s the reality.
Cheap content = dead content.
It doesn’t rank, build trust, or convert. It just exists on the Internet.
And if you are doing so, you are simply adding clutter.
Investing in high-quality content means you’re not just paying for words. You’re paying for strategy, research, user intent alignment, SEO optimization, and brand positioning to create meaningful content.
Length isn't a ranking factor; long and thoughtfully created content outperforms poor content.
And better content costs money.
2. Google Penalizes Content Created for Bots
Google March 2025 Content Update promotes satisfying and helpful content that demonstrates E-A-T-T.
If your blog is a cheap, keyword-stuffed remix of content scraped from Page 1, it will get buried. Google now rewards people-first content that answers real questions, solves problems, and builds trust.
Therefore, focusing on content that delivers value, not fluff.
If not, you are just piling words without impact.
And zero impact means zero ROI.
3. You Pay Twice
When companies hire writers and outsource content for cheaper rates, they’re being shortsighted.
Handling your content requirements to people who don’t get your product, ICP, or GTM.
No surprise, you get half-baked content lacking narrative and a unique point of view.
What happens next?
You spend hours editing or paying a strategist to rewrite the whole thing. And in the worst case, if you publish it, it tanks your brand credibility.
This is content debt.
Meridel Walkington, Senior UX Content Strategist at Mozilla, defines content debt as the hidden cost of not managing the creation, maintenance, utility, and usability of digital content.
Bad content isn’t just a blog; it's costing you in the long term.
So, wouldn’t it be better to do it right in the first place? Or do you want to buy a leaky roof at a discount and fix it again and again?
Wrapping Up
It’s better to have one phenomenal article than a hundred throwaway pieces no one wants to read.
Quality > Quantity
Here’s some math.
$30 post × 0 conversions = 0 return
$1,000 post ÷ 50 conversions = $20 cost per lead
Which one makes more sense?
High-quality content costs more but delivers value.
Choose wisely and invest money to create meaningful content that earns attention, builds authority, and drives real business results.