This is another one of those “formula-seeking” questions.
There is no magic answer to this question.
It depends on many variables.
But, for those of you who absolutely must have a concrete answer, here’s how long it takes me to GENERALLY write different types of articles.
Product review: 1 hour plus the time testing the product. If it’s a complex product or software, perhaps 2 hours.
Listicle: These are all over the map, but generally I can crank out a 25 item listicle in 3 hours. That’s working hard and these articles are exhausting. Some will take me 5+ hours. I’ve spent days on some as well.
Q&A: Unless I really flesh it out into a 2K word article, I can crank out Q&A fast – one to two hours each for 1,000 to 1,800 words.
Tutorial/how-to: These can take one hour or 5 days, depending on the topic. If it’s a complex project, it can take days. If it’s a simple how-to with some software, it can go quickly. Generally, these are time-intensive articles because you need to do the tutorial, photograph it then write it. If you take hours and hours doing these, that’s normal.
Opinion piece: One to two hours tops. I write these because they’re fun. I just let ‘er rip and publish.
Comparison: two to three hours. Faster if I’ve already written individual reviews for products and know the products well.
Niche matters as well. If you’re in a technical niche or a niche where everything needs to well-referenced, time spent will be much, much more.
I have some advantages though. They are:
First, I’ve personally written over 5 million words for the web so I’ve honed the process. I wasn’t this fast when I started.
Second, I’m a decent writer, probably the result of writing 5 million words haha. Keep on writing; you’ll get faster.
Third, I can type 60 wpm which helps. I can type nearly as fast as I think. I have a notepad open on the side so jot down ideas as they come to me so I don’t forget them. I incorporate them later.
Fourth, I’m NOT a perfectionist. I’ve yet to publish a perfect article. When it’s good enough, I publish it. It’s still good and I strive for it to better than what’s already online, but I never get to perfect.
Does the payoff warrant the effort?
This is an important question to ask yourself regularly.
If you’re writing an article where the best-case scenario is $50 per month, is it worth 30 hours of work? Probably not.
On the flip side, if the potential is $10K per month (and yes, single articles can easily earn $10K+ per month which is indeed mind-blowing), every ounce of effort is warranted.
Of course we never really know the true potential of any article. I have some articles earning hundreds and hundreds of dollars every month for years that I never expected to do well at all.
I’ve put in huge efforts into content only to end up with crickets.
But, generally, be mindful of the potential payoff/effort ratio.
Is it fun?
I’ve spent far more time than necessary on some articles just because I was having so much fun writing them. It was something I really wanted to do a good job regardless of pay off.
Sometimes a job well done is a reward unto itself.
This is the exception to the rule, but it happens.
What’s ranking #1
There have been situations where I won’t bother tackling a topic because the article ranking #1 is just so darn good.
It’s not a good opportunity.
Good opportunities are when the top-ranking articles are not great and that you know you can do better.
More often than not you can improve upon the topic ranking #1, but it’s worth a look.
But the fastest way to write an article is…
The fastest way to write an article is to outsource it haha.
And that’s why I outsource more than I write.
But it wasn’t always like that for me and for many folks, paying for content is not possible.
That’s why it’s a good idea to scramble as hard and fast as you can to get your revenue up because, with revenue, you can outsource.
And when you outsource, you will be amazed at how much content you publish in a day.
Jon Dykstra is a six figure niche site creator with 10+ years of experience. His willingness to openly share his wins and losses in the email newsletter he publishes has made him a go-to source of guidance and motivation for many. His popular “Niche site profits” course has helped thousands follow his footsteps in creating simple niche sites that earn big.
