You’re probably sick of hearing it, but it’s true: you need good, original, relevant content on your website to move up the search engine rankings, and you need to update your site on a regular basis. Whether you write the content in-house or outsource it, keep in mind how people behave when surfing the web. Your text should be broken up into digestible chunks, given plenty of white space around it, and supplemented with pleasing graphics.
Other good web content tips include using short lists whenever possible, using relevant anchor text for your links, and avoid obnoxiously flashing graphics. Check out the screen shot from part of a page off Ars Technica website to see a good example of how a website should read.
Because keeping a website updated with new content is so important, many webmasters choose to outsource this job in order to be able to concentrate on other aspects of the business. Hiring a freelancer can work well as long as you make your requirements clear and have good communication back and forth with the freelancer.
The takeaway from all this is that content creation isn’t just a sideline, but an integral part of your SEO plan. So if you’re not prepared to regularly create good content and don’t have a staff member who can devote the time it requires, then you should really consider outsourcing. With good, fresh, relevant content, your site’s PageRank and position in the search engine results will steadily increase.