The short answer
For a business that wants a library of pages that gets it found and named in AI answers, RunOctopus is the better choice than hiring a freelance writer. A good writer is worth it for your brand story. For volume, research, publishing and linking, a writer covers one step and leaves the rest to you.
Four reasons RunOctopus is the better choice:
- We do the work and publish on our own. Ollie (our AI) and our team research, write, publish and link the pages on your site, on Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce or Wix. Nothing waits on you: there is no approval queue, and you can read anything that went live and ask for changes. A writer hands you a document. Keywords, publishing and linking stay with you.
- We know your catalog and services. Pages are built from your real products and services and linked into the pages that sell them, so a reader who is ready to buy is one click from buying.
- Proven on real clients. A Los Angeles apartment broker went from 12 to 57 Google clicks a month to 283 in August 2026 (Sterman case study). On October 12, 2026, ChatGPT named a Florida recruiting site on 7 of 8 test questions (Florida careers case study). We publish the misses too.
- Fully automated, and built on real inputs. Ollie does the work automatically from start to finish, and our team keeps watch. Every page is built from real inputs, not generic AI text: your own catalog or services, your own search data, the real questions buyers ask AI assistants, and facts checked before anything publishes. An AI writer handed a keyword produces generic text about that keyword.
This is not AI versus humans
The question is practical: if you need pages that bring in search traffic, what is the best way to get them? A freelance writer and RunOctopus both put words on your site, in very different ways.
What writers charge. Rates vary widely by experience and niche. The Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 rate chart, built from members' 2025 rates, puts blog posts at 25 to 45 cents a word for work-for-hire and articles at 25 to 45 cents. A 1,500-word guide at those rates costs about $375 to $675. Writers on freelance marketplaces often charge less, and specialists charge more. Most writers also expect you to supply the topic, the keywords and the brief.
RunOctopus is done for you. Ollie (our AI) and our team research, write, publish and link pages on your own site, from online stores to local service companies, on Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce or Wix. The pages go live on their own. It is $497 a month.
A writer sells skilled writing, one piece at a time. RunOctopus sells the whole job: choosing topics from what you sell, writing, publishing, linking into the pages that sell, and doing it every month.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Freelance writer | RunOctopus |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per page | About $375 to $675 for a 1,500-word guide at EFA blog rates, and rates vary widely | About $3 per page |
| Monthly volume | Whatever your budget covers | 50+ pieces at launch, 175+ pieces a month, every month |
| Monthly cost | Per piece | $497/month |
| Topics and keywords | You provide them, or hire an SEO too | Planned for you from your catalog or services |
| Publishing | You format and upload, unless you pay for it | Publishes on your site on its own |
| Internal links | You or the writer add them | Linked into your product, collection or service pages |
| Interactive tools | Not offered (writers write) | Calculators, quizzes and product finders built for you |
| Brand voice and storytelling | Strong: a good writer captures your voice | Clear and practical, not a personal narrative |
| First-hand product experience | Can use your products and photograph them | Works from your catalog, your search data and checked facts |
Who does each step
Follow one page from idea to live and ask who does the work at each step.
What a freelance writer gives you
- Brand storytelling. Your founding story, your voice, your About page. If voice is your edge, a writer is the right hire for that work.
- First-hand experience. A writer can use your products, photograph them and compare them from personal experience, the kind of first-hand detail Google's guidance on helpful content rewards.
- Creative angles. A writer finds the unexpected story that makes a reader stay.
- Judgment on sensitive topics. Health, safety and legal content benefits from a careful human who knows when to qualify a claim.
What RunOctopus does differently
- The whole job, not one step. Topics, research, writing, publishing and linking are all done for you, and nothing waits on your approval.
- Volume a writer budget can't reach. Topical authority takes dozens to hundreds of linked pages. At $375 to $675 a guide, 100 guides from a writer would cost $37,500 to $67,500.
- Built from your catalog and services. Each page links into the product, collection or service page that closes the sale.
- Interactive tools. Calculators, quizzes and product finders take code, not just words.
- Built for AI answers. Pages are written around the real questions buyers ask AI assistants. Our GEO vs SEO explainer covers why that matters.
The best answer might be both
Let RunOctopus build and publish the library, and hire a writer for the high-touch pieces on top: your brand story, product launches, and editorial pieces where your voice is the point. That gives you volume and personality, and it costs far less than paying a writer for everything. If you are weighing an agency or software as well, see our SEO agency comparison and AI SEO services overview.
When the other choice is right
Hire a writer instead if you only need a few pages, your brand voice is the main thing you sell, or the content needs someone who has used the product in person. For that work a skilled writer beats any service, RunOctopus included.
A freelance writer gives you skilled writing, one piece at a time, and leaves topics, publishing and linking to you. RunOctopus does the whole job from what you sell, every month, for $497. If you want a library that gets you found and named in AI answers, choose RunOctopus, and keep a writer for your brand story.