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I love your idea about analyzing the popular blog posts from the top tech blogs - this is unique (at least I haven't seen it done this way), and you could generate interest through exposing the mistakes and the best practices - a bit entertaining and informative.

Try that out and keep looking for unique ideas like that, and improve them over time, and I'm sure you'll do very well.

Your fourth step: what content are you actually looking to create? Does it answer common questions, or provide rare 'insider' knowledge? Does it give a genuinely interesting, or entertaining perspective on subjects related to your field? Are you wanting to cover lots of bases with good information (e.g. daily blog posts), or are you wanting to 'dig deep' into one particular area, perhaps with multiple channels (e.g. ebook and related video)?

Link building is much easier, and worth a lot more to you, once you've actually gotten content that people actually want to read. And getting that type of content means making sure you understand exactly how you will add value to your audience, via your website.

On another note, still in the vein of being constructive, in the second paragraph, in the context in which you've written, you mean sheer, rather than shear.

Copywriting can cost anywhere from less than $10/hour if outsourced to Asian countries such as Malaysia, India or the Philippines, to $160/hour for a very capable, local (Australian) copywriter.

As you seem to have already worked out, the difference in payment tends to revolve around the work done to research, edit, optimise, and even test and revise the copy, in addition to "merely" writing it.

At the lower end, I would expect reasonablly well-written copy, but I would need to provide a detailed brief, usually with my own research, and I have to edit, and test the copy myself. Often, this work means I'd prefer to just write it myself anyway. But if I want a piece of truly great copy, written by someone who is a genuine professional, especially if it is a formal piece of work such as a whitepaper, I have no hesitation paying higher rates.

Always had a pretty prompt response from the mozzers. If I have a query I'd like a more immediate response, I usually give them a holler on twitter @seomoz

Your fourth step: what content are you actually looking to create? Does it answer common questions, or provide rare 'insider' knowledge? Does it give a genuinely interesting, or entertaining perspective on subjects related to your field? Are you wanting to cover lots of bases with good information (e.g. daily blog posts), or are you wanting to 'dig deep' into one particular area, perhaps with multiple channels (e.g. ebook and related video)?

Link building is much easier, and worth a lot more to you, once you've actually gotten content that people actually want to read. And getting that type of content means making sure you understand exactly how you will add value to your audience, via your website.

On another note, still in the vein of being constructive, in the second paragraph, in the context in which you've written, you mean sheer, rather than shear.