LooseSuits

Great question. I suppose this will depend on which end you look at it from, that is, getting it written and then how much it converts for you.

Most people will prolly look just at ROI/traffic/conversions, I suppose.

The hidden cost here is the cost of replacement. If you have some person in the UK writing/researching at 30 pounds an hour, the cost is high (but hopefully so is the quality). If you happen to have an ace writer/researcher who charges a lower rate, the cost of replacement is low.

This doesn't really help much I guess, but from my experience there is no hard and fast rule because it can vary so much. If you have content written by an expert or enthusiast in their field (say, a theatre blog :) this could be of a higher quality then if a normal copywriter. But then what kind of revenue does the content generate...

Man, tough question :-)

One thing to look at would be visitor loyalty. With spinoffs being launched every day, having visitors that stick it out knowing that you always have something great in the pipes (and being willing to pay to do so) is very important.

Good one - made my brow furrow.

If you're looking for a mathematical formula, it's going to be tough, but start with pageviews and the amount of time the average user spends looking at that content.

One piece of content is worth different amounts depending on the advertiser. For example, if I make cars, then buying an ad on a car blog is worth more to me than buying an ad on a blog about travel. On the other hand, if I'm an airline, the reverse may be true. Both the car and travel blog are a good investment for both advertisers, but the amount changes.

If you ever answer this one, I suggest applying for a patent...

Like wrttnwrd says, I think it comes down to relevance. The same piece of content can be worth different amounts to different people.

Your content is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. If you want to put a price tag on content, it will be hard until you get that first advertiser, book deal, or sponsorship.

However, just because your content doesn't have any confirmed monetary value doesn't mean it is worthless! Powerful content can persuade, inform, and influence action in others. That in itself would be hard to measure.

big number of links to site -----> lot of "high quality visitors" -----> money(internet)