Content Velocity: The Complete Explanation

When it comes to SEO and content analytics, there are so many metrics to monitor, but now, if you haven't done it yet, you should also add "content velocity" to the list. 

What is content velocity?

Content velocity is a metric that shows how many content pieces you've produced during a given time. It is used to measure the impact of the amount of content on your SEO results. 

Why is measuring content velocity important? 

The short answer is SEO. 

You might think that having fewer exceptional content pieces is always better than more but average ones. And this is true. However, quantity and the frequency of updates are also crucial factors for ranking in search. The reason is that search engines also consider content velocity as one of the aspects of authority. And websites with more authority typically rank much higher. This makes content velocity a valuable metric, as it helps you understand how you differ from competitors and where you should focus. 

How to increase content velocity in 5 steps

So, producing more content of high quality seems to be a challenging task, especially if you think you already tried everything. Let's see what else you can do to improve your content marketing efforts.

1. Create a digital content strategy

Having a dedicated content strategy focusing not only on blogs but also on other digital channels is an undoubted advantage for those looking to improve content velocity. 

Don't hesitate to expand content efforts to mediums other than a website. For example, did you know LinkedIn articles can also rank in Google? Considering multiple channels to share your content can also avoid so-called keyword cannibalization when your own pieces of content, for example, website pages, compete with each other for the same Google rankings. 

2. Create a content governance model

Content governance refers to the strategic processes and rules an organization uses to manage its digital content effectively, ensuring alignment with goals, quality, and compliance. It covers content creation, distribution, and maintenance to maximize content effectiveness and consistency.

Content governance clarifies each stage of the content workflow, including planning, creation, editing, and distribution, and guides each stakeholder involved in the process. It also covers all the tools and resources available for content teams, as well as how and when to use them. 

This governance model, however, is unique to each company, meaning you can tailor it to the number of team members, their tasks, your marketing goals, and so on. The content creation process becomes a breeze when you know who is responsible for what and have eliminated all bottlenecks. 

In order to make their lives easier and let them do their work seamlessly, you can set up custom workflows for each of them so that they don't get stuck on some phase when it's possible to move forward. You can also grant roles and permissions to ensure only assigned people can take particular actions. For example, you can be sure your content is published, checked, and edited to maintain consistency and quality.

4. Embrace modular content

Implementing a content modeling approach is another tip to produce content more quickly and retain consistency, branding, and messaging. 

Modular content is an approach to creating and managing content in small, reusable forms. This concept is similar to Lego as you break content into small blocks that you can reuse and compound as you wish, building a bigger project.

With the higher demand for omnichannel publishing, marketers need more time to create and deliver multiple formats to all channels. However, modular blocks allow content creators to adjust their material to the requirements of each platform faster. 

It is possible to combine, deconstruct, and reassemble these tiny content pieces to create unique experiences tailored to a specific channel, whether it be text, product photos, or short videos. 

5. Repurpose your content 

Repurposing content is not a new but often underestimated strategy that can significantly enhance content velocity. While taking existing content and adapting it for various formats, platforms, and audiences still requires some of your time and effort, the results are definitely worth it. 

What is better – ignoring some channels and missing an opportunity to reach your audience there, or spending an extra hour or so adjusting what you already have and getting their attention? Instead of focusing on one or two channels, you can be present almost everywhere to reach various audience segments where they are used to consuming content.  

With the omnichannel becoming a new norm, people are used to getting multiple touchpoints with brands. Hence, repurposing content increases your chances of reaching a wider audience and converting those who are already interested in your products.

Repackaging your content for different platforms also saves time and effort by allowing you to leverage the core ideas and messages you've already developed. A well-written blog post can be transformed into a visually engaging infographic, a podcast episode, or a series of social media posts. This is how you breathe new life into your content and extend its lifespan.

Lastly, repurposing content enhances your SEO efforts. When you publish content across different platforms, you create more opportunities for backlinks, shares, and engagement, boosting your search engine ranking and content velocity.

Choose a powerful and user-friendly CMS to boost content velocity

Even though this advice might seem obvious, data says that most companies worldwide still use traditional (monolithic) content management systems, even though there are more future-proof solutions on the market. 

For example, Storyblok is a headless CMS combining an intuitive and user-friendly Visual editor and powerful features such as omnichannel publishing, in-app SEO tools, collaboration, custom workflows, asset manager, and more. Business users can create, edit and publish content across multiple channels independently, while developers can focus on improving the technology side of the website or application. 

Content teams also gain access to various API-based integrations, including AI-powered tools, to help them manage content more effectively.