Many SEOs believe that having several pages which target the same topic will confuse search engines and the “wrong” page will end up ranking. In the words of Patrick Stox, this belief is simply “preposterous”.
While it’s true that having overlapping pages can sometimes produce unexpected or less-than-ideal rankings, it doesn’t necessarily signal a problem. In fact, it can occasionally highlight an opportunity to enhance rankings and improve overall organic performance through content consolidation.
In this guide, we’ll break down the concept of keyword cannibalization, why it can be problematic, and how to effectively identify and resolve these issues.
What is Keyword Cannibalization?
Keyword cannibalization is what happens when a website has multiple pages that are targeting the same or very similar keywords. In such a case, these various pages compete with each other in search engine rankings, diluting the overall authority and visibility of the site regarding those terms.
Let me explain it in another way: Suppose you have two content pieces about technical SEO. If combining these into one, longer and more wholesome page would drive more traffic to your website, you have keyword cannibalization. S cenically, these web pages are “cannibalizing” each other’s organic potential.
Is Keyword Cannibalization Always Bad?
Not necessarily, keyword cannibalization only becomes an issue when multiple pages targeting similar keywords actually negatively affect the organic performance of a website. Since most web pages rank for a lot of keywords, having some overlap isn’t inherently problematic.
Consider that you have two pages which target the same main keyword. One is ranking #1, while the other doesn’t rank at all for that exact keyword. To begin with, this would seem to be a typical example of cannibalization. But what if each page ranked for hundreds of other unrelated long-tail keywords? In that case, consolidating the pages might actually result in a net loss of traffic.
The key is understanding when keyword cannibalization genuinely hampers your organic performance versus when it’s just a natural overlap with no adverse effects.
Identifying Keyword Cannibalization Issues
The first step to addressing keyword cannibalization is pinpointing where it exists. In my opinion, resolving keyword cannibalization requires a methodical approach and the use of reliable tools to uncover overlaps. Below, I’ll outline several effective methods for identifying problematic instances of keyword cannibalization, complete with examples and trusted resources.
- Content Audit
Performing a thorough content audit is critical for identifying pages that target similar keywords or topics. For smaller websites, this process may be as simple as manually reviewing pages and their primary keywords. However, for larger sites, additional tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Screaming Frog can simplify this task by highlighting overlapping keywords across multiple pages.
For example, during a recent audit of a mid-sized e-commerce site, I found two separate blog posts targeting the keyword “best running shoes.” One focused on men’s running shoes while the other was a general guide. This overlap caused both pages to rank poorly for the term. By merging the content into one comprehensive guide, the site improved its rankings significantly.
- Look At Historic Rankings
Examining historical rankings can provide valuable insights into whether keyword cannibalization is affecting your site. Tools like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, Moz Pro, or Rank Ranger offer features to track keyword fluctuations and identify competing pages.
For instance, if the keyword “organic skincare tips” has been fluctuating between two blog posts on your site, it’s a sign that these pages are fighting for the same search engine visibility. As a result, neither page may rank as high as it could.
In my opinion, addressing such cases often requires consolidating content or defining a clearer keyword strategy for each page to avoid overlap.
- Example: Using Ahrefs, I noticed that two product pages for “eco-friendly yoga mats” consistently swapped rankings. After consolidating the information into one authoritative page and implementing proper redirects, the ranking stabilized and improved.
- Site Search
The Google search operator site:yourwebsite.com “keyword” is a quick way to find all pages related to a specific keyword on your site. While this method is straightforward, it’s not foolproof. It can sometimes surface irrelevant pages that may not contribute to cannibalization, such as FAQ or contact pages.
In one case, I searched for “beginner programming tutorials” on a client’s website and discovered three blog posts and a category page all targeting the term. This diluted their ranking potential. After consolidating the blog posts and clearly distinguishing the category page’s intent, the site’s rankings improved for that keyword.
- Pro Tip: To refine your site search, combine it with other tools like Google Analytics to analyze which pages receive organic traffic for the keyword in question.
- Disable Host Clustering
Bypassing host clustering is another effective method to uncover multiple pages ranking for the same keyword. Add &filter=0 to the end of any Google search URL to see all pages from your site appearing in the search results. This can help identify which page Google favors and which ones need adjustment.
For example, when I searched for “vegan protein powders” using this method, I saw five pages from the same site competing for the keyword. After analyzing their content and consolidating the information, only one page remained visible, which led to a notable boost in rankings.
- Note: This method is particularly useful when you suspect keyword cannibalization but don’t have access to premium SEO tools.
- Find multiple URLs ranking for a keyword
Using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or SERPstat, you can detect instances where multiple pages rank for a single keyword. While not all instances signify a problem—some may even be intentional—it’s a good starting point for further investigation.
For instance, on a corporate site, I found that the blog post “How to Improve Workplace Productivity” and the landing page for their productivity tool both ranked for “workplace productivity tips.” Since the blog post had higher engagement metrics, I recommended linking it to the landing page and optimizing the latter for related keywords. This strategy improved the site’s overall keyword performance.
- Resource Highlight: Ahrefs provides a detailed guide on managing keyword cannibalization and optimizing content strategies effectively.
Addressing Keyword Cannibalization
When you’re confident that keyword cannibalization is causing a dip in performance, there are several effective strategies to resolve the issue:
- Consolidate Content
Combining multiple pages into one authoritative resource is often the best solution. This strategy consolidates backlinks, internal links, and ranking signals, improving the chances of achieving better rankings.
Steps to Consolidate Pages:
- Identify overlapping content and merge key points into a single, comprehensive article.
- Choose the strongest URL to host the consolidated content.
- Redirect the weaker pages to the new or updated URL.
For example, when Ahrefs merged two guides on broken link building into a single guide, the rankings and traffic increased noticeably.
- Redirect Outdated or Duplicate Pages
If a page becomes outdated or redundant, redirect it to the most relevant, up-to-date version. This will help maintain link equity and ensure that users land on the most valuable content.
- Revamp Internal Linking
After consolidating or redirecting pages, make sure to update the internal links to new authoritative pages to enhance the importance of that page for search engines and to make life easy for the end-user.
- Create Content That Addresses Various Intents
If several pages target the same keyword but satisfy different user intent, there’s no need to consolidate. For instance, one could have a blog post that gives general tips, while another is a product page targeting the same keyword.
But if any of these pages adds little value, consider redirecting the page to prevent dilution of your site’s authority.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not all ways of resolving keyword cannibalization work. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
- Deleting Pages: Removing content can lead to a loss of traffic and ranking signals, especially if the page ranks for additional long-tail keywords.
- Using Noindex Tags: This removes the page from search results entirely and is often causing more harm than good.
- Pages Canonicalizing: While extremely helpful to handle duplicate content issues, canonical tags aren’t a solution for cannibalization problems across different pages that target various variations of the same topic.
- De-optimizing Pages: Trying to “dial down” optimization on one page often leads to negative impacts on the rankings for other keywords.
When Cannibalization Isn’t a Problem
Not all keyword overlaps necessitate action. If two pages rank for different sets of keywords and drive valuable traffic independently, there’s simply no reason to consolidate them. Likewise, in instances where a keyword exhibits mixed intent, having multiple articles can actually extend the reach of your site.
For example, two guides that target “submit your website to search engines” and “submit your website to Google” may coexist quite effectively if they serve slightly different purposes.