Keyword cannibalisation might sound like a complex SEO issue, but at its core, it’s about one simple problem: your own content is competing against itself. While competition breeds excellence, this competition can hurt your rankings for SEO.
Imagine having multiple pages on your website targeting the same or similar keywords. Instead of boosting your visibility, these pages can have the opposite effect and compete for the search rank positions. This can confuse search engines and prevent your website from reaching its full potential since they don’t know where to rank your site, given its similarity.
Addressing keyword cannibalisation is a vital part of an effective SEO strategy. By resolving it, you’re improving your chances of ranking higher on search engines and creating a better user experience. With the right steps, you can turn this challenge into an opportunity to improve and strengthen your content.
What Is Keyword Cannibalisation?
Keyword cannibalisation is a situation when two or more pages on your website have the same keyword or terms. Instead of one page standing out as the best result, multiple pages compete, splitting the ranking potential between them, and no one stands out.
A typical keyword cannibalisation scenario looks like this: You have two blog posts about SEO advice—one titled “Best SEO Tips” and another titled “SEO Strategies for Beginners”—both targeting the keyword “SEO tips.” Instead of one post ranking high in search results, both might rank lower than they could have if they weren’t competing with each other.
This situation can lead to several issues:
Negative Impact on Rankings: When multiple pages compete for the same keyword, it makes it difficult for search engines to identify which page to rank. This can push all competing pages down in the rankings, reducing their visibility.
Lower Click-Through Rates (CTR): Even if multiple pages rank, they may not appear in prime positions. A lower ranking often means fewer clicks, directly impacting your site’s performance.
Search Engine Confusion: Search engines aim to deliver the most relevant content to users. When your content is scattered across multiple pages, and they offer similar content, it becomes harder for search engines to determine which page aligns best with user intent.
Diluted Authority: Backlinks, user engagement, and other ranking signals may be distributed across multiple pages instead of concentrating on a single authoritative resource, reducing the overall impact of your content.
Fixing keyword cannibalisation ensures that your efforts aren’t wasted. By consolidating and optimising your content, you can focus your resources on boosting the performance of a single, strong page.
How To Identify Keyword Cannibalisation
To fix a problem, you first must identify it. Finding keyword cannibalisation is the first step to fixing it. Here’s how you can identify whether your website has competing pages:
1. Perform A Content Audit
Content audits help you identify if there is any keyword overlap between pages. Start by listing all of your site pages and noting the main keyword each page targets.
If keywords aren’t explicitly assigned, look at the title tags, headings, and overall content to see the focus. The goal is to spot overlaps where multiple pages might target the same or similar keywords.
Once you’ve identified these overlaps, evaluate whether the pages serve distinct purposes. For instance, does one page target a broad audience while another dives into a specific audience segment? If they’re competing for the same intent without clear differentiation, they may be cannibalising each other’s rankings.
An excellent example of different intent but similar keywords for SEO would be two pages targeting “best movies.”
Example 1: “Best Movies to Watch with Family”—This page focuses on family-friendly films, providing recommendations for movies suitable for all ages. The intent is informational, helping users find wholesome entertainment for a family setting.
Example 2: “Best Movies for a Date Night”—This page targets couples looking for romantic or engaging films to watch together. The intent is also informational but tailored to a different audience and setting.
While the keyword “best movies” is used in both, the pages serve different user intents and target groups. Search engines can differentiate them if the content clearly aligns with the specific audience.
This distinction avoids keyword cannibalisation and ensures both pages provide unique value to their respective audiences.
2. Use Google Search Console
Loved by digital marketers and business owners, Google Search Console is a versatile tool for spotting potential keyword cannibalisation. It allows you to see which pages on your site rank for specific search queries.
Look at the “Performance” report in the Search Console to check for potential cannibalisation. Here, you can review the queries that bring traffic to your site and see the corresponding pages that rank for those keywords.
If you notice that more than one page from your website ranks for the same keyword, it could be a sign of keyword cannibalisation. If two of your different blog posts appear in search results for “best hiking gear,” they might be competing against each other, splitting clicks and reducing the overall effectiveness of your rankings.
By identifying these overlaps in the Search Console, you can take steps to consolidate or differentiate your content, ensuring each page has a clear purpose and stands out in search results.
3. Just Google Your Keywords
There’s a saying that applies to most problems or questions. When in doubt, Google it out. A simple way to check for keyword cannibalisation is to search your target keyword directly on Google.
Observe how your website’s pages are showing up. If you see multiple pages from your site ranking for the same keyword, it might be a sign that they’re competing against each other rather than working to improve your overall visibility.
For example, let’s say you run a travel blog and search for the “best beaches in Asia.” If both your general guide to Asian beaches and a specific article on beaches in Thailand appear in the results, they could be cannibalising each other’s rankings.
This competition might confuse search engines about which page to prioritise, lowering the overall performance.
This simple search lets you quickly spot potential overlaps and evaluate whether the pages offer distinct value or need consolidation. It’s an easy, hands-on way to catch keyword cannibalisation without needing advanced tools.
4. Take Advantage Of SEO Tools
SEO tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs have built-in features that make it easy to spot keyword cannibalisation by tracking specific website keywords.
When you input your website or target keyword into these tools, they provide detailed data about which pages rank and how well they’re performing.
Here’s what to look for: If multiple pages from your site show up for the same keyword, it might indicate that they’re competing with each other.
If you have two different blog posts that rank for “healthy breakfast ideas,” they could be splitting the traffic that should ideally go to one strong page.
But what makes tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs particularly useful is their ability to show you more than just rankings. They also highlight key metrics like the number of clicks each page gets, which lets you know if one site performs better.
With these tools, you can save time and gain deeper insights. They make it easier to pinpoint overlapping pages and take action to boost your SEO performance. It’s a practical, user-friendly way to stay on top of potential keyword conflicts.
5. Conduct Internal Site Search
If your website has a search bar, it can be a surprisingly handy tool for identifying keyword cannibalisation.
Simply type a targeted keyword into your site’s search bar and see which pages appear in the results.
This quick test can help you spot whether multiple pages on your site are competing for the same keyword, which could indicate keyword cannibalisation.
This method works particularly well for e-commerce or online retail websites with many similar products. For instance, if you run an online store and search for “running shoes,” you might see your category page for running shoes and several individual product pages show up.
While it’s normal for product pages to rank together under a category, problems can arise if multiple blog posts or guides compete for the same keyword, offering no unique value to distinguish them.
By identifying these overlaps, you can decide whether to consolidate pages, refine their focus, or update the content to ensure they complement each other instead of competing.
6. Compare Traffic And Engagement Data
Another way to identify keyword cannibalisation is to examine your website’s performance metrics in tools like Google Analytics or similar analytics platforms.
Pay close attention to traffic and engagement data for pages that target similar keywords. If you notice that two or more pages have low engagement and share the same keyword focus, it could mean they’re splitting the traffic that should really go to the best-performing page.
If you have two similarly titled articles, one might get slightly more visitors than the other, but neither performs exceptionally well. This could be because they compete for the same audience and search engine ranking, making it harder for either page to stand out.
High bounce rates or short time spent on the page, also provide clues. If visitors leave quickly, it might be because they find similar content on your site and aren’t sure which page to rely on.
7. Use A URL Mapping Spreadsheet
Creating a URL mapping spreadsheet is a straightforward but highly effective way to identify keyword cannibalisation. Think of it as making a map of your website’s pages and their keyword focus.
In your spreadsheet, list each page’s URL, its target primary keyword, and how well it performs (rankings, traffic, or clicks). This organised view helps you spot any overlaps at a glance.
The spreadsheet shows you which pages are competing for the same keyword and gives you a clear picture of how each page is performing. You might find one page ranking higher and driving more traffic while another lags behind.
This can guide your decision on which page to prioritise and whether to consolidate, update, or redirect the underperforming page.
Keeping your URL mapping spreadsheet updated can avoid future overlaps and ensure each page has a unique focus. Maintaining an organised website structure while boosting your SEO performance is a simple and effective method. Plus, it’s an easy reference tool for ongoing content planning and optimisation efforts.
How To Fix Keyword Cannibalisation
Once you’ve identified instances of keyword cannibalisation, it’s time to fix them. Here are seven practical strategies:
1. Merge Similar Content
If you have multiple pages covering the same topic or targeting the same keyword, merging them into a single, comprehensive resource is an effective way to fix keyword cannibalisation.
Combining the best parts of each page creates a more robust, more valuable resource that stands out to both search engines and readers. This eliminates the competition between your pages, allowing one well-optimised page to perform better and even remove redundant parts.
For example, if you have two posts titled “Top Hiking Shoes for Outdoors” and “Best Hiking Shoes for Beginners,” you could merge them into a single page like “The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Hiking Shoes.”
This approach resolves cannibalisation and provides your audience with a more complete and useful resource, improving their experience and your search engine rankings.
2. Update And Optimise Existing Content
Once you’ve identified pages on your site targeting the same keyword, focusing on the topic’s unique aspects is a great way to fix keyword cannibalisation without removing any valuable content.
The key is to make sure each page serves a distinct purpose and caters to different user needs or search intents. This boils down to your target demographic and user’s search intent.
For example, two pages targeting “Fast and easy breakfast ideas” can be differentiated by focusing one page on “Quick and Easy Breakfasts for Busy Mornings” and the other on “Nutrient-Packed Breakfasts for Fitness Enthusiasts.”
By tailoring each page to a unique aspect of the keyword, you avoid overlap, meet the needs of a specific audience, and make it clearer to search engines how each page provides value.
3. Use 301 Redirects
A 301 redirect is a way to permanently redirect visitors and search engines from one page to another. Think of it like a “detour sign” on the internet—it tells browsers and search engines, “This page has moved, and you should go here instead.” It’s an incredible tool for website management and SEO, especially when dealing with keyword cannibalisation or outdated pages.
This works because search engines pass most of the ranking power (also known as link equity) from the old page to the new one, consolidating their SEO value.
Any traffic, backlinks, or authority associated with the outdated page gets transferred to the stronger page, helping it perform even better in search results.
This makes visitors and search engines automatically land on the updated page without confusion or frustration, providing a better user experience.
4. Create A Clear Content Strategy
Having a clear content strategy is one of the best ways to avoid keyword cannibalisation. It’s all about planning ahead and deciding what each page on your website will focus on and which keywords it will target.
Start by creating a content map. This is simply a plan where you list all the topics you want to cover on your website and the keywords you’ll assign to each page to prevent lapsed topics.
For example, if you’re running a fitness blog, you might have one-page targeting “Beginner Workout Routines” and another focused on “Advanced Strength Training Tips.” This prevents you from accidentally writing two pages that compete for the same keyword.
A clear strategy also helps you think about your audience. What is each page meant to achieve? Who is it for? By answering these questions, you can create focused content that meets your users’ needs while staying organised and avoiding keyword overlaps.
5. Canonical Tags
Canonical tags are a handy tool to fix keyword cannibalisation when you have multiple similar pages that need to exist but shouldn’t compete with each other. Canonical tags tell search engines, “This is the main page you should prioritise,” while keeping the other pages live for specific purposes.
For example, let’s say you run an online clothing store and have separate pages for a red and a green T-shirt. While each page is necessary for customers who want specific colours, they all share a similar description and target the keyword “slim fit t-shirts.”
Adding a canonical tag to the green t-shirt pages while pointing to the red t-shirt page tells search engines to treat the red t-shirt page as the primary one for rankings. Meanwhile, the other pages remain accessible for customers who are shopping by colour.
Canonical tags are especially useful when:
- You have product variations or similar service pages.
- There’s duplicate or near-duplicate content you can’t remove.
- You want to consolidate SEO value without deleting pages.
6. Noindex Low-Value Pages
Sometimes, you’ll find pages on your website that don’t add much value to visitors or your overall SEO strategy. These might include outdated posts, thin content, or pages with duplicate information.
Instead of deleting them outright, you can use a “noindex” tag to tell search engines“ Please don’t include this page in search results.” This prevents those pages from competing with more important ones.
For example, let’s say you have a blog with 10 similar posts about healthy snack ideas, but a few of them only list one or two recipes and don’t get much traffic. Adding a noindex tag to those low-value pages means search engines won’t bother ranking them, letting your stronger pages with more content and better engagement take the spotlight.
Visitors can still access the noindexed pages through internal links, but they won’t clutter search results or dilute your SEO efforts.
7. Restructure Internal Linking
Reviewing and restructuring your internal links can make a big difference when dealing with keyword cannibalisation. By ensuring your links point to the most authoritative or comprehensive page for a given topic, you guide search engines to prioritise that page and reduce competition between similar pages.
A well-structured internal linking strategy ensures:
Search Engines Know What to Rank: By directing most of your internal links to the main page, you signal its importance to search engines.
Users Find the Right Content: Visitors can easily navigate between related pages without confusion, improving their overall experience.
Content Works Together, Not Against Itself: Related pages support each other instead of competing, strengthening your website’s SEO.
When Multiple Pages Targeting Similar Keywords Isn’t Cannibalisation
It’s important to note that not all cases of multiple pages covering related terms qualify as keyword cannibalisation. Having more than one-page targeting similar keywords can sometimes work to your advantage. For instance:
Different Intent: One page might target “Best Hiking Gear” for beginners, while another focuses on “Advanced Hiking Gear for Experts.” These serve different user needs and don’t compete.
Supporting Content: You might have a primary guide about “Best Places to Travel”, with additional pages diving deeper into specific places like sightseeing, places to eat, or stunning city skylines. These pages complement each other and reinforce your site’s authority on the topic.
Recognising when similar keywords work in harmony instead of causing cannibalisation helps you create a more effective and strategic SEO plan.
Conclusion On What Is Keyword Cannibalisation
Keyword cannibalisation may seem like a technical SEO issue, but with the right approach, it’s entirely manageable. By identifying overlapping content, consolidating pages, and optimising your strategy, you can strengthen your website’s SEO performance and user experience.
Best SEO is expert in performing SEO audits to help clients pin-point areas of cannibalisation, and crafting tailored strategies to boost their website’s performance. Get your free SEO audit with us today and rank 1st on Google!
Frequently Asked Questions About Keyword Cannibalisation
How Do I Know If Cannibalisation Is Hurting My SEO?
Look for signs like lower rankings, reduced traffic, and split performance metrics across pages targeting the same keyword.
Should I Stop Targeting Broad Keywords to Avoid Cannibalisation?
No. But ensure your pages targeting broad keywords are well-organised and differentiated by focusing on specific aspects or user intents.
Should I Delete Pages to Fix Keyword Cannibalisation?
Deleting pages is rarely the best solution. Instead, consider merging content, redirecting outdated pages, or optimising each page for a distinct purpose.
Is Keyword Cannibalisation Always Harmful?
Not always. In some cases, like e-commerce product listings or targeting different user intents, multiple pages for similar keywords can work together without harming the user.
When Should I Audit My Content for Keyword Cannibalisation?
Regular audits are recommended, but you should especially check for cannibalisation during major content updates, after adding new pages, or if your rankings drop unexpectedly.
Is Keyword Cannibalisation Common on E-Commerce Sites?
Yes. It’s common for e-commerce sites due to similar product listings. Proper category organisation and clear page targeting can help prevent issues.
