Some SEO topics are speculative, and keyword cannibalization is one of them. Different opinions exist: some people say it is a serious issue, whereas others are not even sure about its existence.

So, what is keyword cannibalization? Does it really impact a website’s ranking? Let’s take a closer look at the phenomenon and find out when it is an issue and when it is not. In case it is, we should know how to detect and fix it.

What is keyword cannibalization in SEO

Keyword cannibalization is a ranking issue when several pages from the same website compete in search results for one keyword, hurting each other’s ranks. Keyword cannibalization occurs when different pages appear to be optimized for the same query, and Google cannot identify which of them is more relevant. As a result, these pages compete with one another in organic results, and none of them can get to the top positions.

The SEO term was coined from the marketing concept of product cannibalization: this is when a company loses in sales because it has introduced a new product, replacing an older one.

The pretext for inventing this term appeared in the early era of search optimization. In those times, people believed that it would be easier for their websites to rank if they created many pages targeting the same keyword.

Further on, Google introduces several updates, one of them called the Site Diversity Update, seeking to limit the presence of a single domain in one SERP. This improvement aimed to diversify search results and increase organic competition.

At present, host crowding and domain clustering filters prevent multiple same-domain pages from appearing in the organic listings. In the past, you could find five pages from the same domain in the top 10. Today, Google shows two pages from the same domain on a SERP, in rare cases a little more.

Today, search engines can define quite precisely what a page is about. Moreover, search engines go far beyond keyword density, guessing the search intent and pages’ relevance to a query. If Google finds several relevant articles on the same website, it will show them in the SERP. But would those pages cannibalize each other? Well, it depends.

What is NOT keyword cannibalization

An average page occupying the first position on a SERP for a popular keyword can also rank for about a hundred other keywords. No wonder the landing page may intersect with other same-domain pages targeting similar or the same keywords.

How to detect keyword cannibalization on a website

Now, let’s look at the cases of keyword cannibalization that turn out to be a problem that ruins SEO efforts. In such cases, your ranks may suffer as well as CTR, conversions, and other crucial site metrics. The most dangerous thing about keyword cannibalization is that it is hard to notice it immediately.

The simplest way is to run the site: search for your keyword. Google will show all your site’s pages drawn into the SERP by this query. Take notice of the URLs with similar titles and content.

Once again, you can search for your keyword and remove the domain clustering filter, setting the value to &filter=0 with the search. It will reveal more pages in the SERP triggered by the query. This can be a clue to where to make changes for each page to start showing up on its own.

If you need supportive evidence to prove keyword cannibalization is in action, you can check your ranks and spot cases when multiple pages are ranking for the same queries. Next, you should find out whether the pages hurt each one’s ranking.

Briefly, you will be looking for multiple pages ranking quite low for the same query in the SERPs and changing their positions frequently.

This task may look somewhat complicated unless you have a ranking tool for it.

How to fix keyword cannibalization

There are several ways to fix SEO content cannibalization. You might need to use any of those that suit your case or combine different methods.

Consolidate pages

This method fits when you have several pages on the same topic. Analyze their content to select interesting details on each page. Then rewrite the landing, taking the most useful content and merging these pages into a better in-depth piece.

You may delete the unneeded pages. However, if they have some ranking power, it’s better to set up proper redirects to the new landing page.

To make your landing page more relevant to the target keyword, use SEO writing tools to increase their chances for optimization success. Content Editor in WebSite Auditor is a nice solution to help you do this. Just paste your existing URL or add a new one and paste the target keyword. Content Editor will give you all the helpful data based on the competitive analysis of the top 10 ranking results.

Add internal links to increase a page’s prominence

Internal linking is crucial for getting SEO done right. It shapes a website structure and helps search engines better understand the importance of site pages. The more backlinks a page has, the more prominent it seems.

Fix duplication issues

Duplication issues are not strictly about keyword cannibalization as such, but it works similarly: search engines cannot figure out which page to show out of several identical. Of course, Google may try to identify which page is the main one. But it will also take a bit longer for Google to discover and sort out all these duplicated pages.

Make certain that your site is clean from duplicate issues by.

In certain cases, often happening on e-commerce or multi-locale websites, duplicate content can be fixed by canonicalization. The rel=”canonical” tag tells search engines which page from several duplicates to show in the SERP. Moreover, the canonical tag consolidates link signals for similar pages into a single URL.

Thus, make sure to use the right canonicals to show search engines which pages you want to appear in the search results. Here Google provides detailed instructions on how to define canonicals.

Why keyword cannibalization is bad for SEO

Let’s take a closer look at the negative aspects of keyword cannibalization. So, why is keyword cannibalization so bad for SEO? Some of the reasons are that it leads to:

• Loss of traffic and conversions. As your landing page competes with another one in a SERP, it will undoubtedly receive less traffic and, consequently, fewer conversions.
• Loss of content value and website authority. Seeing too many pages from a website on the same topic, especially when they appear thin and insufficient, users lose trust in the expertise and authority of the site creators. And so does Google.
• The dilution of link value. Several pages optimized for the same keyword — intentionally or not — will receive less ranking power from links. This way, the link juice gets split between multiple URLs instead of being consolidated into one.

This negative impact will eventually make your SEO efforts just a waste of time and resources. So, the best approach here is to audit your pages for cannibalization issues, fix them, and try to prevent them in the future.

How to prevent keyword cannibalization

Whether you are just starting to build a website or thinking about creating a new page, you need to foresee cannibalization occurrences at the very beginning.

1. Research keywords with a focus on intent.

So when you search for target keywords for a new landing page, think about what intent a chosen keyword bears. In the process of creating new content, make sure to cover this intent. This will increase the probability that the landing page will be found relevant for this keyword.

2. Analyze SERPs for intent and ranking factors.

SERP analysis is closely connected with the previous point. Before creating a piece of content for a landing page, analyze the SERP for the target keywords. This step will save you lots of time and effort in the future.

Examine what types of content are shown at large for a given keyword. What intent does it cover? No wonder it would be hard to rank well for an informational search query if your content covers transactional intent, etc.

3. Track keyword positions.

Keyword mapping is an often underrated but great solution. Together with a content strategy, it may help you prevent keyword cannibalization and understand what content you will need to create in the future.

You may use a keyword mapping spreadsheet with your existing pages and assigned keywords, combining them with a content plan.  Or, to make it simpler, use the keyword mapping tool.

4. Audit your site regularly.

Site issues are generally a heavy drawback for SEO. Many Tools lets you run regular site audits: just set up an automated task to run a check-up on autopilot, and the tool will scan your site and even deliver the report to your inbox. As for keyword cannibalization, pay attention to duplicate issues, site structure, internal links, and anchor texts.

Conclusion

To sum up all of the above, here are the essentials of keyword cannibalization:

1. Multiple pages ranking low for the same query, and whose rankings fluctuate heavily, is a sign of keyword cannibalization.
2. Keyword cannibalization is hard to detect, but with position tracking, it can be done faster.
3. To prevent keyword cannibalization, focus on intent-based keyword optimization and audit your site’s SEO health regularly.

Even with high-quality content, all efforts may go awry with keyword cannibalization issues. This is not something on the surface, and losses may come unnoticed for quite a while. So, stick to thoughtful keyword planning, check SERPs, and audit your content regularly, and keyword cannibalization will never happen.