Keyword cannibalization is a common SEO problem that can undermine your website's performance by causing your own pages to compete with each other in search engine rankings. In this article, we'll take a deeper look at what keyword cannibalization is, why it's problematic, and how you can identify and resolve these issues to improve your SEO strategy.
What is keyword cannibalization?
Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your website target the same or similar keywords with the same search intent. This situation can confuse search engines and make it difficult for them to determine which page is most relevant to a given query. As a result, your pages may end up competing against each other in the search engine results pages (SERPs), which can dilute your rankings and overall SEO performance.
For example, if you have two blog posts optimized for “best running shoes,” they may cannibalize each other and neither page would rank as well as if the content was consolidated into a single, more powerful page.
Why is keyword cannibalization bad?
Keyword cannibalization is harmful for several reasons:
Diluted Authority : When multiple pages compete for the same keyword, they divide the backlink profile and internal link structure, diluting the overall authority that could be concentrated on a single page.
Lower rankings : Search engines may have difficulty identifying which page is most relevant for a keyword, leading to lower rankings for all competing pages.
Reduced click-through rate (CTR) : If your pages are appearing lower in the SERPs due to cannibalization, they may receive fewer clicks, reducing overall traffic to your site.
Wasted crawl budget : Search engines allocate a certain amount of crawl budget to your site. Cannibalized pages can waste this budget, leaving more important pages uncrawled or ignored.
How to identify keyword cannibalization
Identifying keyword cannibalization requires careful analysis of your website's content and rankings. Here are some effective methods for uncovering cannibalization issues:
Conduct a content audit :
Review your website content to identify pages that target the same or similar keywords. This process is especially effective for small and medium-sized websites where manual auditing is manageable.
Analyze historical rankings :
Use tools like Ranktracker's Rank Tracking to review the historical performance taiwan telephone number of specific keywords. If you notice multiple URLs fluctuating in rankings for the same keyword, it could be a sign of cannibalization.
Google Search :
Perform a Google search using the operator site:(for example, site:tuweb.com "palabra clave")to see what pages Google has indexed for a particular keyword. This can help you spot overlapping content that could be causing cannibalization.
Find multi-classification URLs :
If Google ranks multiple URLs on your site for the same keyword, it is often an indicator of a cannibalization problem. You can identify these keywords with Ranktracker by filtering out keywords with multiple ranking URLs.
How to fix keyword cannibalization
Once you have identified keyword cannibalization issues, there are several strategies you can implement to resolve them:
Consolidate contents :
If you have multiple pages targeting the same keyword with similar intent, consider merging them into a single, more comprehensive page. This strategy consolidates the ranking power of each page into a single, authoritative page.
Use 301 redirects :
Redirect pages with less authority to the main page you want to rank for the keyword. This helps pass any existing links to the preferred page, improving its ranking potential.