Keyword cannibalization is a common problem in SEO, where multiple pages on your website rank for the same keyword. This phenomenon is generally considered undesirable and can harm your website’s ranking.
This post will discuss how to identify keyword cannibalization on your website and offer solutions to resolve it.
Determining if You Have a Keyword Cannibalization Problem
Before taking any action, it is essential to identify if keyword cannibalization is a problem on your website. Sometimes, having two or more pages ranking for the same keyword can be favorable, especially with indented SERPs (search engine result pages).
For instance, Delish has two pages ranking on the first page of SERPs, giving them more visibility and increasing their chances of clicks and conversions. Thus, you may not need to take action on a two-page ranking if you’re getting clicks and conversions.
Identifying Keyword Cannibalization That Needs Fixing
To identify problematic cannibalization issues, you can use Google site search if you don’t have access to specialized software. When searching, use “site:example.com” followed by the keyword you’re interested in.
Two indicators of problematic cannibalization are a sudden drop in clicks or impressions and struggling to rank despite your best efforts. In such cases, you should consider the solutions below.
Fixing Keyword Cannibalization
The best solution to resolve keyword cannibalization depends on the problem it’s causing and what’s most useful for your readers. Below are some keyword cannibalization solutions to consider:
Internal Linking
Using internal links is a good starting point to resolve keyword cannibalization. Here, you won’t take pages down or redirect content, making it a safer option.
To fix keyword cannibalization with internal linking, you should review your internal links and identify links pointing to the two ranking pieces. You can get a concept of the anchor text used to link to pages with Screaming Frog. Once you have this data, you can use an exact match keyword or close to it to link one piece to the other.
Pro tip: Compose a content database like a Google Sheet where you can choose a keyword from the group to use in your anchor links. This approach ensures that writers don’t add random internal links to their articles.
Refining Keyword Clusters and Setting Clear Search Intent
To keep the two pages, you should refine your keyword cluster and establish clear search intent to give each piece a defined purpose. This approach is particularly useful when determining keyword cannibalization but wanting to maintain the two pages.
Content Consolidation and 301 Redirect
When consolidating two (or more) articles, do your due diligence by using data to help you choose which URL you’re keeping and which one you’re redirecting. You can consolidate the content in the two articles and thoroughly edit it to avoid creating Frankenstein-esque content.
Next, you should find the most successful URL by looking at Google Search Console data to see which URL receives the most clicks, impressions, and average position. Generally, one URL will supersede the other, making a choice obvious.
Adding a Canonical
You could add a canonical to avoid Google indexing both pages. This approach is particularly useful on e-commerce websites, especially Shopify sites, where the same product exists on multiple URLs.
How to Avoid Cannibalization in the Future
Keep a content log and monitor your focus keyword, keyword cluster, and content pillar/topic to avoid keyword cannibalization. This helps you visualize all content under a specific topic and avoid creating similar pieces of content unintentionally. Assigning keywords correctly and having a strategic SEO professional guide the process can also ensure that each piece of content fits within a specific pillar or topic, reducing the likelihood of creating cannibalizing content.
See also: How To Write Good Alt Text is One of Google’s Objectives.
Conclusion
Keyword cannibalization is a common problem in SEO that can harm your website’s ranking. Identifying the issue and taking appropriate action is essential to prevent any adverse effects on your website. Using the resolutions discussed in this post, you can avoid cannibalization and improve your website’s SEO performance.
However, it’s important to remember that the best approach to fix keyword cannibalization depends on the problem it’s causing and what’s most useful for your readers. With diligence and attention to detail, you can prevent and resolve keyword cannibalization issues and improve your website’s ranking.
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