What is Keyword Cannibalization? How to Identify, Fix, and Prevent It?

The common belief that multiple pages targeting the same keyword helps increase the page's ranking on SERPs and drive traffic turns out to be wrong!

If you also have this approach, it can be detrimental to your SEO strategy and cause keyword cannibalization.

Wondering what is keyword cannibalization?

If various pages on your site are optimized for the same search query, your keywords will compete against and hurt each other, which can result in all pages ranking poorly.

Having multiple pages revolving around the same keyword confuses search engines and leads them to rank the wrong page.

So, you need to be very careful when targeting a keyword for your pages; otherwise, they might fall prey to keyword cannibalization.

In this blog, we will discuss in detail the top keyword cannibalization tools, how to find keyword cannibalization across your website, how it can harm your website's SEO success, and how to fix keyword cannibalization.

So, without further ado, let's gain insights into the concept of keyword cannibalization.

What is Keyword Cannibalization?

Keyword cannibalization is an SEO issue when multiple pages on your website compete against each other for ranking. This situation arises when different pages target the same keyword on a specific website. Alongside this, keyword cannibalization can also happen when:

• You publish similar content in a particular period to meet audience preferences
• Your website doesn't have clear information architecture
• You build multiple paths to the same product category
• You do not optimize subcategory pages

Doing this can dilute the website's ability to rank higher for targeted keywords. Therefore, you should be cautious and avoid keyword cannibalization at any cost.

You can prevent this SEO pitfall by avoiding publishing pages that target the same keyword and satisfy the same search intent. This implies that the foundation of avoiding keyword cannibalization is solid keyword research.

But how does keyword optimization play a vital role in SEO success?

Keyword optimization helps improve your pages' ranking by using specific key phrases. This allows you to target search queries better and enable more users to find your website in search engines.

To make the concept of keyword cannibalization more clear, here is an example:

Suppose you own a furniture business wherein you manufacture hand-made chairs, tables, sofas, beds, etc., made of different types of wood.

In this case, the page displaying Sheesham chairs should only be optimized for the keyword' Sheesham chairs, ' whereas the oak wood tables page should just be optimized for 'oak wood tables.'

Optimizing multiple pages for the same keyword tells search engines that all of your pages are similar. SERPs will always rank pages that are better optimized for a particular keyword, and this will also deliver a better on-site experience to users.

Therefore, you must target one keyword on different pages if the search intent is not the same.

Why is Keyword Cannibalization Detrimental to Your Website's SEO?

SEO keyword cannibalization is problematic as it creates a situation where you do not only have to win against your competitors but also against yourself. Here are some of the areas that it can put a dent in:

1. Impact on search engine rankings

Many businesses and creators think that optimizing different pages for the same keyword will increase the probability of the website appearing at the top of search engines. But that's not true.

Search engines find it difficult to figure out which page to show up as per the search query when multiple pages are targeting the same keyword of a website. Thus, it will rank the page that is optimized the best.

SERPs might even switch the page rankings, making it even more difficult for your website to reach the top.

How about I tell you there is a way to increase the visibility of each of your web pages even when you optimize them for similar or related keywords? It's no magic; it's keyword clustering SEO strategy that comes into play!

Implementing this strategy lets you target related keywords on one page instead of spreading them across multiple pages and content pieces. This helps you maximize the page's visibility in SERPs and rank for several keywords at once.

2. Effect on user experience

When a user enters a query in a search engine, it identifies the user's search intent after analyzing the purpose behind the terms.

For example, a user types in 'buy oakwood dining table.' If your website has numerous pages optimized for this term, search engines might show the page explaining the benefits of buying an oakwood dining table rather than the categories page.

If the client or reader does not get the information in one go, they might get frustrated and leave your website.

Remember, SERPs rank pages that meet user intent. So, you should always focus on enhancing the user experience by making it easy for search engines to show relevant queries.

3. Potential loss of traffic and conversions

Have you ever noticed that your website's organic traffic is not increasing?

In fact, sometimes it even goes down. To improve the situation, you start creating more pages around the same keyword, and you don't even realize that you are digging a hole for yourself. Weird right? This is because of keyword cannibalization.

Multiple keywords competing for the same keywords confuses the search engines, diluting the page authority. It also leads to splitting the click-through rate, loss in traffic, and affects conversions.

If you want your website pages to rank higher, drive traffic, and increase sales, you should search for ways to differentiate these pages. This can be done by using alternative keywords and optimizing your pages around those keywords.

How to Find Keyword Cannibalization Issues Across Your Website?

The trick to get hold of real cannibalization issues is to search for pages that target the same keyword and fulfill similar user intent.

Let's look at a few ways that help you identify keyword cannibalization issues on your website:

1. Perform a Site: Search

A site: search is one of the best ways to get information on how search engines index your website. It helps you find the overlapping pages by searching your site through Google.

To get this information, you need to type "site:" followed by your domain name without any spaces on Google.

It will show you a list of indexed pages. If you add a target keyword, you will be able to see all the website pages that rank for that search term.

You can analyze the results. See if any pages have the same search intent. If yes, you have a potential keyword cannibalization issue that you need to fix.

For example, if I write “site:writesonic.com seo” on Google, it shows different pages that rank for the keyword SEO. Now, I will have to check the intent of the pages. If the intent is the same, it means there is a potential keyword cannibalization issue that needs to be fixed.

2. Leverage Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool. You can use its performance report to find keyword cannibalization issues. But it does require you to do some manual work. Let's understand its functionality:

• Sign up and log in to Google Search Console
• Go to the performance menu on the left side of the main screen and click on "Search Results"

Google Search Console will show you the list of keywords from which your website has earned impressions and clicks. This tool also allows you to apply a custom query filter; which you can do by:

• Clicking on the New button on top of the screen and click on 'Query'
• Entering the keyword that you think might suffer from keyword cannibalization
• Navigating to the 'Pages' tab to see which URL ranks for this keyword

If it shows that more than one URL gets multiple clicks and impressions for a specific keyword, it means that there can be keyword cannibalization.

3. Keep an eye out for fluctuating rankings for specific keywords

You might wonder when you see frequent fluctuations or declines in search engine ranking. It usually happens when Google finds it difficult to understand which pages are most relevant to your target audiences.

This confusion can lead to a massive decline in website ranking and can also cause ranking fluctuations.

You can also look for content decay signs. Content decay is a sudden decline in your website ranking or traffic for a specific page. This shows that the page is losing its authority.

4. Use keyword cannibalization checker tools

You can use keyword cannibalization checker tools to identify and fix overlapping keywords and to monitor your website's position in SERPs.

Using these tools can help you make informed decisions about your SEO strategy, such as adjusting your keyword targeting and creating diverse pages for different keywords.

Also read: How to prevent keyword cannibalization with topic clustering?

How to Fix Keyword Cannibalization — 6 Key Strategies

Keyword cannibalization in SEO is caused by various reasons, not just by targeting the same keyword on multiple pages. Here are some ways to brief you about how to fix keyword cannibalization:

1. Content consolidation

The best way of fixing keyword cannibalization is by consolidating your content.

When you have data from multiple pages that compete for the same keyword, the first thing you should do is merge this similar content into one page.

This process will help remove internal competition plus also create a more authoritative source for your targeted keywords.

2. 301 Redirects

In case of keyword cannibalization, a quick way to fix it is to redirect all the pages with the common keyword to one page that brings the maximum traffic and impressions and has the strongest SEO potential.

If you are unable to get one page by this process, you can also check the backlink profile to make the final decision. 301 redirects ensure that any link, ranking authority, and traffic that the original page drives are transferred to the consolidated page.

This will help boost the page's ranking potential and provide a clear path for both users and search engines.

3. Backlinks

Building backlinks can increase your website's ranking by enhancing its credibility and authority. These backlinks allow users to find your valuable and relevant content on different websites.

Backlinks can also help increase brand awareness and website traffic as they serve as a referral system, directing users from other websites to your site.

Using backlinks on your website can improve your SEO optimization by signaling quality to search engines, which can help fix keyword cannibalization.

The more endorsements you get from authoritative websites, the higher your website ranking will be in the search engines, thus eliminating the chances of keyword cannibalization.

4. Improve internal linking strategy

The best way to address keyword cannibalization is by improving the internal linking strategy.

If you use any number of internal links with target keywords to the wrong page, you're setting yourself up for a ranking disaster. Following the right strategy will help establish your website's hierarchy.

If numerous pages on your website are optimized for the same keyword and have internal links pointing to them, search engines will find it challenging to figure out which of those pages are the most important.

However, if you implement internal linking strategically, it will help Google find, index, and understand your site's pages. Thus, internal linking is key for any site that wants higher rankings in Google or any other search engine.

According to Hubspot, the click rate of a page that was struggling to drive traffic increased up to 800% after relevant internal links were added.

Make sure you remove all the internal links with the cannibalizing keyword, as the anchor is likely to affect the page's rankings for other keywords, too.

To prevent internal redirects, redirect traffic to relevant internal links on your website and update those links with the preferred link page.

5. Use Canonical Tags

A canonical tag is a snippet of HTML code that tells SERPs which version of the page is main and should be indexed. If you use canonical tags in the right way, it can help reduce keyword cannibalization issues.

Sometimes, you might need to keep similar pages on your website and want users to access them through your or another website, such as pay-per-click landing pages, alternative paths to the same category, etc.

By creating a canonical tag from the less-important page to the main page, you're pointing to Google that there is some content similarity between the two. However, the more important page is the one you selected, and it should appear in search results on priority.

6. Create a content plan to avoid future cannibalization

When thinking about how to deal with keyword cannibalization, consider creating a structured content strategy to avoid this issue.

Keyword cannibalism is bad for SEO because when multiple pages try to compete for the same keyword, they become less visible on Google. Primarily, this happens because you don't have one page that clearly serves the searcher's needs best.

To fix this keyword cannibalization issue, it is recommended that you differentiate the intents of your content. For example, you can write content using navigational, informational, commercial, or transactional intent.

Furthermore, if your pages aren't unique enough to warrant having multiple pages targeting the same keyword, you can combine them into one page. It can be a great way to transform two underperforming pages into one authoritative page.

Also read: How to maximize your SEO impact with compelling topic clusters?

How to Avoid Keyword Cannibalization?

By now, you know how to identify and fix keyword cannibalization, but you must also comprehend how to avoid keyword cannibalization.

Here are some of the best ways that you can follow to avert it:

1. Conduct regular content audits

You can do a regular content audit of your website to spot any cannibalization issues.

Here is how to do the audit: You will require three things: a list of the pages on your website that you want to audit, the right content audit tools, and a compelling content audit checklist.

Your content audit checklist should include these questions:

• Are your topics still relevant?
• Is the information posted on your blog outdated?
• Is the page getting organic traffic?
• Does the page have any backlinks?
• Could the page get more organic traffic?
• Whether the statistics you present are accurate?
• Does the page get traffic from other sources?
• Are you using the right keywords?

A content audit can help you find which content is competing with itself. You can use the keyword cannibalization checker tool to get the cannibalization report, as it can also provide you with information on which pages compete for the same keywords across your entire site.

Running cannibalization SEO audits can be very helpful, which is why they are an indispensable element of your content strategy.

2. Use a consistent URL structure

A URL (or uniform resource locator) is simply an address on the internet. A good URL structure improves a visitor's experience and is also an essential ranking factor in Google.

A well-organized URL string across your website makes it easier for users to navigate. When you make it easy for people to navigate your website, you enhance the user experience. In return, you will rank higher on the search results pages.

Remember, you should not stuff your URLs with multiple keywords. Doing so can make your website appear spam and may cause keyword cannibalization.

3. Implement proper XML sitemaps

XML sitemaps are good for SEO. They enable Google to find your essential pages quickly. Proper implementation of XML sitemaps is like a roadmap of your website that leads Google to all your optimized pages.

An XML Sitemap is a structured document that lists all the URLs of your site, making it easier for search engines to discover and index its content. It can help enhance website crawling, elevate SEO ranking, improve the user experience, and ensure that new or updated content gets crawled and indexed quickly.

You can remove the redirected URLs from your sitemap to avoid keyword cannibalization.

4. Monitor search console data regularly

It is important to check your website's performance regularly to get information on what pages rank for a particular keyword. You need to check their intent and ensure that they don't overlap, as that can confuse SERPs and lead to a decrease in ranking.

5. Update and expand your keyword list

To avoid keyword cannibalization, update and expand your keyword list.

You can research new keywords using Writesonic's keyword research tool and cluster them into different categories.

Note: It is better to use long-tail keywords as they have less search volume and low competition, which makes it easy for you to rank.

Furthermore, you should consistently track keyword analytics. This will provide you with information on which keywords are ranking, which ones have too much competition, and which may be caught up in cannibalization.

Ready to Attack Keyword Cannibalization!

As your website grows, you will undoubtedly write about different keywords that end up being similar.

Using these solutions will help fix all your keyword cannibalization issues by targeting different search intents on each page.

Keyword cannibalization is a persistent SEO issue. Thus, you will have to constantly do website audits, as it interferes with your SEO strategy and obstructs your site's ranking at the top positions on the SERP.

The best practice is to expand your keyword list, which will help you avoid any such issues. For this, you can use Writesonic's keyword research tool.

You can also use the Keyword Extractor tool offered by Writesonic to identify the keywords your competitors are using.

Using these tools will provide you with the most relevant keywords, along with the search volume, keyword difficulty, and traffic.

Remember, not every cannibalization issue is caused by the same problem, and not every website can benefit from the same solution.

So, if you are unsure about the reason for your website's lower rankings and decreased visibility on Google searches, the best approach is to test, monitor, and audit your website's performance instead of just blaming cannibalization.