What is keyword cannibalization?

Keyword cannibalization, what a freaking mouthful, is a pretty severe issue for your website. It’s when multiple pages are ranking and targeting the same keyword. What happens is your pages start to compete against each other and then you start to drop in ranking. Instead of helping you rank better, more pages = better seo, these pages compete with eachother. More pages ≠ better seo. All this does is confuse Google and other search engines by not knowing what is the priority page. Let’s break it down plain and simple and see how you can fix the issue. 

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Why keyword canniblization is bad.

1. It spreads your efforts way too thin. Instead of having one page that is your source of truth, you split it into multiple weak pages. Put your focus on one strong, and authoritative page. 
2. It’s confusing to Google and other search engines. They don’t know which page to rank and usually it just chooses to rank none of them. Stop competing with yourself!
3. It limits your overall click through rates. When your audience finds multiple pages for their term, the clicks will be split amongst all of them or they may search elsewhere.
4. It is a total waste to the effort you put into the pages!! No amount of keyword research and content creation can offset multiple pages with the same target keyword. It’s just diluting your impact.

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How to identify keyword cannibalization?

Step 1: Check your Google Search Console

• Open the Performance Report.
• Filter by a target keyword and look at the URLs showing up for it.
• If multiple pages appear, you’ve most likely got a problem.

Step 2: Use Google Search

Search site:yourdomain.com "target keyword" on Google. This will show all the pages targeting that keyword. Spot any duplicates? Time to act.

Step 3: Use SEO Tools

Platforms like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help pinpoint overlapping pages competing for the same keyword.

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How to fix keyword cannibalization

I’ll shoot you straight. Keyword cannibalization can be a tough nut to crack, but if you follow this plan, you can get your ranking back on track!

1. Consolidate your cannibalized content

Merge similar pages into one strong, authoritative page. Redirect old URLs to the new one. For example:

• Before: Separate pages for “BBQ Tips” and “Grilling Hacks.”
• After: One unified page titled “The Ultimate BBQ and Grilling Guide.”

2. Use Canonical Tags

When merging isn’t possible, use canonical tags to point search engines to the primary page.

3. Optimize Internal Links

Review and adjust your internal links to direct traffic to the page you want to rank higher.

4. Refocus Keywords

Give each page a unique keyword focus. For instance:

• Page 1: “BBQ Tips for Beginners”
• Page 2: “Advanced Grilling Techniques”

5. Schedule Regular Site Audits

SEO is not a one-and-done process. Set aside time daily/weekly to review your site and to avoid future keyword overlap.

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Fixing keyword cannibalization isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t necessarily easy. But when done right, your pages will stop competing in the SERPs with each other and start working together to increase your rankings.

If you’re dealing with this issue and you need help, let me know! I’d love to connect and work together!