Keyword cannibalization is a phenomenon that occurs when multiple pages on the same website compete with each other to rank on the same keyword in search results.
This can cause significant problems for SEO and overall site effectiveness.
What is keyword cannibalization
Cannibalization occurs when:
- Two or more pages of the site are optimized for the same keyword.
- Search engines have difficulty determining which page is most relevant for that keyword.
- Pages “compete” for placement, alternating in results or ranking unsteadily.
This phenomenon can lead to:
- Loss of positions in search results
- Instability of ranking
- Decrease in organic traffic
- Waste of the crawling budget allocated to the site
- Potential identification of content as spam by search engines.
How to manage keyword cannibalization
To effectively manage this problem, several strategies can be adopted:
1. Prevention
- Conduct thorough keyword research before creating new content
- Analyze users’ search intent
- Evaluate existing content on the site to avoid duplication.
2. Identification
- Use SEO tools such as SISTRIX to detect instances of cannibalization
- Perform manual searches with search operators such as “site:”
- Analyze data from Google Search Console.
Resolution
- Implement 301 redirect to the most relevant page
- Use the rel=”canonical” tag to indicate the preferred version of a page
- Merge similar content into a single, more comprehensive and authoritative page
- Optimize existing content by clearly differentiating it
- Improve the structure of internal links to indicate the desired hierarchy
- In extreme cases, delete less relevant or low-quality content.
4. Continuous optimization
- Monitor the site regularly for new cases of cannibalization
- Maintain a clear content and keyword strategy for each page
- Constantly update and improve existing content.
What are the signs of ongoing keyword cannibalization?
Keyword cannibalization can manifest itself through several signs that indicate internal competition between the pages of a website. Here are the main indicators to watch out for:
Fluctuation of positions
One of the most obvious signs of cannibalization is the constant fluctuation of positions in search results. This occurs when:
- Different site URLs alternate in ranking for the same keyword
- Positions change frequently for no apparent reason
- Instability in ranking for certain keywords is observed.
This situation indicates that Google has difficulty determining which page is the most relevant for that specific search query.
Internal competition
It occurs when:
- Two or more pages on the site are competing for the same keyword
- The contents deal with very similar themes
- Google’s algorithm shows indecision about which page to place.
Negative impact on performance
Cannibalization can lead to:
- Loss of positions in search results
- Decrease in organic traffic
- Reduction indomain authority and overall siteauthority
- Potential penalization by search engines.
Properly managing keyword cannibalization is critical to improving site visibility, preserving content authority, and delivering a consistent, quality user experience.
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