What is Keyword Cannibalization?

Are you struggling to achieve the search engine rankings you desire, despite putting in the time and effort to optimize your website’s content?

One often-overlooked culprit may be “keyword cannibalization.”

This phenomenon occurs when multiple pages on your website compete for the same keyword or phrase, essentially cannibalizing each other’s potential traffic and preventing your site from achieving its full potential in search results.

In this article, we’ll explore what keyword cannibalization is, why it’s a problem, and how to identify and address it on your website.

We’ll also provide tips and strategies to help you avoid keyword cannibalization in the future and maintain a healthy, effective SEO strategy that drives traffic and boosts your online visibility.

So, let’s dive in and learn how to avoid the pitfalls of keyword cannibalization and optimize your website for search success.

Comparison Chart for Keyword Cannibalization

What is Keyword Cannibalization and Why Does It Matter?

Keyword cannibalization is a phenomenon that occurs when multiple pages on a website compete for the same keyword or phrase in search engine results.

Essentially, these pages end up cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential, leading to lower rankings and reduced visibility for the website as a whole.

To understand this concept, let’s consider an example.

Imagine you run a travel blog that includes multiple articles about “budget travel tips.”

If you optimize each article for the same keyword phrase, Google may struggle to determine which page is most relevant and authoritative for that keyword.

As a result, all of the articles may end up ranking poorly, and your website may not receive as much traffic as it would if you had targeted each page for a unique keyword or phrase.

Keyword cannibalization matters for several reasons.

First and foremost, it can negatively impact your website’s search engine rankings and reduce your visibility in search results.

Additionally, it can confuse and frustrate users who are looking for specific information on your website.

If they see multiple pages with the same or similar content, they may not know which one to click on or which one will provide them with the information they need.

How Keyword Cannibalization Hurts Your SEO Efforts?

Keyword cannibalization can have significant negative effects on your SEO efforts.

When multiple pages on your website are optimized for the same keyword or phrase, they end up competing against each other, leading to lower search engine rankings and reduced visibility for your site.

One of the primary ways that keyword cannibalization hurts your SEO efforts is by diluting the relevance and authority of your website in the eyes of search engines.

When Google sees multiple pages on your site targeting the same keyword, it may struggle to determine which page is most relevant and authoritative.

As a result, it may decide to show none of your pages in search results, or it may show only one or two, reducing your overall visibility.

For example, let’s say you run an e-commerce website selling running shoes.

You have separate pages optimized for “running shoes for men,” “running shoes for women,” and “best running shoes.”

If each page targets the same keywords, they may end up cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential, leading to lower search engine rankings and reduced visibility for your website.

Another way that keyword cannibalization can hurt your SEO efforts is by confusing and frustrating users.

If users see multiple pages on your site with similar content and targeting the same keywords, they may not know which page to click on or which one will provide them with the information they need.

This can lead to a poor user experience, decreased engagement, and lower conversion rates.

Examples of Keyword Cannibalization in Action

To better understand keyword cannibalization, let’s take a look at some real-life examples of this phenomenon in action.

Example 1: E-commerce website with multiple product pages

An e-commerce website that sells various products may have multiple pages optimized for the same keyword or phrase.

For instance, if a website sells laptops, they may have separate pages optimized for “best laptops,” “gaming laptops,” “laptops for students,” and so on.

However, if all of these pages target the same keywords and offer similar information, they may end up cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential, leading to lower search engine rankings and reduced visibility for the site.

Example 2: Blog with multiple posts on the same topic

A blog that focuses on a specific niche may have multiple posts on the same topic.

For instance, a food blog may have separate posts optimized for “chocolate cake recipe,” “easy chocolate cake,” and “the best chocolate cake.”

However, if all of these posts target the same keywords and offer similar information, they may end up cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential, leading to lower search engine rankings and reduced visibility for the blog.

Example 3: Service-based website with multiple location pages

A service-based website that operates in multiple locations may have separate pages optimized for each location.

For instance, a plumbing company may have separate pages optimized for “plumbing services in New York,” “plumbing services in Los Angeles,” and “plumbing services in Chicago.”

However, if all of these pages target the same keywords and offer similar information, they may end up cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential, leading to lower search engine rankings and reduced visibility for the website.

In each of these examples, keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on the same website target the same keyword or phrase.

To avoid this phenomenon and maintain a healthy, effective SEO strategy, it’s important to optimize each page for a unique keyword or phrase, offer unique and valuable content, and use effective internal linking strategies.

How to Identify Keyword Cannibalization on Your Site?

Identifying instances of keyword cannibalization on your website is an essential first step in addressing this phenomenon and improving your SEO strategy.

Here are some steps you can take to identify instances of cannibalization on your site:

Step 1: Identify your target keywords

The first step in identifying keyword cannibalization is to identify your target keywords.

This involves determining the specific keywords or phrases that you want your website to rank for in search engine results.

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, you can move on to the next step.

Step 2: Conduct a site-wide audit

The next step is to conduct a site-wide audit to identify instances of keyword cannibalization.

This involves analyzing each page on your website to determine whether it targets the same keyword or phrase as other pages on your site.

You can use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to help you with this process.

Step 3: Analyze search engine rankings

Another way to identify instances of keyword cannibalization is to analyze your search engine rankings.

If you notice that multiple pages on your site are ranking for the same keyword or phrase, it may indicate that they are cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential.

Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush can help you with this process.

Step 4: Look for duplicate content

Duplicate content is another indicator of keyword cannibalization.

If you have multiple pages on your site with identical or very similar content, they may be cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential.

You can use tools like Copyscape and Siteliner to identify duplicate content on your site.

Step 5: Use Google search operators

Finally, you can use Google search operators to identify instances of keyword cannibalization.

For instance, you can use the “site:” operator to search for all pages on your site that target a specific keyword or phrase.

If you notice multiple pages ranking for the same keyword, it may indicate cannibalization.

The Different Types of Keyword Cannibalization and Their Effects

Keyword cannibalization can take several different forms, each with its own unique effects on your SEO efforts.

Here are the different types of keyword cannibalization and how they can impact your website:

Exact match cannibalization

Exact match cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site target the exact same keyword or phrase.

This can result in Google having to choose which page to rank for the keyword, leading to lower rankings and reduced visibility for both pages.

For example, if a food blog has two posts that both target the exact keyword “chocolate cake recipe,” they may end up competing with each other for rankings, resulting in reduced traffic and engagement for both posts.

Partial match cannibalization

Partial match cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site target variations of the same keyword or phrase.

For instance, a website that offers SEO services may have separate pages optimized for “SEO services,” “SEO agency,” and “SEO company.”

However, if these pages offer similar information and target the same general keyword, they may end up cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential.

This can lead to reduced rankings and visibility for all pages targeting the keyword.

Topic cannibalization

Topic cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site cover the same general topic but target different keywords or phrases.

For instance, a travel blog may have separate posts on “best beaches in Hawaii,” “top tourist attractions in Hawaii,” and “where to stay in Hawaii.”

However, if all of these posts target the same general topic and offer similar information, they may end up cannibalizing each other’s traffic potential.

This can lead to reduced rankings and visibility for all posts targeting the topic.

Intent cannibalization

Intent cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site target the same keyword or phrase but have different user intents.

For instance, a website that offers both products and services may have separate pages optimized for “product X reviews” and “product X services.”

However, if users searching for “product X reviews” are shown the “product X services” page in search results, they may bounce from the page, resulting in reduced engagement and conversions.

Strategies to Fix Keyword Cannibalization Issues on Your Site

If you’ve identified instances of keyword cannibalization on your site, don’t worry – there are strategies you can use to fix these issues and improve your SEO efforts.

Here are some strategies to fix keyword cannibalization issues on your site:

Consolidate pages

If you have multiple pages on your site targeting the same keyword or phrase, consider consolidating them into a single page.

This can help you avoid cannibalization and create a stronger, more authoritative page that ranks higher in search engine results.

For instance, if you have two blog posts targeting the same keyword, consider merging them into a single post that offers comprehensive information on the topic.

Optimize each page for a unique keyword

To avoid keyword cannibalization, it’s important to ensure that each page on your site targets a unique keyword or phrase.

This can help you rank for a wider range of keywords and improve your overall visibility in search engine results.

For instance, if you have two pages targeting the same general topic, consider optimizing one page for a primary keyword and the other for a secondary keyword.

Use canonical tags

Canonical tags can help you avoid keyword cannibalization by telling search engines which version of a page to prioritize in search results.

If you have multiple pages on your site with similar content, you can use canonical tags to indicate which page is the primary version.

This can help you consolidate your rankings and avoid competing with yourself for traffic.

Offer unique and valuable content

One of the most effective ways to avoid keyword cannibalization is to offer unique and valuable content on each page of your site.

This can help you establish your authority in your niche and differentiate your site from others in search engine results.

For instance, if you have multiple pages on your site covering the same general topic, consider offering unique perspectives or angles on the topic to avoid competing with yourself for traffic.

Use effective internal linking strategies

Internal linking can help you avoid keyword cannibalization by establishing clear hierarchies and guiding users to the most relevant pages on your site.

For instance, you can use anchor text to indicate which pages are the most relevant for a specific keyword, or create topic clusters to consolidate your content around specific themes.

How to Prioritize Which Pages to Target for Keyword Optimization?

When optimizing your site for keywords, it’s important to prioritize which pages to target in order to get the most bang for your buck.

Here are some strategies to help you prioritize which pages to target for keyword optimization:

Consider search volume and competition

One way to prioritize which pages to target is to consider the search volume and competition for each keyword.

Focus on targeting keywords that have a high search volume and low competition, as these will be easier to rank for and will bring more traffic to your site.

You can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to find keywords with high search volume and low competition.

Identify your top-performing pages

Another way to prioritize which pages to target is to identify your top-performing pages.

Look for pages on your site that are already ranking well for specific keywords, and consider optimizing them further to improve their rankings and bring even more traffic to your site.

You can use Google Analytics or other analytics tools to identify your top-performing pages.

Consider the buyer’s journey

When prioritizing which pages to target, it’s important to consider where the page fits in the buyer’s journey.

For instance, a product page may be more important to optimize than a blog post because it’s closer to the bottom of the funnel and more likely to result in a sale.

On the other hand, a blog post may be more important to optimize if it’s driving a lot of traffic to your site and helping to build your brand.

Prioritize pages with low engagement

If you have pages on your site that aren’t getting a lot of engagement or traffic, consider optimizing them for specific keywords to improve their visibility and bring more traffic to your site.

By targeting these pages, you can improve the overall performance of your site and increase your rankings in search engine results.

Look for gaps in your content

Finally, when prioritizing which pages to target for keyword optimization, look for gaps in your content.

Identify topics or keywords that your competitors are ranking for that you’re not, and create new pages or optimize existing pages to fill those gaps.

This can help you establish your authority in your niche and bring more traffic to your site.

Using Internal Linking to Combat Keyword Cannibalization

Internal linking is an effective strategy for combatting keyword cannibalization on your site.

Here’s how it works:

Internal linking involves linking from one page on your site to another page on your site.

When done strategically, internal linking can help search engines understand the hierarchy of your site and which pages are most important.

One way to use internal linking to combat keyword cannibalization is to link from a weaker page to a stronger page.

For example, let’s say you have two blog posts on your site that both target the same keyword.

Instead of letting these pages compete against each other, you can link from the weaker page to the stronger page.

This signals to search engines that the stronger page is the preferred page for that keyword.

Another way to use internal linking to combat keyword cannibalization is to create hub pages.

Hub pages are pages on your site that link to other pages on your site that are related to a specific topic.

By linking to multiple pages on your site that are related to a specific keyword or topic, you can signal to search engines that your site is an authority on that topic.

For example, let’s say you have a website about fitness, and you have multiple blog posts that are all related to weightlifting.

You could create a hub page called “Weightlifting Tips” that links to all of the blog posts related to weightlifting.

This signals to search engines that your site is an authority on weightlifting, and it can help improve your rankings for related keywords.

In addition to improving your SEO, internal linking can also improve the user experience on your site.

By linking to related pages on your site, you can help users discover more content that’s relevant to their interests, which can keep them on your site longer and improve engagement.

We use Link Whisper for our auto-internal linking process which helps avoid a lot of things including Keyword Cannibalization.

The Role of Content Strategy in Preventing Keyword Cannibalization

A well-planned content strategy is crucial for preventing keyword cannibalization on your site.

Here’s why:

First, a content strategy can help you identify gaps in your content.

By conducting a content audit and analyzing your competitors, you can identify which keywords and topics your site is missing.

This can help you avoid creating content that competes with your existing content.

For example, let’s say you have a blog about gardening, and you’ve already published multiple blog posts about how to grow tomatoes.

Instead of publishing yet another blog post about tomato cultivation, you could identify other topics that are related to gardening but haven’t been covered on your site yet, such as composting or landscaping.

Second, a content strategy can help you create a hierarchy of content on your site.

By organizing your content around themes and topics, you can avoid creating multiple pages that target the same keyword.

For example, let’s say you have an e-commerce site that sells shoes.

Instead of creating separate product pages for “blue sneakers” and “blue running shoes,” you could create a single product page for “blue athletic shoes” and include information about both types of shoes on that page.

This can help you avoid keyword cannibalization and improve the user experience on your site.

Third, a content strategy can help you create a diverse range of content formats.

By creating videos, infographics, and other types of content in addition to written blog posts, you can attract a wider audience and avoid creating multiple pages that target the same keyword.

For example, let’s say you have a site about personal finance, and you’ve already published multiple blog posts about how to save money on groceries.

Instead of publishing yet another blog post on the same topic, you could create a video or infographic that summarizes your tips in a more visual format.

Tools to Help You Identify and Fix Keyword Cannibalization

Identifying and fixing keyword cannibalization can be a daunting task, but fortunately, there are several tools available to help you.

Here are a few of the most helpful tools:

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool that provides valuable data about your site’s performance in search engines.

One of its features is the ability to see which keywords your pages are ranking for.

By reviewing this data, you can identify which pages on your site are cannibalizing each other.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool that provides a wide range of features, including keyword research, site auditing, and backlink analysis.

Its “Site Explorer” feature allows you to see all of the pages on your site that are ranking for a specific keyword.

This can help you identify which pages are cannibalizing each other and which pages are ranking well.

SEMrush

SEMrush is another popular SEO tool that provides a range of features, including keyword research, site auditing, and competitor analysis.

Its “Keyword Cannibalization” tool allows you to see which pages on your site are competing against each other for the same keyword.

This can help you identify which pages to consolidate or redirect.

Link Whisper

Link Whisper is a WordPress plugin that uses artificial intelligence to suggest internal links between your pages.

It analyzes your content and suggests links based on the keywords you’re targeting.

This can help you avoid creating content that cannibalizes existing content and improve your site’s overall SEO.

How to Monitor and Maintain Your Site’s Keyword Cannibalization Status

Once you’ve identified and fixed keyword cannibalization issues on your site, it’s important to monitor and maintain your site’s status to prevent future issues.

Here are some tips for doing so:

Regularly conduct content audits

A content audit involves reviewing all of the content on your site to identify gaps, overlaps, and other issues.

By conducting regular content audits, you can identify any new instances of keyword cannibalization and take steps to address them before they become a problem.

Use tools to monitor your site’s rankings

Tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and SEMrush can help you monitor your site’s rankings for specific keywords.

By monitoring your rankings, you can identify any fluctuations or changes in your site’s performance and take action as needed.

Keep an eye on your competitors

Competitor analysis is an important part of SEO, and it can also help you monitor your site’s keyword cannibalization status.

By regularly reviewing your competitors’ content and rankings, you can identify any areas where your site may be falling behind and take steps to address them.

Continuously optimize your content

SEO is an ongoing process, and it’s important to continuously optimize your content to maintain your site’s rankings and prevent keyword cannibalization.

This may involve updating old content, creating new content, and optimizing your site’s internal linking structure.

The Connection Between Keyword Research and Keyword Cannibalization

Keyword research is a crucial component of any SEO strategy, and it’s closely linked to keyword cannibalization.

Here’s why:

Keyword research involves identifying the keywords and phrases that people are using to search for information related to your business or industry.

This information is used to create content that is optimized for those keywords, which can help your site rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more traffic.

However, if you’re not careful, keyword research can also lead to keyword cannibalization.

This can happen when you target the same keyword or phrase with multiple pages on your site, which can confuse search engines and result in lower rankings for all of the pages.

For example, let’s say you run a website that sells organic dog food.

You conduct keyword research and identify “organic dog food” as a high-traffic, high-converting keyword.

You then create a product page, a blog post, and a category page that all target the keyword “organic dog food.”

At first, this might seem like a good strategy.

After all, you’re targeting a high-value keyword with multiple pages on your site. However, in practice, this can lead to keyword cannibalization.

Search engines may have trouble determining which page is the most relevant for the keyword, which can result in lower rankings and less traffic for all of the pages.

To avoid keyword cannibalization, it’s important to use keyword research strategically.

Instead of targeting the same keyword with multiple pages on your site, focus on creating content that targets a variety of related keywords and phrases.

This can help you attract a wider range of traffic and avoid confusing search engines.

How to Use Paid Search to Complement Your Organic Search Efforts and Avoid Cannibalization

Paid search, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, can be a powerful complement to your organic search efforts.

When used strategically, it can help you avoid keyword cannibalization and attract more targeted traffic to your site.

Here are some tips for using paid search to complement your organic search efforts:

Use paid search to target high-competition keywords

If you’re having trouble ranking organically for high-competition keywords, consider using paid search to target those keywords instead.

This can help you attract more traffic to your site while avoiding keyword cannibalization.

Create unique landing pages for paid search campaigns

When running a paid search campaign, it’s important to create unique landing pages that are optimized for the specific keywords you’re targeting.

This can help you avoid cannibalizing existing pages on your site and ensure that your paid search efforts are as effective as possible.

Use negative keywords to avoid overlap

Negative keywords are keywords that you specify you don’t want your ads to appear for.

By using negative keywords strategically, you can avoid overlap between your paid search and organic search efforts and ensure that each channel is targeting a unique set of keywords.

Monitor your results and adjust your strategy as needed

As with any marketing channel, it’s important to monitor your results and adjust your strategy as needed.

Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Ads to track your performance and identify areas where you can improve your paid search campaigns.

The Impact of Voice Search on Keyword Cannibalization

As voice search continues to gain popularity, it’s important to consider its impact on keyword cannibalization.

Voice search queries are often longer and more conversational than traditional text-based queries, which means they can trigger different types of content and potentially cause keyword cannibalization on your site.

Here are some ways that voice search can impact keyword cannibalization:

More emphasis on long-tail keywords

With voice search, users tend to use longer and more conversational queries.

This means that there may be more emphasis on long-tail keywords, which can increase the risk of keyword cannibalization if you’re not careful.

Different intent behind voice search queries 

Voice search queries may have a different intent behind them compared to traditional text-based queries.

For example, someone who types “best pizza near me” may be looking for a list of nearby pizza places, while someone who asks Siri “Where can I find the best pizza in town?” may be looking for a recommendation.

This means that you may need to create different types of content to address the different intents behind voice search queries.

Greater importance of featured snippets

With voice search, Google often returns a featured snippet at the top of the search results, which reads the answer to the query aloud.

This means that ranking for featured snippets is more important than ever.

However, if you have multiple pages on your site targeting the same keyword, it can increase the risk of keyword cannibalization and potentially hurt your chances of ranking for the featured snippet.

To avoid keyword cannibalization with voice search, it’s important to focus on creating content that is tailored to the specific intent behind voice search queries.

This may mean creating different types of content for different types of queries, such as listicles for “best” queries or how-to guides for “how” queries.

Also, you should ensure that you have a clear content hierarchy on your site to avoid multiple pages targeting the same keyword.

By keeping these factors in mind, you can ensure that your site is optimized for voice search and minimize the risk of keyword cannibalization.

How to Stay Ahead of the Curve: Future-Proofing Your Site Against Keyword Cannibalization.

Keyword cannibalization is an ongoing challenge that requires a proactive approach to stay ahead of the curve.

Here are some ways to future-proof your site against keyword cannibalization:

Develop a content strategy that prioritizes user intent

By creating content that is tailored to user intent, you can avoid creating multiple pages that target the same keyword.

When creating new content, consider the types of queries that your audience may be searching for and develop content that provides a comprehensive answer to those queries.

Conduct regular site audits

Regularly auditing your site can help you identify instances of keyword cannibalization early on.

By regularly reviewing your site’s content, you can identify any potential issues and take steps to fix them before they become a larger problem.

Use tools to track keyword rankings

Tracking your keyword rankings can help you identify any changes or fluctuations that may indicate keyword cannibalization.

Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs can provide you with detailed insights into your site’s rankings and help you identify any issues that need to be addressed.

Leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning

Artificial intelligence and machine learning can help you identify patterns and trends in your site’s content, which can help you optimize your content for both user intent and search engines.

Tools like MarketMuse or Clearscope use AI to analyze your content and provide suggestions for optimizing it for specific keywords.

Stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends

Staying informed about the latest SEO trends and best practices can help you stay ahead of the curve and avoid keyword cannibalization.

Joining industry groups, attending conferences, or following SEO blogs can help you stay informed about the latest developments in SEO.

By taking a proactive approach to keyword cannibalization, you can future-proof your site against this ongoing challenge and ensure that your site is optimized for both users and search engines.

By staying informed, regularly auditing your site, and using the latest tools and technologies, you can ensure that your site remains competitive and stays ahead of the curve.