{"id":10473,"date":"2024-07-10T15:45:24","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T15:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/"},"modified":"2024-07-10T15:45:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T15:45:24","slug":"keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Keyword Cannibalization: An A-to-Z Guide to Fixing and Avoiding It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Keyword cannibalization can negatively impact your website\u2019s organic search performance.<\/p>\n<p>But catching and fixing this issue can have the opposite effect.<\/p>\n<p>Case in point: Two of our articles on Backlinko had cannibalization issues. So, we consolidated them with a 301 redirect.<\/p>\n<p>And saw a <strong>466% increase in clicks year over year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Cannibalized pages undermine your SEO efforts. And may not appear in the top spots\u2014no matter how good they are.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t lose that precious real estate on organic search.<\/p>\n<p>In this guide, we\u2019ll teach you step-by-step how to identify and resolve keyword cannibalization issues. So you can improve your rankings and the user experience.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#What_Is_Keyword_Cannibalization\" >What Is Keyword Cannibalization?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#What_Keyword_Cannibalization_Is_Not\" >What Keyword Cannibalization Is Not<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#How_Keyword_Cannibalization_Impacts_SEO\" >How Keyword Cannibalization Impacts SEO<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Low_Rankings_and_Traffic\" >Low Rankings and Traffic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Reduced_Page_Authority\" >Reduced Page Authority<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Distributed_Internal_Links\" >Distributed Internal Links<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Poor_Conversion_Rates\" >Poor Conversion Rates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Wasted_Crawl_Budget\" >Wasted Crawl Budget<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#When_Cannibalization_Is_Not_Problematic\" >When Cannibalization Is Not Problematic<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Different_Locations\" >Different Locations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Varied_Search_Intents\" >Varied Search Intents<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#How_to_Identify_Cannibalization_Issues\" >How to Identify Cannibalization Issues<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Google_Search_Console\" >Google Search Console<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Semrushs_Cannibalization_Report\" >Semrush\u2019s Cannibalization Report<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Site_Search\" >Site Search<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#5_Ways_to_Fix_Keyword_Cannibalization\" >5 Ways to Fix Keyword Cannibalization<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#1_Consolidate_Content_and_Set_Up_Redirects\" >1. Consolidate Content and Set Up Redirects<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#2_Target_Different_Search_Intents_on_Each_Page\" >2. Target Different Search Intents on Each Page<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#3_Optimize_Internal_Links_for_High-Impact_Pages\" >3. Optimize Internal Links for High-Impact Pages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#4_Add_a_Canonical_Tag_to_Prioritize_a_Page\" >4. Add a Canonical Tag to Prioritize a Page<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#5_Restructure_the_Site_to_Remove_Cannibalized_Pages\" >5. Restructure the Site to Remove Cannibalized Pages<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#How_to_Prevent_Keyword_Cannibalization\" >How to Prevent Keyword Cannibalization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/10\/keyword-cannibalization-an-a-to-z-guide-to-fixing-and-avoiding-it\/#Fix_Cannibalization_to_Enhance_Your_Search_Performance\" >Fix Cannibalization to Enhance Your Search Performance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Keyword_Cannibalization\"><\/span>What Is Keyword Cannibalization?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Keyword cannibalization happens when two or more pages on your website target the same keyword(s) and fulfill a similar <a title=\"Search Intent and SEO: A Complete Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/search-intent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">search intent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The result?<\/p>\n<p>Search engines have difficulty determining the most relevant and authoritative page for the target keyword.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, all of these pages can get stuck in lower positions in search results.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Keyword cannibalization can hurt your site\u2019s organic performance because it:<\/p>\n<p>Reduces search visibility and organic traffic, which can affect conversions<br \/>\nDilutes ranking potential by distributing authority signals between these pages<br \/>\nFrustrates users with similar information or <a title=\"Duplicate Content and SEO: The Complete Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/duplicate-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">duplicate content<\/a> spread across multiple pages<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a deeper look at the cannibalization example from our site\u2014that we mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n<p>We had two older articles on the same topic: the best free and paid SEO tools.<\/p>\n<p>The oldest article targeted \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/best-free-seo-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO tools<\/a>\u201d and featured an extensive (albeit overwhelming) list of options:<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>The more recent article targeted \u201cbest free SEO tools.\u201d And featured a shorter (but still significant) number of tools.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Both pieces targeted queries related to SEO tools and fulfilled a similar search intent (people exploring SEO tools).<\/p>\n<p>But they were getting significantly different results.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>We researched both articles and noticed that the \u201cfree SEO tools\u201d article received notably more impressions and clicks.<\/p>\n<p>The uneven distribution of traffic indicated cannibalization.<\/p>\n<p>It was also clear that the format of the older \u201cSEO tools\u201d article was no longer resonating with our audience. The lengthy list of tools was overwhelming, which is another reason why the competing article received more clicks.<\/p>\n<p>So, we decided a 301 redirect was in order.<\/p>\n<p>After consolidating the URLS, it didn\u2019t take long to see an improvement. In the eight-week period following the launch, traffic increased by 466% compared to the previous year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>This impressive increase was low effort for our team but high impact for our site.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, we\u2019re still seeing a net increase over time by doing nothing other than redirecting an underperforming page.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Keyword_Cannibalization_Is_Not\"><\/span>What Keyword Cannibalization Is Not<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s recap. Keyword cannibalization happens when two or more pages:<\/p>\n<p>Target the same keyword(s)<br \/>\nFulfill the same or similar search intent<\/p>\n<p>But what if these pages target hundreds of keywords and only a few terms overlap? Or if pages targeting similar keywords cater to different search intents?<\/p>\n<p>In such cases, keyword cannibalization is less likely to be a significant issue. But we recommend regularly monitoring these pages for optimal <a title=\"We Analyzed 11.8 Million Google Search Results. Here\u2019s What We Learned About SEO\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">search performance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>For example, the wellness site Health has multiple pages for the keyword \u201cprotein powder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On a closer look, each page fulfills a different search intent and targets various keywords:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can Protein Powder Make You Gain Weight?:<\/strong> Serves an informational intent with factual details about consuming protein powder. And targets keywords like protein powder and weight gain.<br \/>\n<strong>The 11 Best Tasting Protein Shakes:<\/strong> Serves a transactional intent with a list of products and targets keywords like protein shakes and protein supplements<br \/>\n<strong>Is Protein Good for You?:<\/strong> Serves an informational intent with a nutritional breakdown of protein powder. Targets keywords like plant-based protein and protein powder nutrition.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>So, even if these pages don\u2019t appear in the search results for \u201cprotein powder,\u201d it\u2019s likely not due to keyword cannibalization. Because other pages target and rank for various keywords related to \u201cprotein powder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Put simply, all these pages don\u2019t fight each other for search traffic.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, they enhance the site\u2019s search visibility for a broader set of keywords. That\u2019s why it\u2019s not a case of keyword cannibalization.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Keyword_Cannibalization_Impacts_SEO\"><\/span>How Keyword Cannibalization Impacts SEO<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s break down the impact of keyword cannibalization on your website\u2019s SEO.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Low_Rankings_and_Traffic\"><\/span>Low Rankings and Traffic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dipping traffic is one of the most common indicators of keyword cannibalization.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n<p>Because cannibalization can negatively impact your organic search positions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>When multiple pages compete for the same keyword, it becomes difficult for search engines to figure out the most relevant page to rank for this keyword.<\/p>\n<p>This can lead to lower search rankings and less visibility for all concerned pages.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<p><strong>Further reading:<\/strong> <a title=\"How to Rank Higher on Google in 13 Steps\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/rank-high-on-google\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Rank Higher on Google in 13 Steps<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"media\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reduced_Page_Authority\"><\/span>Reduced Page Authority<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Search engines rank pages based on authority signals, like <a title=\"How to Get High Quality Backlinks in (7 Top Strategies)\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/high-quality-backlinks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">backlinks<\/a>, content quality, <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/user-behavior-and-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">user experience<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n<p>In cases of keyword cannibalization, these authority signals are divided between multiple pages. That means you have several low-authority pages rather than one highly authoritative page.<\/p>\n<p>This distributed authority makes it difficult for your pages to outrank other high-authority pages in the search results.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the following article by MoEngage ranks outside the top 10 results for the keyword \u201cemail marketing tactics.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>The article is well structured and has actionable tips, expert insights, and a webinar.<\/p>\n<p>But doesn\u2019t currently rank among the top search results.<\/p>\n<p>This might be because the website has multiple pages optimized for the same keyword and search intent. Causing authority to be distributed across several pages targeting the same keyword.<\/p>\n<p>And potentially leading to lower rankings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Distributed_Internal_Links\"><\/span>Distributed Internal Links<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"Internal Linking for SEO: The Complete Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/internal-links\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Internal links<\/a> distribute authority across different pages on your website. When keyword cannibalization happens, internal links are spread across multiple pages.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of linking to one page for relevant anchor text across your site, you have to selectively link different pages in every location.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s consider a project management SaaS company with multiple pages for the keyword \u201ctask management.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Blog A:<\/strong> www.manageprojects.com\/blog\/task-management-tips<br \/>\n<strong>Blog B:<\/strong> www.manageprojects.com\/blog\/task-management-advice<br \/>\n<strong>Feature page:<\/strong> www.manageprojects.com\/product\/task-management<\/p>\n<p>Instead of creating multiple internal links for one page with the anchor text of \u201ctask management,\u201d you\u2019d need to distribute internal links across all three pages.<\/p>\n<p>This fragmented linking structure can reduce each page\u2019s authority and relevance signals.<\/p>\n<p>Users also rely on internal links to find relevant content on a site. Linking different pages with similar anchor text can confuse users or lead them to pages that don\u2019t satisfy their search intent.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Poor_Conversion_Rates\"><\/span>Poor Conversion Rates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Keyword cannibalization can hurt your website\u2019s user experience.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple pages created for the same or similar topic can overwhelm users. They won\u2019t know which one contains the most up-to-date or comprehensive information. And not every visitor will have the time or patience to read each page to find out.<\/p>\n<p>This can also diminish their trust in your content\u2019s quality.<\/p>\n<p>The result?<\/p>\n<p>High <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/bounce-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bounce rate<\/a> and low conversions.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Scribe, a documentation tool, has created multiple articles and pages about writing and building SOPs. These articles present handy tips and offer a wide selection of templates, helping readers get started quickly.<\/p>\n<p>But since these pages cover very similar topics, readers may be confused about which page has the best information.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wasted_Crawl_Budget\"><\/span>Wasted Crawl Budget<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Search engines allocate a limited budget to crawl your website. When you have several instances of keyword cannibalization, you waste this <a title=\"What is Crawl Budget? And Why Does It Matter for SEO?\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/crawl-budget\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crawl budget<\/a> on similar pages around the same keyword rather than focusing on unique content.<\/p>\n<p>Wasting your crawl budget can prevent search engines from indexing more important pages and negatively impact search rankings.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Cannibalization_Is_Not_Problematic\"><\/span>When Cannibalization Is Not Problematic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Keyword cannibalization doesn\u2019t hurt your organic search performance when you create multiple pages for the following reasons:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Different_Locations\"><\/span>Different Locations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you create multiple pages targeting the same keyword(s) and different locations, these pages shouldn\u2019t cannibalize each other because they\u2019re geared to different audiences.<\/p>\n<p>Ensure each page\u2019s content is unique to avoid duplicate content issues.<\/p>\n<p>For example, this furniture rental company has created several service pages with the same keywords for multiple locations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Varied_Search_Intents\"><\/span>Varied Search Intents<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You shouldn\u2019t face a cannibalization issue if each page fulfills a unique search intent. This means you can create multiple pages covering similar topics but varied search intents.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Nuclino has several pages for the keyword \u201cproject management software.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each page focuses on a different search intent, such as game development, planning, creative management, and more.<\/p>\n<p>Some pages have a transactional intent, while others have an informational intent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Identify_Cannibalization_Issues\"><\/span>How to Identify Cannibalization Issues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When left unchecked, keyword cannibalization can become a roadblock for your <a title=\"How to Create an Effective SEO Strategy\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO strategy<\/a>. Let\u2019s learn different ways to actively identify cannibalization issues.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_Search_Console\"><\/span>Google Search Console<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"Google Search Console: The Definitive Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/google-search-console\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Search Console<\/a> (GSC) is a free tool to stay on top of your SEO health and identify cannibalization issues.<\/p>\n<p>Sign into your GSC account and go to \u201c<strong>Search Results<\/strong>\u201d under the \u201cPerformance\u201d section.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>You\u2019ll see a list of keywords that have brought impressions and clicks to your site. Click on any of these keywords to see impressions and clicks specifically for this keyword.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> If you can\u2019t find the keyword you want to analyze, click on \u201c<strong>+ New<\/strong>\u201d and \u201c<strong>Query<\/strong>.\u201d Then, add the keyword(s) you\u2019re looking for and hit \u201c<strong>Apply<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"media\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Go to the \u201c<strong>PAGES<\/strong>\u201d tab to find the pages associated with this keyword.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>If you find more than one page listed for a query, it could be a cannibalization issue. Evaluate each page\u2019s monthly traffic and search rankings to see if they\u2019re cannibalizing each other.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in this scenario, the first article is doing well, while the other articles aren\u2019t performing great.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Review each page\u2019s intent to determine if there\u2019s a cannibalization issue.<\/p>\n<p>You can also check the average position for these pages. Dropping or fluctuating positions is a sign of cannibalization because search engines are likely switching the rankings for these pages.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Semrushs_Cannibalization_Report\"><\/span>Semrush\u2019s Cannibalization Report<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"Position Tracking: Keyword Rank Tracker Tool | Semrush\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/position-tracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Semrush\u2019s Position Tracking<\/a> tool monitors your website\u2019s SEO performance and page rankings. Access its Cannibalization Report to quickly identify pages and keywords that might be cannibalizing each other.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> A free Semrush account lets you track up to 10 keywords. Or you can use this link to access a <a title=\"Backlinko &amp; Semrush: 14-day PRO Trial\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/lp\/backlinko-offer\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">14-day trial on a Semrush Pro subscription<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Enter your website domain and click \u201c<strong>Set up tracking<\/strong>\u201d to get started.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Then, add the location where you want to monitor your performance and choose other parameters like search engine, device, and language.<\/p>\n<p>Click \u201c<strong>Continue To Keywords<\/strong>\u201d when you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>This is where you can add your target keywords by:<\/p>\n<p>Manually pasting keywords in the box<br \/>\nUsing \u201c<strong>Import from\u2026<\/strong>\u201d to add from Google Analytics<br \/>\nGetting keyword suggestions from Semrush<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve added all keywords, hit \u201c<strong>Add keywords to campaign<\/strong>\u201d and \u201c<strong>Start Tracking<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>The report may take some time to populate.<\/p>\n<p>When it\u2019s ready, head to the \u201c<strong>Cannibalization<\/strong>\u201d tab to see insights related to keyword cannibalization.<\/p>\n<p>Here, you\u2019ll find cannibalized pages that rank for the same keywords as one or more pages.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Click on the \u201c<strong>Keywords<\/strong>\u201d section for a breakdown of cannibalized pages by keyword.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>When you expand the results for a specific keyword, you can see rankings for individual pages associated with this keyword.<\/p>\n<p>The graph also shows the varying search volume for this keyword over time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>To accurately identify cannibalizing pages, review pages for each keyword and look at their search performance over the past few months.<\/p>\n<p>Check whether any pages rank in the top positions and review each page\u2019s monthly traffic.<\/p>\n<p>If the search performance doesn\u2019t look great, meaning low\/fluctuating rankings and dipping traffic, you may be facing a cannibalization issue.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Site_Search\"><\/span>Site Search<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You can also use a Google Site Search to identify cannibalization issues.<\/p>\n<p>Use the search operator \u201csite:[domain]\u201d with any keyword to find all pages targeting this keyword.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works for the craft site Gathered:<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>A site search will show all the pages containing even a single mention of the keyword you\u2019ve searched for. This means you\u2019ll need to manually review the list to identify relevant pages covering the same topic.<\/p>\n<p>Then, review each of these pages to see if there\u2019s a keyword and search intent overlap.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Ways_to_Fix_Keyword_Cannibalization\"><\/span>5 Ways to Fix Keyword Cannibalization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The diagnosis is in: Your website has cannibalizing pages.<\/p>\n<p>What now?<\/p>\n<p>The best starting point to solve keyword cannibalization is a <a title=\"The 15-Step SEO Audit Checklist for\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-site-audit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comprehensive website audit<\/a>. So, you can identify and address all cannibalizing pages at once rather than picking only a few issues at a time.<\/p>\n<p>Each page will need a different solution based on its importance and intent.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at five ways to fix cannibalization issues.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Consolidate_Content_and_Set_Up_Redirects\"><\/span>1. Consolidate Content and Set Up Redirects<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of the best ways to solve keyword cannibalization issues is by merging multiple pages into one comprehensive page.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re essentially replacing several low-authority pages with a single highly authoritative page.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to create a brand-new page for this. Choose the best-performing page from your existing pages and revamp it.<\/p>\n<p>But how do you find the best-performing page?<\/p>\n<p>Go to Semrush\u2019s Position Tracking tool and find the data on cannibalized pages. Pick the pages with the highest search positions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>When consolidating multiple pages, you need:<\/p>\n<p>A clear structure of what you\u2019ll cover<br \/>\nOptimized meta title and description<br \/>\n301 redirects for all merged pages<\/p>\n<p>Setting up redirects for all pages you\u2019ve merged allows you to bring visitors to the page with the consolidated content.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, each page needs high-quality, value-added content to outrank other high-ranking websites on the same topic.<\/p>\n<p>Maximize page authority once your consolidated page is published by improving its backlink profile with internal and external links.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<p><strong>Further reading: <\/strong><a title=\"Technical SEO: The Definitive Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/technical-seo-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technical SEO: The Definitive Guide<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"media\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Target_Different_Search_Intents_on_Each_Page\"><\/span>2. Target Different Search Intents on Each Page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you don\u2019t want to consolidate these pages, you can recreate the content for each page to cater to a different search intent.<\/p>\n<p>This requires mapping each page to a defined purpose and revamping the content.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if three pages are competing against each other for the same keyword, you can change the content to target different search intents:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Informational intent:<\/strong> Share actionable knowledge<br \/>\n<strong>Transactional intent:<\/strong> Help people make a purchase<br \/>\n<strong><a title=\"Commercial Intent Keywords: What They Are &amp; How to Rank\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/commercial-intent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Commercial intent<\/a>:<\/strong> Help with research before a purchase<br \/>\n<strong>Navigational intent:<\/strong> Show up for a branded keyword<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>To better understand this solution, let\u2019s consider that you have an ecommerce store selling footwear.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve created multiple pages for the keyword \u201crunning shoes,\u201d all targeting commercial intent.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of merging these pages into one, you can differentiate each page with a unique search intent:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Informational:<\/strong> An article on \u201cHow to Choose Running Shoes\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Commercial:<\/strong> A buying guide on \u201cBest Running Shoes for Flat Feet\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Transactional:<\/strong> A product or category landing page for running shoes<\/p>\n<p>The major heavy lifting here is defining a unique intent for each page and creating insightful content to fulfill this intent.<\/p>\n<p>You can also optimize each page for multiple variations of the primary keyword. Use long-tail keywords, modifiers, and semantic variations to capture the specific intent.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Optimize_Internal_Links_for_High-Impact_Pages\"><\/span>3. Optimize Internal Links for High-Impact Pages<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Internal links explain your <a title=\"How to Setup an SEO-Friendly Website Architecture\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/architecture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">site\u2019s structure<\/a> to search engines. The placement of these links tells search engines which pages are more and less important.<\/p>\n<p>You can strategically use internal linking to increase the page authority for any cannibalized pages.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n<p>Identify the most important page from all the ones facing cannibalization for a keyword<br \/>\nAdd links to the important page from all the less important pages. This will tell search engines which page is the most relevant to rank for a keyword.<br \/>\nUse descriptive anchor text to provide more context about the linked page<br \/>\nRemove internal links to other pages with similar anchor text to prevent any confusion<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re doing this for two Backlinko articles, which both rank for the keyword \u201cbacklinks.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>With the goal of getting the featured snippet, we\u2019re cleaning up the internal linking structure to strengthen each page\u2019s authority,<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re revising the content to target different search intents on both pages.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Add_a_Canonical_Tag_to_Prioritize_a_Page\"><\/span>4. Add a Canonical Tag to Prioritize a Page<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You might find duplicate content across cannibalized pages.<\/p>\n<p>In such scenarios, you can use <a title=\"What Are Canonical URLs: An In-Depth Guide for SEOs\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/canonical-url-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">canonical tags<\/a> to inform search engines about the preferred page to index and rank.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you have two articles on \u201cHow to Create a GPT\u201d and \u201cHow to Make a GPT Quickly\u201d with similar content, you can add a canonical tag to any one of these articles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Search engines may prioritize the page with this tag and rank it above other pages targeting the same keyword.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s best to revamp the content on these pages to prevent Google and other search engines from penalizing duplicate content.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Restructure_the_Site_to_Remove_Cannibalized_Pages\"><\/span>5. Restructure the Site to Remove Cannibalized Pages<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Removing or deleting pages isn\u2019t an ideal solution for keyword cannibalization.<\/p>\n<p>When you remove an indexed page, you lose all its backlinks and link juice. This means the authority this page passed on to other internally linked pages will also be lost.<\/p>\n<p>It can also create <a title=\"How to Find (and Fix) Broken Links\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/how-to-find-and-fix-broken-links\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">broken links<\/a> since the page doesn\u2019t exist anymore.<\/p>\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p>Only remove pages that no longer add value to your site. Otherwise, set up 301 redirects to guide visitors to a different page.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Prevent_Keyword_Cannibalization\"><\/span>How to Prevent Keyword Cannibalization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Keyword cannibalization can gradually eat away organic traffic and reduce search visibility before you get to the bottom of the problem.<\/p>\n<p>The more content you create, the higher the likelihood of keyword cannibalization.<\/p>\n<p>But you can prevent these issues by following best practices for all new and existing pages:<\/p>\n<p>Create keyword clusters and map keywords for all website pages to ensure there\u2019s no overlap<br \/>\nDefine a unique search intent for every page, especially when targeting similar keywords<br \/>\nStrategically use internal links to build page authority and reinforce important pages<br \/>\nUse SEO tools to stay on top of search performance and find pages at the risk of cannibalization<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fix_Cannibalization_to_Enhance_Your_Search_Performance\"><\/span>Fix Cannibalization to Enhance Your Search Performance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Keyword cannibalization can be a common challenge as your site grows and you create pages around similar topics.<\/p>\n<p>But carefully planning your SEO efforts and conducting regular audits will help.<\/p>\n<p>Start by building your keyword mastersheet using this <a title=\"Free Keyword Research Template\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/templates\/marketing\/keyword-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">keyword research template<\/a> to strategically organize your keywords.<\/p>\n<p>Then, regularly audit your site with an SEO tool to help increase your rankings and organic traffic.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/keyword-cannibalization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keyword Cannibalization: An A-to-Z Guide to Fixing and Avoiding It<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backlinko<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keyword cannibalization can negatively impact your website\u2019s organic search performance. But catching and fixing this issue can have the opposite effect. Case in point: Two of our articles on Backlinko had cannibalization issues. So, we consolidated them with a 301 redirect. And saw a 466% increase in clicks year over year. Cannibalized pages undermine your SEO efforts. And may not appear in the top spots\u2014no matter how good they are. Don\u2019t lose that precious real estate on organic search. In this guide, we\u2019ll teach you step-by-step [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":10474,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backlinko"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/gsc-seo-tools-performance-comparation-WpY14F-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/gsc-seo-tools-performance-comparation-WpY14F-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10473\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}