to avoid keyword cannibalization and fix it in SEO //

Keyword cannibalization is when there are more than one page ranking for the same keyword. This is generally not desirable.

This article will help determine if you have a keyword-cannibalization problem. If so, how can you solve it.

Is keyword cannibalization always problematic?

Before you fix keyword cannibalization on your site, make sure it is not a problem.

Sometimes two pieces of content ranking can work in your favor, especially if you use indented SERPs.

These two pages on page 1 are very beneficial for Delish. They can rank two content pieces in one search. Delish has more page space thanks to the indented SERP, which increases their chances of getting a click.

These pages have many similarities in terms of ranking keywords. According to Semrush, both pages rank in the following categories:

• “Quick and easy healthy lunch”
• “Easy healthy lunch ideas”
• “Easy healthy lunch”
• “Easy and healthy lunch ideas”

When there are indented SERPs, you don’t need to take any action on pages ranking. You should leave them, especially if they are converting clicks or conversions.

Need to identify keywords that cannibalize

You can spot potential problems with Google Site Search if you don’t have the software you need to detect cannibalization.

When searching, use the following:

• 
  site:example.com “keyword”
  

Above is an example of how Google has listed content related to “healthy” or “lunch” that was published on the Delish website.

You may have similar results.

These are the signs that cannibalization issues could be problematic.

An abrupt drop in clicks and impressions

This happens when you publish a piece of new content that Google ranks higher than the one already ranking.

It’s possible for this to return to normal in a short time. If it doesn’t, please see the next section on fixing keyword cainibalization.

Despite your best efforts, it is difficult to rank

Google can confuse two pieces of content that target the same SERP intent.

This indicates that your content strategy may not be as strong as it should.

Pages that rank for keywords that aren’t intended to be searched

If your content strategy isn’t working and the wrong page ranks, you are almost certainly cannibalizing your efforts.

Follow our advice on what to do if the page is not right.

Keyword cannibalization is fixed

How to fix keyword cannibalization depends on what problem you are trying to solve and how useful your solution is for your readers.

These are some keywords that can be used to help you avoid cannibalization.

Internal linking

A internal linking strategy can be a great first step to resolve keyword cannibalization.

You won’t be taking down pages or redirecting content here – this is a safe option if you are worried about the consequences.

How do you fix keyword cannibalization using internal linking

SEO is powerful when you use internal linking. It allows readers to locate relevant sources and similar content. Google can also use it to determine the rank of a page.

You will know the rank of the content if you are doing it right.

You can also use an internal link to connect one piece to another to reinforce their location in the website’s architecture. This will allow you to show people where the piece is located and what they might be searching for.

This is where you should choose a keyword that matches exactly the query or something similar.

Examine your internal links to identify links that point to these two ranking elements. It is possible that you are pointing to pages with the exact same anchor text.

This will give you a rough idea of the anchor text that you are using to link pages with Screaming Frog.

Click on Open Screaming Frog and then click on crawl your site. Filter by HTML. Click the page you wish to view and hit inlinks.

This will allow you to see which pages link directly to your page, and what anchor text. You can easily fix your internal linking strategy by making a quick edit.

Tip: Create a content database (like Google Sheets) that allows you to select a keyword from the cluster for your anchor links. This prevents writers putting random internal links into their articles.

Clear search intent and keyword refinement

You might have identified keyword cannibalization and want to keep both pages. You might want to assign each page a purpose.

This is possible by creating a keyword cluster, and defining clear search intent. Every piece of content should be unique.

We can see from the Delish example that, although they are similar, both articles have clear search intent.

• One article suggests lunch ideas for work.
• Another recommendation is to pack lunches.

A packed lunch is synonymous with work lunches, but it’s not just for work purposes.

Consolidation of content and 301 redirects

It is quite intuitive when you need to do content consolidation and a redirect. It is easy to tell if two pages are targeting the same keyword.

The Delish example is a good example. However, the pages on healthy lunches serve two different purposes. The first article is more focused on lunches for work while the second is about packed lunches.

The content can be co-exist, even though they are nuanced.

But, it is not an issue if the articles were “55 Healthy Lunches” and “The Best Healthy Lunches”, respectively.

The target keyword is identical – “healthy lunches”, and “best healthy meals.” It sounds like it’s the same thing.

You can confirm this by doing a quick search for “healthy lunches”, and “best healthy meals”, which returns nearly the same SERPs.

These articles would then be combined and redirected to each other.

How to fix keyword ‘cannibalization’ with content consolidation and an HTML 301 redirect

Do your research before consolidating more than one article. You can use data to determine which URL you want to keep and which one that you want to redirect.

• Combine the articles. After you have done this, you should give the article a thorough editing. If you create Frankenstein-esque content, it will do more harm than good. This tactic requires that your content be well-written and high-quality.
• Search Google Search Console data to find the most successful URL. Filter by page to find the URL that receives the most impressions, clicks, and average position. The choice is easy.

• Check the backlink profile if the winning URL isn’t obvious to you. While you may redirect one URL to another and transfer those backlinks, it is better to keep the content on the URL that has the strongest backlink profile.

Add a canonical

You could add a Canonical to the pages that both need to exist, but don’t want Google indexing them all.

This is especially useful for ecommerce websites like Shopify, where the product can be found on multiple URLs.

The Helm’s Shopify website allows us to see the canonical in action.

Two URLs are available for the Xander Olive shoe:

• The Xander Olive
• The Xander Olive

The canonical pointing to the product is shown by a search of the /collections/ URL code.

How to prevent cannibalization in future

If there is no plan for content production, it can lead to a host of problems such as catnibalization. Even well-intentioned writers may deliver similar content without a plan.

Keep a content log to avoid cannibalization.

• Focus keyword Assign one for each piece of content.
• Keyword cluster – List all keywords that the piece should rank for.
• Content Pillar/Topic: This allows you to visualize all content within a topic.

You are less likely to create content that is cannibalizing if you are closer to your content. A professional SEO strategist can help guide the process and correctly assign keywords.

You can filter content by topic or pillar to see if each piece fits into a particular topic. Double check that you haven’t created any content before writing it.

You can also use your content research to identify content that can be edited and not recreated. Sometimes an edit to an existing article can make a big difference in your SEO.

Search Engine Land first published the post How to Fix Keyword Cannibalization in SEO