What is SEO Cannibalization?
SEO cannibalization occurs when more than one page of your website is optimized for the same keywords or phrases. Instead of these pages complementing your SEO efforts, they begin to compete with each other, leading to:Decrease the rank of all affected pages.
Distribute link building and authority between pages.
Confusion of users and search engines about the most relevant content.
How to identify SEO Cannibalization?
Identifying SEO cannibalization requires analyzing your website and keywords. Here are some methods that can help you:Keyword analysis
Use tools such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify pages that rank for the same keywords.View SERP results
Search for your main keywords on Google and see if several of your pages appear in the results. If more than one page occupies different positions, this is a sign of potential cannibalization.Analysis of internal links
Check if internal links direct users to multiple pages related to the same keywords.How to Avoid SEO Cannibalization?
Create a clear content structure
Organize the content of your website so that each page has a unique purpose and focuses on different keywords. For example, create pages for ‘sports women’s shoes’ and ‘elegant women’s shoes’ instead of having several pages with a common content.Combine the content
If you have multiple pages competing for the same keywords, merge their content into one larger, more informative page.Use canonical tags
Canonical tags indicate to search engines which page is the main version, which helps to avoid confusion and duplication.Redirects
If you've decided to remove some of the pages, use 301 redirects to redirect users and search engines to the main page.Optimization of internal connections
Make sure that internal links direct traffic to the most appropriate page for a keyword. This strengthens the authority of the selected page and reduces the risk of cannibalization.How to correct an already existing cannibalization?
Reassess keywords
Review the current keywords on your pages and refocus some of them on unique and related topics.Content update
Improve and expand the content of the most important page so that it is more comprehensive and relevant.Remove outdated pages
If there are pages that no longer carry value or traffic, consider deleting them or redirecting them to more up-to-date and relevant pages.Use a Cluster Approach
Group related topics into ‘content clusters’, where the main page (pillar page) serves as a hub and the linked pages support the main topic through links.Additional SEO Cannibalization Management Techniques
Performance Tracking
Regularly use analytical tools to keep track of how your pages perform for specific keywords. This will help you detect new cannibalization and react in a timely manner.Unique meta descriptions and titles
Make sure each page has unique title tags and meta descriptions. This not only helps search engines distinguish pages, but also improves CTR (Click-Through Rate) in search results.Use of structured data
Schema markup can help search engines understand the context of your site's content. This reduces the risk of confusion between similar pages.Mobile optimization
Make sure all pages are optimized for mobile devices. Google is using mobile-first indexing, so cannibalization can be enhanced if the mobile version of the site is not well structured.Regular update of the content
Pages with outdated content are more likely to fall into cannibalization. Keep your content up-to-date and add new information whenever possible.SEO cannibalization is a challenge that requires constant work and careful content management. The key to success is a proactive approach, a clear definition of goals and the regular use of analytical tools. Thus, you will be able to minimize the negative effect and improve the positions of your website in search engines.
