HOW TO CHECK FOR KEYWORD CANNIBALIZATION

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In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), understanding and managing keyword cannibalization is crucial for maintaining and boosting your website’s ranking. In this detailed guide, we will explore how to check for keyword cannibalization, why it matters, and provide actionable steps to resolve it. By the end, you’ll have the tools and knowledge needed to optimize your content strategy effectively.

What is Keyword Cannibalization?

Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your website target the same or similar keywords. This overlap means your pages end up competing against each other in search engine results, which can dilute your site’s overall ranking potential. Imagine you have two articles about SEO best practices—if both are optimized for the same keywords, they may end up cannibalizing each other’s chances of ranking higher.

Why is Keyword Cannibalization a Problem?

At first glance, having several pages about the same topic might seem like a good strategy to capture more traffic. However, if your pages are competing for the same keywords, it can lead to several issues:

Reduced Search Engine Ranking: Search engines may struggle to determine which page is the most relevant, leading to lower rankings for both.
Wasted Crawl Budget: Search engines allocate a certain amount of resources to crawl your site. Cannibalization can waste these resources on redundant content.
Diluted Authority: Multiple pages targeting the same keyword can dilute the authority that could otherwise be consolidated into a single, stronger page.

How To Check For Keyword Cannibalization

Detecting keyword cannibalization requires a thorough approach. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you identify and address this issue:

1. Conduct a Content Audit

Start with a content audit to evaluate the keywords used across your site. This involves reviewing all your published content to identify any overlaps.

Create a List of Your Pages: Compile a comprehensive list of all pages and posts on your website.
Identify Targeted Keywords: Use SEO tools like Google Search Console or SEMrush to identify which keywords each page targets.
Look for Overlaps: Compare keywords across pages. If you find multiple pages optimized for the same keyword, you may have a cannibalization issue.

2. Use Google Search

Perform a site search on Google to see which pages are indexed for specific keywords.

Run a Site Query: Type site:yourwebsite.com “keyword” into Google’s search bar. For example, site:moz.com “keyword cannibalization”, you will see the first three results of your query. But you can see above that there are 856 results for your search. Moz may very well have a keyword cannibalization issue here.
Review Results: Examine the search results to identify if multiple pages are ranking for the same keyword.

3. Analyze Your Site’s SEO Performance

Use tools like Google Search Console to review the performance of your pages.

Access Performance Data: Go to the Performance section in Google Search Console.
Filter by Keyword: Enter the keyword you suspect might be causing issues.
Review Page Performance: Check which pages are ranking for the keyword and assess their performance metrics like clicks and impressions.

4. Check for Multiple Ranking URLs

Sometimes, Google may rank multiple URLs for a single keyword. This can indicate keyword cannibalization.

Perform a Google Search: Enter the keyword you are targeting into Google.

For example, if we search for “keyword cannibalization” in Google, we only see one result from Ahrefs in the top 20:

Observe Ranking URLs: Look at the URLs appearing in the search results. If several pages from your site appear, it might be a sign of cannibalization.

5. Assess Historical Ranking Data

Review historical ranking data to spot trends or changes in rankings that might indicate cannibalization.

Use SEO Tools: Platforms like Ahrefs or Moz can provide historical ranking data.
Analyze Ranking Trends: Look for patterns where multiple pages might have previously ranked for the same keywords.

Resolving Keyword Cannibalization

Once you identify keyword cannibalization issues, it’s important to address them effectively. Here’s how:

1. Consolidate Content

If you have multiple pages targeting the same keyword, consider consolidating them into a single, comprehensive page.

Combine Articles: Merge the content from overlapping pages into one authoritative page.
Redirect Old URLs: Use 301 redirects to guide users and search engines to the new, consolidated page.

2. Optimize Existing Content

Update your existing pages to target different keywords or serve different user intents.

Adjust Keywords: Re-optimize pages to target different, more specific keywords.
Update Content: Ensure each page provides unique value and addresses distinct aspects of the topic.

3. Delete or Noindex Duplicate Pages

For pages that are no longer relevant or are duplicates, consider removing them or setting them to “noindex”.

Remove Unnecessary Pages: Delete pages that do not contribute significant value or are redundant.
Use Noindex Tags: Add a noindex meta tag to prevent search engines from indexing the page.

4. Implement Internal Linking

Improve the authority of your primary page by using internal linking.

Link to the Main Page: Use internal links from other pages to boost the main page’s visibility.
Ensure Contextual Relevance: Make sure your internal links are contextually relevant to enhance user experience and SEO.

Conclusion

Keyword cannibalization can significantly impact your SEO efforts by dividing your site’s authority and confusing search engines. By understanding how to check for keyword cannibalization and implementing the steps outlined in this guide, you can optimize your content strategy, improve your site’s performance, and enhance your rankings.

Effective management of keyword cannibalization not only helps in maintaining better search engine rankings but also ensures that your content delivers maximum value to your audience. Start auditing your content today and take proactive steps to address any issues you find.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to test for cannibalization?
What Is A Domain Name And Why Are They Important?

To test for cannibalization, follow these steps:
1. Identify Keywords: Start by listing all the keywords your website targets.
2. Analyze Rankings: Use SEO tools like Google Search Console, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to check which pages rank for each keyword.
3. Check for Overlap: Look for instances where multiple pages are ranking for the same keyword or closely related keywords.
4. Review Performance: Compare metrics such as clicks, impressions, and average position to determine if multiple pages are competing for the same keyword, affecting their performance.

How to fix SEO cannibalization?

To fix SEO cannibalization:
1. Consolidate Content: Merge similar content into a single, comprehensive page to avoid competition between your own pages.
2. Optimize Targeting: Assign unique keywords and topics to different pages to ensure each page targets a distinct search intent.
3. Use Canonical Tags: Implement canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page when duplicate content exists.
4. Update Internal Linking: Adjust internal links to direct users and search engines to the most relevant page for a specific keyword.

What is URL cannibalization?

URL cannibalization occurs when multiple URLs on a website target the same or similar keywords, causing confusion for search engines about which page should rank for those keywords. This can dilute the page’s authority and impact overall search performance.

How to avoid keyword cannibalization?

To avoid keyword cannibalization:
1. Conduct Keyword Research: Ensure each page targets distinct keywords.
2. Create Content Hierarchies: Organize content in a way that supports a clear topic hierarchy, with main topics and subtopics.
3. Regular Audits: Perform regular content audits to identify and resolve any overlaps or duplications in keyword targeting.

What is an example of cannibalization?

An example of cannibalization is having two blog posts on a website, both targeting the keyword “best running shoes.” If both posts are optimized for the same keyword, they compete with each other for search engine rankings, potentially causing both to perform poorly compared to if only one page was targeting the keyword.

What is keyword cannibalization in SEO?

Keyword cannibalization in SEO refers to the situation where multiple pages on the same website target the same keyword or closely related keywords. This can result in competing pages, confusion for search engines, and diluted ranking potential.

What are cannibalization features?

Cannibalization features refer to the aspects or elements of a website’s content or structure that lead to keyword cannibalization. These might include:
1. Duplicate Content: Multiple pages with similar content targeting the same keywords.
2. Overlapping Keywords: Different pages optimized for the same keyword or related keywords.
3. Internal Linking Structure: Poorly structured internal linking that causes multiple pages to compete for the same keyword.

How to do a keyword cannibalization audit?

To perform a keyword cannibalization audit:
1. Compile a List of Keywords and Pages: Use SEO tools to gather data on all your pages and their targeted keywords.
2. Analyze Keyword Distribution: Review the keyword distribution across pages to identify overlaps.
3. Evaluate Page Performance: Assess the performance of pages targeting the same keywords to determine if cannibalization is affecting their rankings.
4. Take Corrective Actions: Consolidate content, adjust targeting, and optimize internal linking based on your findings.

How do you check keyword cannibalization?

To check for keyword cannibalization:
1. Use SEO Tools: Tools like Google Search Console, SEMrush, and Ahrefs can help identify which pages are ranking for similar keywords.
2. Perform Site Searches: Manually search for keywords on your site to see if multiple pages appear in search results.
3. Review Analytics Data: Look at metrics such as click-through rates and rankings to spot potential issues with keyword cannibalization.

How do I manually check keyword competition?

To manually check keyword competition:
1. Search the Keyword: Enter the keyword into a search engine and analyze the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) to see who your competitors are.
2. Review Competitor Content: Examine the content on competitor pages for quality, relevance, and optimization.
3. Analyze SERP Features: Note any features like featured snippets or ads that might impact keyword competition.

What tools can I use to check for keyword cannibalization?

Tools to check for keyword cannibalization include:
1. Google Search Console: For analyzing keyword performance and identifying competing pages.
2. SEMrush: Offers keyword tracking and site audit features to detect cannibalization.
3. Ahrefs: Provides insights into keyword rankings and can highlight potential cannibalization issues.
4. Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Helps analyze site structure and identify duplicate content.

How to check for keyword cannibalization in SEMRush?

To check for keyword cannibalization in SEMrush:
1. Use the Site Audit Tool: Run a site audit to find pages with overlapping keywords.
2. Check Keyword Analytics: Go to the “Organic Research” section and analyze which pages are ranking for the same keywords.
3. Use the “Domain Analytics” Feature: Identify keyword overlaps and conflicting rankings.

How to check for keyword cannibalization in Ahrefs?

To check for keyword cannibalization in Ahrefs:
1. Use the “Site Explorer”: Enter your domain and look at the “Organic Keywords” report to see which pages are ranking for the same keywords.
2. Check the “Content Gap” Tool: Compare your content against competitors to identify potential overlaps.
3. Review the “Pages” Report: Analyze which pages are competing for the same keywords.

What should I do if I find duplicate content that’s not causing cannibalization?

If you find duplicate content that isn’t causing cannibalization:
1. Assess the Value: Determine if the duplicate content is beneficial or if it could be consolidated.
2. Use Canonical Tags: Implement canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of the content.
3. Optimize and Differentiate: Update the content to provide unique value or insights to avoid future issues.

Is it necessary to remove old content if it’s still generating traffic?

It is not always necessary to remove old content if it’s still generating traffic. However, consider the following:
1. Relevance and Accuracy: Ensure the content remains relevant and accurate.
2. Content Quality: Update or improve old content if it can enhance user experience and SEO.
3. Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitor the performance and impact of the content to decide if it needs to be kept or improved.

Jennifer Thompson

Jennifer Lynn Thompson, Business Manager (USA & Canada) and our esteemed content writing author at Beyond SEO. With over nine years of experience in crafting compelling and SEO-friendly content writing skills and in-depth knowledge of digital marketing allow her to create engaging and SEO-optimized content that resonates with audiences and drives results.