How To Identify & Eliminate Keyword Cannibalization

Wondering why you don’t seem to be ranking highly for keywords that you’re definitely targeting?

Want to know what content cannibalization could be costing you and how you can combat it effectively?

On June 28, I moderated a webinar with search experts Jon Earnshaw, Chief Product Evangelist, and Sophie Moule, Head of Product & Marketing at Pi Datametrics.

Earnshaw and Moule showed different types of content conflict and how to resolve them to optimize your website for better search engine rankings.

Here’s a summary of the webinar. To access the entire presentation, complete the form.

What Is Keyword Cannibalization?

Keyword cannibalization is when different website pages try to rank for the same keywords. This can make it hard for Google to decide which page to show in search results.

This can cause cannibalization if Google can’t differentiate which content to prioritize.

This issue is about keywords, not URLs. It means one page might compete with another for the same keywords on your site.

[See what cannibalization looks like] Instantly access the on-demand webinar →

Main Types Of Cannibalization

There are different types of cannibalization:

• Internal
• International
• Subdomain

But today, we’ll focus on internal cannibalization.

99% of the time, cannibalization of your pages is down to one of these four cases:

1. Overlapping theme.
2. Authority injection.
3. Poor internal linking.
4. Non-contextual optimisation.

[Discover what it looks for each case] Instantly access the on-demand webinar →

How To Identify Different Types Of Cannibalization

Here’s how to spot the common types of cannibalization:

• Suspicious Flux – Internal linking isn’t sorted out, capitalization.
• Content Evolution – Conflicting pages due to content like rumors, releases, and review articles.
• Inline Conflict – Conflicting pages based on search terms.

[Get examples] Instantly access the on-demand webinar →

Once you’ve identified the type of cannibalization, you can fix it.

How To Fix Cannibalization

You can fix cannibalization through various strategies:

• Downgrade theming by changing the title and then boosting with links.
• Merge 301 pages or merge two pages into one.
• 301 older content to your chosen doorway.
• Link to the page that you want to be the doorway.
• Noindex / archive content that is competing.
• Create hubpages.

[See these tactics action] Instantly access the on-demand webinar →

Image created by Pi Datametrics, June 2023

How To Monitor Cannibalization

Once you’ve fixed the problem, it’s crucial to monitor keyword cannibalization daily by effectively tracking:

• All URLs.
• Top 100.
• All rivals.
• The past.

[Discover the tools to track] Instantly access the on-demand webinar →

Key Takeaways

• You will have cannibalization.
• It works at the keyword level.
• You must make the decision.
• It can be prevented.

[Slides] Boost Your SEO: How To Identify & Eliminate Keyword Cannibalization

Here’s the presentation:

Image Credits:

Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal