Keyword Cannibalization
What is Keyword Cannibalization?
It sounds dramatic, but cannibalization is simply you being your own worst enemy. It happens when you write three different blog posts about "Best Running Shoes."
Google looks at your site and asks: "Which one of these three pages should I rank?" Often, it can't decide, so it:
- Ranks none of them highly.
- Fluctuates them wildly (Page A ranks on Monday, Page B on Tuesday).
- Splits the backlinks and click-through signals between them.
Why it Matters
You are splitting your vote. Instead of having one strong page with 100% of your authority on that topic, you have three weak pages with 33% each. None of them are strong enough to beat the competitor.
How to Identify It
- Site Search: Search Google for
site:yourdomain.com "your keyword". If you see many similar pages, you might have a problem. - GSC Data: Look at Google Search Console performance. Is a specific query bringing up multiple different landing pages over time?
How to Fix It
1. Consolidate (The 301 Strategy)
Pick the strongest page (best content, most backlinks). Take the content from the other weaker pages, merge it into the strong page to make it an "Ultimate Guide," and 301 redirect the weak URLs to the strong one.
Result: One super-page with combined authority.
2. Differentiate
If you need to keep both pages, re-optimize one of them for a different intent. Change "Running Shoes" to "Trail Running Shoes" vs "Marathon Running Shoes." Make the distinction clear in the Title Tag and H1.
3. Canonicalize
If the pages must remain identical (e.g., specific landing pages for ads), use a canonical tag from the duplicates pointing to the main one you want to rank organically.