Search Engine Optimization is a simple yet complex concept.
While you can do SEO yourself, there are many pitfalls which can lead to a self-goal - keyword cannibalization is one of them. In today’s post we discuss how to prevent keyword cannibalization, or fix it if your website is already suffering from it.
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What is keyword cannibalization?
When optimizing your website for search engines, you use a strategy called “keyword targeting”, where you map your business-critical keywords to pages on your website. So, every page is optimized for a particular set of related keywords, e.g., a page targeting car tyres will have generic and specific keywords related to car tyres and car brands (Maruti Suzuki, TATA, Mahindra, Skoda, etc.). Then a sub-page that targets car tyres by brand, such as TATA car tyres will have model specific keywords like Tigor Car Tyres or Tiago Car Tyres, linking to a model-specific tyre page.
Keyword cannibalization occurs when you knowingly or accidentally start targeting the same set of keywords on multiple pages. For example, instead of targeting model specific keywords on their respective sub-pages you start using a mix of all model related keywords, resulting in a Tiago Car Tyres page having Tigor Tyre keywords as well.
To reiterate, keyword cannibalization is the targeting of same or similar keywords on multiple pages of your website. Keyword cannibalization creates confusion for the search engine crawlers as they cannot determine the exact intent of a page and its role in the hierarchy. Also, as a result your website pages start competing among themselves for ranking on the search engine results page, and it becomes impossible for either page to rank very high.
How keyword cannibalization impacts your website SEO?
The sole objective of search engine optimization is to rank your website higher, and keyword cannibalization undermines that in the following ways:
Reducing the ranking potential
Since multiple pages on your website are using a similar set of keywords, it means similar types of content and headings are also being used to align those keywords. This reduces the ranking potential of both pages and can even lead to zero ranking in the top 100 search results.
Scattering your link authority
When creating backlinks to increase website and page authority, your SEO executives may be getting confused and creating backlinks that target one or more pages which seem similar due to keyword cannibalization. Thus, weakening the overall authority potential of each page as the backlinks targeting are scattered and divided.
Confusing for the visitors
Many times, a non-relevant or less-relevant page from your website can end up ranking in search results due to keyword cannibalization. A user who lands on that page may find the information insufficient and may decide to leave the website without exploring further. Thus, increasing your bounce rate and degrading the user experience.
Now that you understand the pitfalls of keyword cannibalization, let's move on to fixing the issue.
Finding the cannibalized keywords on your website
For smaller websites, identifying keyword cannibalization can be as simple as checking your website page by page and identifying the culprits. But for larger websites with pages that go into the thousands, identifying keyword cannibalization needs a more nuanced approach, examples include, e-commerce websites, websites with dynamic page generation, and older websites or websites which are continuously posting content.
Using SEO Audit tools
Using SEO audit tools can help you identify overlapping keywords across different pages, allowing you to consolidate or adjust your content strategy accordingly. Some of the more popular SEO Audit Tools for Keyword Cannibalization detection include:
SEMrush: SEMrush offers a comprehensive SEO toolkit, including a site audit feature that analyzes your website for keyword cannibalization. It provides detailed reports on overlapping keywords, suggesting the best page to target each keyword. Its robust data and extensive features make it suitable for larger websites.
Ahrefs: Ahrefs is another powerful SEO tool with a site audit section focusing on identifying keyword overlaps. It presents data in a user-friendly format, highlighting the pages competing for the same keywords, and allowing you to prioritize actions based on search volume and traffic potential. It also integrates well with other SEO aspects of the platform.
Moz Pro: Moz Pro includes an SEO audit feature that helps detect keyword cannibalization. It analyzes your website's content, identifies keywords competing across different pages, and offers recommendations for restructuring and optimizing content. The platform's reporting assists in quickly pinpointing and addressing potential problems, saving time and effort.
Screaming Frog: Screaming Frog is a crawler that analyzes your website's technical SEO, including identifying keyword overlaps. While not as sophisticated in broader SEO aspects, it is exceptionally good at finding technical SEO errors and keyword issues. Ideal for a more methodical approach.
Analyzing search engine results
Another quick way to find out keyword cannibalization on your website is to search for the business-critical keywords on Google and other search engines. If the results return non-relevant pages or are showing multiple pages from your website, it might be a sign of keyword cannibalization.
For example, you searched for Ford Endeavour tires and your website shows up with two or three different URLs - one that leads to the model specific page, another that leads to the SUV tyres page, and yet another leading to car tyres page. This will mean that pages on your website are fragmenting your ranking potential for this particular keyword.
Fixing keyword cannibalization in SEO
Fixing keyword cannibalization is easy once you have identified the problem pages. There are multiple ways to do it.
Consolidating the content
Pick the page that is ranking higher for a given keyword and identify its strengths, such as content quality, strength of its backlinks profile, and levels of on-page optimization. Next up, combine the content from weaker pages ranking for the same keyword and integrate that content on the stronger page.
Once that’s done, implement 301 permanent redirects on the weaker URLs to point all users to the newly consolidated page. This will ensure that the search engines also understand the new hierarchy and transfer the ranking benefit to the stronger page.
Differentiate the content
If the pages that are ranking are not similar in intent, you can take the content differentiation route to make them unique and reduce the chances of keyword cannibalization. Employ a competent content writer to create unique copies that establish each page’s authority on a particular aspect of the broader topic.
For instance, if you want to target a sub-page for model specific car tyres, make sure that the content that is created operates within the broader category of the car brand and vehicle segment (e.g., a Mahindra SUV), while still retaining a unique perspective (e.g., a Scorpion).
Use internal linking
By strategically linking relevant pages to each other, you direct search engine crawlers and users to the most authoritative and optimized page for a given keyword. This signals to search engines which page should rank higher for that term, preventing the dilution of ranking signals and optimizing organic traffic. Essentially, it helps you prioritize which content to rank higher, thus avoiding the problem of keyword cannibalization and multiple page ranking in search results.
Avoiding keyword cannibalization from the get go
You can avoid keyword cannibalization from the start by meticulously planning your content strategy. Identify relevant keywords with strong search volume and low competition, using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs. Target a specific primary keyword for each piece of content, along with supporting secondary keywords. This focused approach, combined with incorporating long-tail keywords, prevents unintentional overlaps and ensures each page has a distinct purpose, avoiding the problem of competing content for the same search terms.
Read More - Keyword Clusters: How to Do It & Why It Helps SEO
How can we help you?
We are a premier digital marketing agency in Gurgaon, working with a global clientele to deliver tangible SEO results across multiple domains.
Our expert website audits uncover keyword cannibalization issues, ensuring your content is working for you, not against you. We pinpoint duplicate content and competing keywords, then implement strategic internal linking and content optimization to boost organic traffic and improve your search engine visibility. Let us help you achieve maximum impact from your website investment.
Contact DO COMMUNICATION today, write to info@docommunication.io for a free consultation.
