What is Keyword Cannibalisation?
You’ve poured your heart and soul into writing content for your website. Every page targets those all-important keywords. You’ve even seen some initial success in search rankings. But then, inexplicably, your progress stalls. Your rankings fluctuate, and your traffic plateaus. What gives?
The culprit might be lurking right under your nose: keyword cannibalisation. This SEO saboteur occurs when multiple pages on your website target the same or very similar keywords, creating confusion for search engines and diluting your ranking potential.
It’s like having two star players on your team, both vying for the same position. Instead of complementing each other, they end up hindering each other’s performance, leaving your team weaker overall. Similarly, when multiple pages on your site compete for the same keywords, they “cannibalise” each other’s rankings, ultimately hurting your overall visibility in search results.
How to Spot Keyword Cannibalisation
So, how can you tell if your website is suffering from keyword cannibalisation?
First and foremost, look back at your website’s structure and content planning. If multiple pages seem to cover similar topics or target the same keywords, it’s a sign that you might be inadvertently cannibalising your own rankings. This is why when writing your key pages, it’s crucial to use keyword mapping and a well-structured sitemap to strategically assign specific keywords to each page. This helps avoid overlap and ensures that each page has a clear focus, making it easier for search engines to understand and rank your content effectively.
Already seeing signs of keyword cannibalisation? Google Search Console is your best friend here. This free tool provides invaluable data on your website’s performance in search results, including which keywords are driving traffic to your site and which pages are ranking for those keywords. If you see multiple pages showing up for the same query, it’s time to investigate further.
You can also use dedicated SEO tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to conduct a thorough keyword analysis. These tools can help you identify which pages are competing for the same keywords, as well as uncover any potential cannibalisation issues you might not have noticed.
What To Do When Keyword Cannibalisation Strikes
So, you’ve identified some keyword cannibalisation issues on your website. Now what? Don’t panic; it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s an opportunity to fine-tune your SEO strategy and boost your website’s performance.
Here are a few tried-and-true tactics to untangle the web and resolve those cannibalisation conflicts:
Consolidate Content
If you have multiple pages covering very similar topics, consider merging them into one comprehensive resource. This eliminates duplicate content and strengthens the authority of a single page, giving it a better chance to rank higher.
Imagine you have two key pages on your website: one a comprehensive guide to “understanding property law,” and another dedicated to “common property law disputes.” Both pages cover essential aspects of property law and naturally attract similar keywords, potentially leading to keyword cannibalisation.
Instead of letting these pages compete, you can consolidate them into a single, authoritative resource titled, for example, “The Ultimate Guide to Property Law.” This cornerstone content would encompass all the key information from both original pages, creating a more valuable and comprehensive resource.
By merging the content, you eliminate duplicate information, strengthen the overall focus, and consolidate your SEO efforts onto a single, powerful page.
301 Redirects
Let’s say you’ve followed the instructions above and merged two existing pages.
Instead of simply deleting one of the pages, which could result in lost traffic and backlinks, you can use a 301 redirect to redirect the less authoritative page to the stronger one. 301 redirects ensure that visitors and search engines don’t encounter a dead end. Instead, they’re automatically redirected to the correct destination, ensuring a smooth and seamless browsing experience.
This consolidates your SEO efforts, transferring the “link juice” (SEO value) from the weaker page to the stronger one, boosting its ranking potential. It also provides a better user experience, as visitors are directed to the most relevant and comprehensive page on that topic.
Re-optimise Content
On the other hand, if your pages offer unique value and cater to different needs, optimise them with distinct, different keywords!
Let’s say you have two pages on your website: one about “dog training tips for puppies” and another about “housebreaking tips for puppies.” Both pages are attracting decent traffic, but they’re also competing for similar keywords, diluting their overall ranking potential.
Instead of merging these pages, which could result in a lengthy and overwhelming article, you can re-optimise each page to target slightly different keywords and focus on distinct aspects of puppy training.
For example, you could re-optimise the “dog training tips for puppies” page to focus on puppy training techniques only, targeting keywords like:
- Puppy training
- Dog training for puppies
- Training a puppy
On the other hand, you could re-optimise the “housebreaking your new puppy” page to focus specifically on potty training, targeting keywords like:
- Potty training tips for puppies
- How to stop a puppy from peeing in the house
- Best puppy potty training schedule
By refining the focus and keywords of each page, you create a clearer distinction between them in the eyes of search engines. This not only resolves the cannibalisation issue but also provides a better user experience, as visitors are more likely to land on the page that’s most relevant to their specific needs.
Preventing Keyword Cannibalisation in The Future
You’ve tackled the existing keyword cannibalisation issues on your website, but how can you prevent it from rearing its head again? Long story short, prevention is the best medicine!
Here are some key strategies to keep your website in tip-top shape and prevent future cannibalisation:
Thorough Keyword Research
Before creating any new content, conduct comprehensive keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases that align with your target audience’s search intent. This ensures that each new page has a clear focus and avoids competing with existing content.
Strategic Content Planning
Map out your content strategy carefully, ensuring each piece of SEO copywriting has a distinct purpose and target keywords. Avoid creating multiple pages that essentially say the same thing, diluting your SEO efforts and confusing search engines.
Regular Content Audits
Conduct periodic audits of your existing content to identify any potential cannibalisation issues. Look for pages with similar topics or keywords, and consider merging them, re-optimising them for different keywords, or using 301 redirects to consolidate your SEO efforts.
Monitor Your Performance
Regularly review your website’s performance in search results using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Pay attention to fluctuations in rankings and impressions for specific keywords, as these can be early indicators of potential cannibalisation issues.
Don’t Let Cannibalisation Hold You Back
So, you’ve learned about the ins and outs of keyword cannibalisation and how it can hinder your website’s performance. But tackling this SEO issue alone can be a daunting task.
That’s where GLO come in. We’re here to help you identify and resolve any keyword cannibalisation issues holding your website back. We’ll work with you to develop a clear keyword strategy, optimise your content, and ensure your website is structured for maximum visibility in search results.
Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll provide you with a personalised strategy document, plus free analytics and reporting, so you can track your progress and ensure your website stays on the right path.
