Keyword Cannibalization: A Major Bane for Your Search Engine Rankings

While most people build their SEO strategy all around keyword optimization, improper handling and management of keywords can be detrimental as well. We are talking about Keyword Cannibalization, where different pages targeted for the same keyword compete against each other, impacting your search engine ranking negatively.

Let’s see what keyword cannibalization is and how you can rectify and prevent it from affecting your search engine ranking.

What is keyword cannibalization?

Keyword Cannibalization refers to a situation where multiple pages on a website target the same or very similar keywords, resulting in internal competition. Instead of strengthening a website’s overall visibility for some particular keyword, the competing pages end up weakening each other’s performance, often leading to a lower search engine ranking for all involved pages. The result is a decreased chance of reaching the top positions in search engine results pages (SERPs).

How does keyword cannibalization happen?

Some search engine marketing agencies solely focus on keyword optimization to rank high in search engines. They put all their efforts into creating content on the same keywords or related keywords to achieve a higher rank. However, this strategy backfires when the posts compete against each other, targeting the same keyword.

• Lack of Keyword Strategy: Failing to devise a comprehensive keyword strategy can lead to unintentional keyword overlaps across various pages of your website.

• Poor Content Organization: A disorganized website structure might lead to different pages targeting similar keywords without a clear hierarchy, confusing search engines about the most relevant page to rank.

• Similar Content: When multiple pages offer similar or identical content, search engines struggle to discern which page is the most relevant to display, leading to keyword cannibalization.
• Ignoring Site Architecture: Neglecting to segregate content and designate specific pages for targeting particular keywords can exacerbate the issue.

How does Keyword Cannibalization affect Page performance?

Imagine you want to know about the best strategies for B2B marketing, and you find two blogs from the same website. You’ll be pretty confused about what to click on. Just like you, the targeted audience, as well as the search engine itself, will become confused to decide which one should be ranked. This way, keyword cannibalization will affect all the page rankings negatively. 

We’re not saying we’re perfect. Previously our website also suffered from keyword cannibalization, but we fixed it so that it did not harm the ranking.

• Lowered Search Rankings: The primary consequence of keyword cannibalization is the diminished search engine rankings for the targeted keywords. Instead of ranking higher, your pages may get stuck in lower positions or not appear at all.
• Reduced Organic Traffic: Lower search engine rankings directly translate to reduced organic traffic to your website, impacting your chances of reaching a wider audience.
• Confused User Experience: Keyword cannibalization can lead to confusion among visitors, as they may encounter multiple pages with similar information, affecting user engagement and retention.
• Inefficient Resource Allocation: When multiple pages compete for the same keyword, it results in a waste of time, effort, and resources that could have been invested in optimizing one strong page.

 

How to detect keyword cannibalization?

If you want to tackle keyword cannibalization, you first need to identify instances of it on your website. There are several ways through which you can detect keyword cannibalization. 

• Keyword Research: Begin by conducting comprehensive keyword research to identify the primary keywords relevant to your website.
• SERP Analysis: Examine the current search engine results pages for your target keywords. Check if multiple pages from your site appear in the results for the same keyword.
• Google Search Console: Utilize Google Search Console to identify keywords for which your site has multiple pages ranking. Look for instances where the same keyword appears for different pages.
• Internal Site Search: If your website has an internal search function, analyze the keywords users search for and see if there are overlapping patterns.
• Website Audit: Perform a thorough website audit using various Search Engine Optimization tools to identify duplicate or near-duplicate content across different pages.

 

Rectifying and Preventing Keyword Cannibalization

After a thorough audit, if you’ve identified instances of keyword cannibalization, it’s time to address the issue and implement preventive measures. There are several ways you can consider to rectify and prevent keyword cannibalization. 

Perform a Content Gap Analysis:

Conduct a thorough content audit using tools like Google Search Console to identify potential instances of keyword cannibalization. Look for pages that are competing with each other for the same or similar keywords.

Merge Pages:

If you find multiple pages that contain similar content and target the same keywords, consider merging them into a single comprehensive page. Choose the page with the best content as the base and incorporate any additional valuable information from the other page.

Implement Redirects:

In cases where you can’t merge pages due to internal linking or previous link-building strategies, consider setting up a redirect from one page to the other. This way, all the link juice and authority associated with the redirected page will flow to the one you want to keep.

Optimize Internal Links:

While doing an SEO audit, review your internal linking structure and ensure that you prioritize important pages over others. Adjust internal links to point to the page you want to rank higher for a particular keyword. This helps search engines understand the page’s importance and relevance.

Delete Outdated Content:

Outdated content can contribute to keyword cannibalization, especially when a newer page covers the same topic with updated information. If the older page receives little traffic or serves no significant purpose, consider deleting it. Alternatively, you can update the content on the stronger page to reflect the most recent information.

Use Canonical Tags:

If you have similar pages that need to coexist due to different purposes or targeting different audiences, you can use canonical tags. These tags signal to search engines which page should be considered the primary version and prevent keyword cannibalization issues.

Diversify Keyword Targets:

Ensure that each page on your website targets unique and relevant keywords. Focus on providing distinct and valuable content for each keyword theme. This approach will help you cover a broader range of topics and avoid competing with yourself for the same keywords.

Monitor and Review Regularly:

Perform content audits regularly to identify any new instances of keyword cannibalization. As your website evolves, new content might inadvertently overlap with existing pages. Stay vigilant and take corrective actions when necessary.

Keyword Mapping:

Create a keyword map to assign specific target keywords to individual pages, ensuring that each page has a unique focus.

Optimize Metadata:

Revisit the metadata (title tags, meta descriptions) of the competing pages to ensure they are distinct and accurately reflect the content.

Update and Refresh:

Regularly update and refresh your content to ensure it remains relevant and valuable, thereby improving its chances of ranking higher.

By incorporating these Search engine optimization strategies based on a content audit, you can effectively avoid keyword cannibalization and improve your website’s overall organic search performance. 

Wrapping It Up 

Keyword Cannibalization is a critical issue that can severely hinder your website’s search engine rankings and organic traffic potential. By understanding the causes and implications of this phenomenon, identifying its presence on your website, and implementing appropriate rectification and prevention strategies, you can reclaim lost ranking positions and strengthen your website’s overall SEO performance.

Exnovation is one of the leading digital marketing agencies having a large team of SEO experts who can help you to avoid this kind of complication, improving your overall ranking.