How do you identify and fix keyword cannibalization issues for SEO?

1 Why keyword cannibalization matters

Keyword cannibalization can negatively affect your SEO in several ways. First, it can lower your click-through rate (CTR) and traffic, as you are competing with yourself for the same audience and space on the search results page. Second, it can reduce your authority and trust, as you are sending mixed signals to search engines and users about your expertise and focus. Third, it can hinder your conversion rate and revenue, as you are splitting your leads and customers among different pages that may not match their intent or expectations.

2 How to identify keyword cannibalization issues

To fix keyword cannibalization, the first step is to identify it. You can use Google Search Console's Performance report to compare impressions, clicks, and positions for pages that are ranking for the same keyword. Additionally, you can use the Landing Pages report in Google Analytics to compare bounce rate, time on page, and conversions. You can also use SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to analyze your keyword rankings and check for overlapping or competing pages. Lastly, you can use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to crawl your website for duplicate content, titles, meta descriptions, or headings.

4 How to prevent keyword cannibalization issues

In order to avoid keyword cannibalization issues, you can employ some best practices related to keyword research, content creation, and site structure. For example, you can create a keyword map that assigns each keyword to a specific page on your website, and ensures that each page has a unique and relevant keyword. This can help optimize your pages for search intent. Additionally, you can perform a content gap analysis that identifies any missing or underperforming content on your website, and helps you fill the gaps with new or improved content. Moreover, designing a clear and logical site architecture that organizes your pages into categories, subcategories, and topics, and uses internal links to connect them can help create a hierarchy and a flow for your content. This will enhance your crawlability and usability.

5 How to monitor your keyword cannibalization issues

The last step to fix keyword cannibalization is to monitor your results and make adjustments as needed. You can use the same tools and methods you used to identify keyword cannibalization issues, and track keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversions. Check if your pages are ranking higher or lower for the targeted keywords, if they are receiving more or less organic traffic, and if they are converting more or less visitors. This will help you see if you have eliminated or reduced any overlap or competition, increased or decreased your CTR and visibility, improved or worsened your conversion rate, and increased or decreased your revenue.