Have you ever heard of the term “keyword cannibalisation”? If not, then you are not alone. Keyword cannibalisation is a common yet often overlooked issue in the realm of search engine optimisation (SEO). It occurs when multiple pages on a website target the same or similar keywords, leading to competition among these pages in search engine results. Many people, especially those new to SEO, are unaware of keyword cannibalisation and its potential impact. This lack of awareness can result in significant SEO challenges, as search engines struggle to determine which page to rank for a given keyword. Consequently, instead of one strong page, you end up with several weaker ones, diluting the overall authority and relevance of your content.
Understanding and addressing keyword cannibalisation is crucial for maintaining a robust SEO strategy. When left unchecked, it can harm your website’s visibility and organic traffic, as search engines may rank less relevant pages or split the ranking power between multiple pages. This can then lead to lower overall rankings and reduced click-through rates. By learning about keyword cannibalisation and implementing strategies to avoid it, you can ensure that your website performs optimally in search engine results, ultimately driving more traffic and achieving better engagement with your audience. Read on to better understand what keyword cannibalisation in SEO means and how to prevent it.
What Exactly is Keyword Cannibalisation?
As mentioned earlier, keyword cannibalisation occurs when multiple pages on a website target the same or similar keywords, leading to competition among those pages in search engine rankings. This internal competition can confuse search engines, making it difficult for them to determine which page is the most relevant for a particular keyword. For instance, two blog posts are optimised for similar key phrases: one for “does readability rank” and another for “readability ranking factor.” Despite their different angles, the similarity in keywords can cause both posts to compete against each other, thereby diluting their chances of ranking well.
As another example, two articles on SEO tools target similar keywords but fulfill the same search intent. One article focuses on “SEO tools” with an extensive list, while the other targets “best free SEO tools” with a shorter list. This overlap can lead to keyword cannibalisation, resulting in lower rankings for both pages. To resolve this, the articles must be consolidated, which can significantly improve their search performance. Ultimately, these examples illustrate how keyword cannibalisation can undermine SEO efforts by spreading authority signals across multiple pages, thereby reducing their effectiveness in search engine results.
Is Keyword Cannibalisation Bad for SEO?
The short answer to this question is yes, keyword cannibalisation is not good for SEO. Keyword cannibalisation is detrimental to SEO because it causes multiple pages on your website to compete for the same search terms, thereby minimising their effectiveness. When several pages are optimised for similar keywords, search engines struggle to determine which page is the most relevant, often resulting in lower rankings for all involved pages. This competition can lead to a decrease in click-through rates (CTR) and backlinks, as these critical SEO factors are spread across multiple pages rather than being concentrated on a single, authoritative page. Consequently, your site’s overall visibility and performance in search engine results can suffer, making it harder for users to find your content.
5 Ways to Avoid Keyword Cannibalisation
There is no doubt that keyword cannibalisation harms SEO by causing multiple pages to compete for the same keywords, thereby reducing their overall ranking potential. That said, this can be prevented by having a keyword strategy that helps search engines identify the most relevant pages and that can improve your site’s overall visibility and performance. Here are some specific steps you can take to avoid the harmful impacts of keyword cannibalisation on SEO:
1. Eliminate Keywords
Eliminating keywords is one of the easiest and most effective ways to avoid keyword cannibalisation. If you need to keep certain content for other purposes and the keyword is not essential, you can always remove it. Although this approach might be slower and more laborious — manual methods often are — it is nonetheless straightforward and easy to execute.
2. Delete Content
While it may seem drastic, you might consider completely removing problematic web content, particularly if it no longer aligns with your website’s current focus. As your business evolves, outdated or less professional blog posts that still rank higher than your preferred content can be a hindrance. By deleting such content, you then eliminate the issue entirely, as the problem ceases to exist once the content is gone.
3. Merge Content
If you have two web pages with similar purposes, like one recommending good dog food and another listing bad dog food, consider combining all the content onto a single page. While this approach may not be suitable for every scenario, it often simplifies your site structure and enhances your search engine optimisation. Merging content can essentially streamline your website and improve its overall SEO performance.
4. Change Your Internal Linking
If your web content includes links to other pages on your site, you can enhance these links. Search engines like Google use links to determine importance, so linking to another page can boost its ranking. Adjust your internal linking so that less critical content links to the pages you want to prioritise. This signals to search engines that the linked content is more important, helping it perform better on search engine results pages (SERPs). Keep in mind that, in digital marketing, performing well on SERPs remains very important.
5. Alter Inbound Link Requests
Addressing this form of SEO keyword cannibalisation can be challenging but crucial. SEO rankings are influenced by the number of backlinks to your content. You might discover that less important content ranks higher than your newer, more relevant content because other websites are linking to it. If you have the resources and time, especially if those links come from influential sites, use software to track backlinks and contact the webmasters to request changes or deletions. Ideally, they will replace the old links with the new ones you want to prioritise, thereby enhancing your SEO ranking.
Conclusion
Learning about keyword cannibalisation is essential for anyone involved in digital marketing and SEO. This knowledge helps prevent the detrimental effects of having multiple pages competing for the same keywords, which can significantly undermine a website’s search engine performance. By understanding and avoiding keyword cannibalisation in SEO, digital marketers can ensure that their content strategy is optimised, thereby leading to better search engine rankings and increased organic traffic. Addressing this issue allows for more effective use of keywords, ensuring that each page on a website has a clear and distinct purpose. Ultimately, avoiding keyword cannibalisation is crucial for maintaining a strong online presence and achieving long-term success in digital marketing.
Ref:
https://yoast.com/keyword-cannibalization
https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/5-ways-to-identify-fix-keyword-cannibalization
https://backlinko.com/keyword-cannibalization
