How To Fix Keyword Cannibalizations?

Are you tired of getting lost in the sea of identical SEO-driven content, all vying for the top spot on Google? It's time to differentiate yourself and take control of your website's SEO by addressing a crucial issue: keyword cannibalization. In this blog post, seobase will explore keyword cannibalization, its impact on your SEO efforts, and most importantly, how to fix Keyword Cannibalizations effectively. You can break free from the competition by leveraging the right tools and strategies and propelling your website to the forefront of Google's search results. Let's dive in and unravel the mysteries of keyword cannibalization in SEO.

What Is Keyword Cannibalization In SEO?

Identifying keyword cannibalization issues on your website is quite simple. One effective method is searching using the "Domain + keywords." Let's take the example of a Senior Care business with the website name "SeniorCare.com" and the need to investigate keyword cannibalization related to Senior people care. To do this, you would search for variations such as SeniorCare.com, Senior needs, and similar terms. Upon retrieving the search results, you might wonder if they align with your expectations. Could a blog post about Senior Care, which you wrote two years ago, be outranking your more recent and critical content? If this scenario unfolds, it is a prime illustration of keyword cannibalization. The good news is that there are several actions you can take to address this issue. So, what exactly is keyword cannibalization? It refers to a situation where multiple pages on your website end up competing for the exact keywords, causing confusion for search engines and diminishing the effectiveness of your content. Now that we understand the problem let's explore some potential solutions.

How Cleaning Up Cannibalization Can Instantly Boost Your Rankings?

When you find yourself and your competitors ranking for the exact keywords, your position on search engine results pages (SERPs) is lower, which may indicate a keyword cannibalization issue. In this scenario, not only do you have to compete with your rivals for a top position, but you also end up battling your pages. It's like having unnecessary competition right within your domain. Cannibalization becomes a problem when different URLs on your website compete against each other. Furthermore, if this issue persists, it can even harm your domain authority, mainly if you have yet to adequately convey to Google that there is a clear distinction between two similar pieces of content. So, cannibalization harms your domain's overall SEO performance. Moreover, the key to solving the cannibalization problem is understanding how to identify and address it effectively.

How To Find Cannibalization On Your Website?

Using the best tools, you can identify content and keyword cannibalization instances. To identify content and keyword cannibalization, you can leverage the power of the seobase rank tracker tool or Google Search Console. 

These tools provide valuable insights into your pages' positions in search results and the specific keywords they rank for. By analyzing this data, you can identify matching URLs that compete for the exact keywords. By utilizing a rank tracker or Google Search Console, you can efficiently pinpoint instances of cannibalization where multiple pages on your website are vying for the same keyword rankings. This information empowers you to take necessary actions to address the issue and optimize your content strategy for improved search visibility and performance.

How To Fix Keyword Cannibalizations?

There are several steps you can take to address the keyword cannibalization issue and improve your SEO: Firstly, identify instances of keyword cannibalization, where multiple URLs target the same keyword. Once identified, you can proceed with the following steps to resolve the problem of keyword cannibalization in SEO:

1. Consolidate or merge two conflicting URLs into a single URL. Furthermore, combining the content from these URLs eliminates competition for the same keyword.
2. Implement a 301 redirect, which will redirect the traffic and search engine bots from one URL to the preferred URL. Furthefhis ensures that all the link equity and ranking signals consolidate to the desired URL.
3. Adjust the focus of one of the conflicting contents and optimize or de-optimize it for the cannibalized keyword. Doing so creates a clear distinction between the two contents and avoids the confusion caused by keyword overlap.
4. Place a canonical tag on one of the URLs to indicate the preferred version of the content. This tag communicates to search engines that the chosen URL should be treated as the primary source for the given keyword, preventing any negative impact from cannibalization.
5. Consider removing one of the conflicting contents if deemed thin or duplicated. Removing such content eliminates the possibility of keyword cannibalization altogether.

By following these steps, you can enhance your website's SEO performance and improve the visibility of your targeted keywords.

How Do I Pick The Best Method To Fix Keyword Cannibalizations?

When encountering keyword cannibalization, conducting a thorough analysis is crucial to determine the most optimal action. So, suppose two URLs from the same domain are vying for the same keyword. One URL holds the fifth position in the search engine results pages (SERPs), while the other URL is ranked seventh. To address this issue of keyword cannibalization in SEO, the following steps should be taken:

• Check the content

Review the content of both pages to determine if they cover the same topic or contain similar keywords. Furthermore, if they do, they are likely competing with each other and causing cannibalization.

• Review the page authority

Assess the page authority of both pages by considering factors such as the quantity and quality of inbound links, site structure, and other relevant metrics. Moreover, the page with higher authority is expected to perform better in search results.

• Check the traffic

Examine the traffic generated by each page to determine which one is receiving a greater number of visits. Furthermore, analyze which URL better aligns with the respective keyword(s) search intention based on their performance.

• Check the conversion rates

Evaluate the conversion rates of both pages to identify which page is generating a higher number of sales or conversion actions.

How To Fix Keyword Cannibalizations: Conclusion

In conclusion, with the advancement of search algorithms, search rankings are now more refined and sophisticated. While good content remains the key to achieving a high ranking, it is crucial to avoid keyword cannibalization to effectively highlight your intended content and garner the recognition it deserves in SEO. To ensure your content shines and avoids the pitfalls of keyword cannibalization, it is essential to understand how to use keywords correctly. Furthermore, by acquiring a professional consult from seobase and using the seobase SEO online toolset in Search Marketing, you can gain the expertise needed to navigate the intricacies of keyword usage and effectively optimize your content.