Keyword cannibalization is an issue in SEO where web pages compete with each other for search engine rankings. This can cause rankings to shift and dilute organic performance.
SE Ranking’s keyword rank checker can help identify any potentially damaging cannibalization problems on your site. It also gives you insight into how search engines are ranking your keywords across multiple locations, devices and languages.
Content strategy
When optimizing for search engine rankings, keyword cannibalization is a common issue that may make it difficult for Google to locate and rank the pages you desire. This occurs when content focuses on keywords too similar to those on other pages or you optimize for the same keyword across too many different webpages.
To check for keyword cannibalization on your site, enter a keyphrase into the Google search bar. Google will return a list of pages optimized for that same keyphrase along with an explanation of each page’s relevance to the keyword.
These results may not always be exact, but they should give you a good indication of where your blog posts stand in terms of cannibalization. This is especially relevant when multiple posts cover the same topic; one article can compete with all others for search engine ranking.
Ideally, your article should cover all pertinent subtopics and respond to the various search queries people are likely using when seeking your information. Doing this helps avoid keyword cannibalization within content and boosts your SEO performance.
To achieve this goal, combine several blog posts into one and create a comprehensive guide for readers. By doing so, your content will be more in-depth and you’ll be able to target long-tail keywords that won’t get diluted by competing pages.
MarketMuse Optimize is an excellent tool to use to discover which pages are already ranking for the keyword you’re targeting and which aren’t. This will enable you to decide if it’s time for updates or creation of new content on the same topic.
Once you’ve identified the content on your site that requires improvement, it’s time to put into practice some of the tactics discussed in this post. You’ll need to implement keyword governance, user intents, keyword universes and internal linking strategies as well as merge any duplicate pages causing keyword cannibalization issues.
Link building
Link building is an essential element of an effective SEO strategy. These backlinks help Google assess the relevance of your website for certain keywords.
Additionally, backlinks from high-quality sites can demonstrate your content’s worth and authority. The more links you receive from reliable sources, the higher up the search engines will rank your page accordingly.
Link building is a time-consuming and intricate task, and not all links are created equal. Fortunately, there are numerous methods available for generating high quality links to your website.
When it comes to links, the most effective ones come from trustworthy websites and pertain directly to your business’ expertise. Furthermore, Google doesn’t just consider links in terms of relevance; they take into account anchor text, the page’s position on the web, and other factors as well.
Building links for your website can be done through guest blogging, citations and editorial links. But quality content remains the most crucial element when it comes to link building success.
Once you’ve identified the type of content to create, the next step is to devise a strategy for delivery. This could involve assigning keywords to each piece of material or creating an organized pillar or topic with key pieces of information you wish to cover.
If you’re undertaking a comprehensive content plan, it may be beneficial to hire an experienced SEO specialist as your guide. They will ensure all keyword targets are accurately assigned and each piece of content focuses on one set of keywords.
Organizing your content correctly can reduce the likelihood of running into issues like keyword cannibalization. To prevent this, keep a running list of both target keywords and existing content created for reference.
Once you’ve reorganized your content, it’s time to address any cannibalization problems that have arisen. This includes addressing existing links and setting up 301 redirects as necessary.
Re-optimization
Re-optimization is an essential strategy to use when improving search engine optimization (SEO). The procedure aims to boost rankings, traffic and leads for keywords just outside the top five. This strategy has proven incredibly successful for companies across all industries, helping them generate higher rankings, more visitors and even sales.
Content cannibalization is a widely reported SEO issue, though not always easy to spot. If you have multiple pages targeting the same keyword, one of them may negatively impact the other’s rankings.
Keyword cannibalization will cause a steep drop in its rank or estimated traffic, suggesting it needs to be reworked. Furthermore, such pages typically have lower conversion rates than their better performing counterparts.
This is an indication that it’s time for a content rework. You can do this by rewriting the page, editing its keyword density and altering its targeting. Furthermore, make it more pertinent and valuable for your readers by offering more value added.
When optimizing a page for a keyword, it’s important to maintain its organic flow. This means avoiding keyword stuffing and adding pertinent images or other media as needed. Furthermore, include an effective call to action which motivates readers to take the next step.
Maintaining your content is essential for SEO, and especially so when re-optimizing an older piece. For instance, if you wrote a blog post about the best retirement plan a year ago, updating that post with new information can still benefit it.
You should also look for content that’s been ranked multiple times and is experiencing fluctuation in its rank, which could indicate you need to reevaluate your SEO strategy. It may be time for changes, deletion of posts that increase competition but don’t help meet marketing objectives, or merging competing materials where feasible.
Redirects
Cannibalization occurs when pages on your website compete for the same Google rankings. It can occur due to using similar keywords across multiple pages or targeting different search intent. For instance, a travel guide might rank for “hotels in Paris” while another listing might feature cheap options.
Keyword cannibalization is something Google cannot de-optimize, but it does indicate that one or more of your pages may not be performing optimally. This could lead to missed opportunities for organic traffic and conversions.
You can check for keyword cannibalization using tools such as Site Explorer or running a search on your domain with the “site:” query. This is an efficient way to take a quick overview of all pages on your site and determine whether any are catering to similar search intent as other pages.
If you do come across cannibalization issues on your site, there are several solutions. First and foremost, go back through and re-optimize all content for improved search engine visibility.
Another option is to consolidate pages that share similar content but aren’t competing for the same keywords. For instance, if you have two blog posts – one about healthy lunches and another about the best healthy lunches – that attract similar readers, condensing them into one authoritative article can be an effective strategy for increasing organic performance.
To ensure both articles contain high-quality content, do your due diligence and give each post a careful edit before deciding to delete one and redirect the other.
To help Google distinguish between your website’s pages, use the canonical tag to tell it which page should be ranked for which keywords. Doing this allows you to focus your link juice on the more pertinent page so it will be rewarded with higher ranking.
Finally, you can utilize 301 redirects to help prevent keyword cannibalization by diverting traffic from competing pages to the most pertinent one on your site. This will prevent users from leaving your website and also improve its SEO performance.
