What is keyword cannibalisation
Imagine you have three articles on 'how to choose a laptop'. Google cannot decide which one to rank first, so all three end up with mediocre positions. Moreover, they steal clicks from each other, and link equity is spread thin. That is keyword cannibalisation.
How to detect cannibalisation
- site: query – type
site:domain.com "keyword"in Google and see how many pages appear. - GSC (Performance report) – one query shows multiple pages; positions fluctuate.
- SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush) – 'Competing pages' or 'Keyword cannibalisation' report.
How to fix cannibalisation
- Merge + 301 – combine all useful content into one best page, delete or noindex the old ones and set 301 redirects.
- Canonical tags – if the pages are supplementary, point the canonical to the main one.
- De‑optimization – remove target keywords from H1/H2 and meta tags on secondary pages.
- Internal linking – use anchor texts to signal which page is authoritative on the topic.
Cannibalisation often occurs when creating new articles without auditing existing content. Always check for similar topics before writing.
FAQ
Is cannibalisation always bad?
Mostly yes. However, exceptions exist when different pages address different aspects of the query (e.g., a review page vs a 'where to buy' page). In such cases they complement rather than compete.
How to distinguish cannibalisation from useful diversification?
If pages differ in intent (informational vs commercial) or format (article vs video), it is not cannibalisation. If they answer the same question — it is.
Could I mistakenly consolidate pages with canonical?
Yes. If the pages truly have different content, a canonical could cause traffic loss. Always verify uniqueness before merging.