An issue known as "keyword cannibalization" arises when several pages vie for the same keywords, confusing search engines and hurting results. It is imperative that this issue be resolved since it creates duplicate material, lowers click-through rates, and fragments visitors.
Search engine optimisation, user experience, and content strategy may all be enhanced by comprehending and mitigating keyword cannibalization. In this article, identification, resolution, and preventative strategies are addressed with practical ideas.
What is Cannibalization of Keywords and Why It Is Bad for You?
Keyword cannibalization confuses search engines. This makes it challenging for them to determine which page is most pertinent to a given query. As a result, pages may seem lower or vary in the rank. Additionally, it reduces click-through rates since perplexed customers are unlikely to click on any websites, which might affect rankings.
Additionally, it divides traffic and ranks such that pages that have been cannibalised end up with the majority of traffic rather than one page that is ranked higher. This may result in monotonous subject matter, which would be detrimental to content marketing and user experience. For this reason, user experience is considered a competitive differentiator by 70% of company leaders.
Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to check the keywords your pages are ranking for and search for scenarios when numerous pages target the same keyword in order to spot keyword cannibalization. The answer is to designate a single page as the keyword target and send traffic from other pages to it, or you may change the content to focus on a different keyword or subject.
Eliminating keyword cannibalization is crucial for content and website optimisation. You may improve the user experience by evaluating your website. Furthermore, you should ensure that each page has a distinct objective and keyword target.
Tips for Fixing and Preventing Keyword Cannibalization
Conduct an audit of your existing content
Review your published blog posts and pages to identify instances where you are targeting the same main keyword with multiple pieces of content. Look for pages that rank for the same search terms in the top 20 results. These pages are likely competing against each other, diluting the strength of your rankings. Therefore, the fact that 73% of people acknowledge skimming blog postings is hardly surprising.
Consolidate or rework content
For pages targeting the exact same primary keyword, consider merging the content into a single comprehensive resource. You can then redirect the old pages to the new content. For pages with significant overlap, rework the content to differentiate the focus and keywords to reduce competition between the pages.
Strengthen underperforming content
If you have multiple pages ranking for the same term but one significantly outperforms the others, put effort into improving the weaker pages. Add length, update information, and build more links to the underperforming content. The improved page may then rank for a related keyword, reducing internal competition.
Diversify keywords
When creating new content, choose keywords that do not directly compete with your existing pages. Aim for terms that are semantically related but represent a distinct topic or angle. The more you diversify your keywords over time, the less likely you are to create cannibalization issues.
Update internal linking
Carefully review how your content links to other pages on your site. Make sure you are not linking multiple pages to the same keyword-focused anchor text. This signals to search engines that those pages are interchangeable, creating keyword cannibalization. Vary your anchor text to link to related pages on different keywords.
By systematically auditing for and remedying instances of keyword cannibalization on your site, you can strengthen your content and rankings over the long run. Consistently keeping cannibalization in mind when creating and optimizing content will help prevent new issues from cropping up in the future.
Final Thoughts
The issue of keyword cannibalization must be resolved if search engine rankings and user experience are to be enhanced. Frequent audits can spot misuse of keywords and make the required corrections. Certain phrases may be replaced with synonyms, sentences should be rearranged to prevent duplication, and content should be enhanced with supplementary keywords and concepts to give it more depth. This will improve search engine optimisation and user engagement, resulting in improved rankings, increased traffic, and a devoted readership.
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