Keywords, prime assets for SEO, can also become detrimental when misused. Especially if they appear on many pages of the same website. This is called keyword cannibalization.
Result: search engines get lost in your content and no longer know which pages to rank for the duplicated keywords. You may see a less important page end up in pole position at the expense of a higher-quality article. Worse: you can lose rankings for all the cannibalized pages.
So, how can you prevent your keywords from clashing?
1. Identify keyword cannibalization
The first step to avoid keyword cannibalization is to identify the offending content.
Technique A: via Google's "site:" operator
Use Google's site: operator to run a search.
Type: site:yourwebsite.com + " keyword "
You will then get the pages indexed for those queries. Check that you do not have a priority piece of content competing with a less important page. If so, there is keyword cannibalization.
Technique B: via the Performance section of Google Search Console
Go to the “Performance” section of Google Search Console, then click on “Queries” to choose the keywords to check.
Select the keyword, then click on the “Pages” tab. You will see the pages optimized for that expression.
In the example below, we will check whether the query “ instagram trend 2020 » generates cannibalization:
By clicking on it, then on "Page", we see that two articles are ranking for this keyword. Since both pieces of content are fairly recent and of equivalent quality, this does not pose a real problem.
Analyzing the keywords that generate cannibalization allows you to overhaul the affected content while informing you which phrases you should stop optimizing.
2. Tailor content by user intent
When it comes to search engine queries, users are guided by four main goals:
- Informational : these users have a specific question or want to learn more about a particular topic;
- Navigational : the intent is to visit a specific website;
- Transaction : the user is here to buy a product or service;
- Commercial Here, the intent is to convert in the near future, but the user first uses the web to conduct in-depth research.
To avoid cannibalization, adapt the same topic to these four intents. For example, around the keyword " accounting software ", vary the queries:
- Choosing accounting software
- Accounting software [brand]
- Buy accounting software
- What is the best accounting software?
3. Develop the semantic field of keywords
To avoid using the same keywords on different pages, opt for synonyms, variants, and related expressions. Use the lexical field of the targeted queries to prevent cannibalization, which also multiplies the entry points to your website.
Warning: Google has a strong understanding of synonyms! Avoid words or phrases that are too similar. To determine the semantic universe of a keyword, let Google complete your expressions.
Simply choose a primary keyword and place it in the search bar. The search engine automatically provides a list of related topics:
You can also select a query and check the "Related searches" at the bottom of the page:
4. Use 301 redirects
The 301 redirect allows you to permanently redirect a page to a new location.
For example, you created a new version very similar to an article published years ago. Analyze in depth which of the URLs has the highest authority, incoming link volume, the keywords ranked, etc. In general, it will be the old content.
Redirect it to the new page. This helps users find what they're looking for and sends positive signals to search engines. Indeed, the redirected URL will transfer its authority to the destination page.
5. Merge similar content
If you want to produce content on the same topic and targeting the same keywords, ideally concentrate all your efforts on a single URL. This avoids pages competing with each other. Only one of them will gain all the authority. Furthermore, you provide very high-value content to your readers, which is excellent for your reputation. As for the "old" pages, use 301 redirects to bring them to theURL main
Keyword cannibalization undermines a website's authority. So take the time to identify it and reorganize your content. In the future, consider working on the keyword semantic fieldmerge similar content and organize your articles or pages by intent.
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