Fix Keyword Cannibalisation

Guide on How to Stop Competing with Yourself

You’ve done everything by the book, refreshed content, crafted catchy headlines, and built a decent backlink profile. But your rankings just won’t budge. Worse, some pages that used to do well have slipped down or vanished entirely from Google’s top results.

What can be the reason?

It could be something many site owners have never heard of: keyword cannibalisation.

I know, it sounds a bit dramatic, but this is a very real issue that affects thousands of websites. When multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, Google gets confused. Instead of boosting your SEO, your pages start competing with one another, splitting authority and diluting relevance. The result? Lower search rankings, wasted effort, and a website working against itself.

Let’s take a closer look at keyword cannibalisation, why it’s hurting your SEO, what causes it, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from occurring in the future.

1. What is Keyword Cannibalisation?

Keyword cannibalisation in SEO refers to a situation where multiple pages on the same website are targeting the same or very similar keywords, causing those pages to compete against each other in search engine results pages. Instead of reinforcing your authority on a topic, this internal competition confuses search engines, making it unclear which page should be ranked for the given query.

From an SEO perspective, keyword cannibalisation dilutes the page authority and link equity across multiple URLs. As a result, none of the competing pages performs optimally, and the website’s overall visibility for that keyword may decline. This can lead to several negative consequences, including lower rankings, reduced organic traffic, poor click-through rates, and weakened topical relevance.

In essence, instead of consolidating efforts into one authoritative, well-structured page, the site's content is fragmented, each page competing for the same keyword, but none demonstrating clear superiority in relevance or quality.

2. Why Keyword Cannibalisation is a Big SEO Problem.

You might think that more pages targeting the same keyword means more chances to rank. Unfortunately, search engines don’t see it that way.

Here’s what keyword cannibalisation can do:

2.1. Weakens Your Search Visibility.

Instead of one authoritative page ranking in the top three results, your pages cannibalise each other’s SEO strength. You might see several of your URLs appearing on pages two or three of the results, none strong enough to claim the top spot.

Let’s say you manage a digital marketing blog and you’ve published two articles: one titled “SEO Trends for 2025” and another called “Top Search Engine Optimisation Predictions for 2025”. Both pieces are optimised for the same primary keyword, “SEO trends for 2025”. While the content may be slightly different, targeting the same keyword across multiple pages can create confusion for Google.

The search engine struggles to determine which page is more relevant, potentially resulting in neither article ranking well. Instead of strengthening your authority on the topic, you end up diluting it, splitting your SEO power and competing with yourself in the rankings.

2.2. Confuses Search Engine Algorithms.

Google’s goal is to match the best page to each search query. But when your site offers multiple similar results for the same keyword, it’s not clear which one is most relevant. This can push all your pages further down the rankings.

For example, an e-commerce site selling laptops may have three separate product category pages: “Best Laptops for Students”, “Affordable Laptops”, and “Top Budget Laptops”. If all three pages are targeting the keyword “cheap laptops”, Google may be unsure which one is most appropriate, potentially ranking a less relevant page, or none at all.

2.3. Hurts User Experience.

A user clicks one of your pages expecting a definitive answer, only to find a weaker or outdated version of what they’re looking for. That increases bounce rates and lowers engagement, both of which signal to Google that your content isn’t meeting the mark.

For example, a law firm has two blog posts: “Understanding Employment Contracts” (published in 2018) and “Employment Contract Advice for 2025”. If both target “employment contract advice”, Google may serve the older page despite the newer one having updated information. Users leave quickly, damaging performance metrics and credibility.

2.4. Damages Your Link Equity.

Backlinks are SEO gold, but when you’ve got five pages about the same topic, external and internal links get split across them. No single page gains enough authority to stand out.

For example, a travel website with three different articles titled “Best Places to Visit in Italy”, “Top Italian Destinations”, and “Italy Travel Guide 2025”. Each page might earn a few backlinks, but none become dominant. If all the links were pointing to one comprehensive guide, that single page would have a much stronger chance of ranking in the top positions.

3. Reasons Behind Duplicate Keyword Targeting.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of keyword cannibalisation, especially on a large or long-running site. Common causes include:

• Lack of Keyword Research & Strategy

Without a structured keyword plan, content can grow in a random way. You might unintentionally use the same keyword for different pages, assuming more coverage equals better performance.

• Similar Product or Service Range

E-commerce and service-based websites often have closely related offerings. You might create separate pages for each variation, but if the content overlaps and targets the same search terms, those pages end up clashing.

• Duplicate or Overlapping Blog Topics

Multiple posts around the same subject are produced very often, especially in fast-moving industries. These can have slight differences in title or structure, but they still compete for the same keyword.

• Poor Internal Linking Practices

When internal links spread link equity thin across multiple similar pages, none of them gets the full benefit. This can magnify the effects of keyword cannibalisation.

4. How to Find and Fix Keyword Cannibalisation on Your Website.

Before you can solve keyword cannibalisation, you need to detect it. Here’s a step-by-step approach to identify and fix the issue:

4.1. Audit Your Site’s Content.

Start by listing all the URLs on your website and mapping them to their primary keywords. You can do this using a spreadsheet and manual checks, commonly available SEO tools like SEMrush, or even Google Search Console to see which queries bring up multiple pages.

Look for instances where more than one page targets the same or very similar keywords.

4.2. Identify Pages That Are Competing.

Once you’ve got your list, search Google using: site:yourdomain "keyword".

This will show you all your pages that Google considers relevant to that keyword. If multiple results show up from your domain, and they don’t each serve a unique purpose, you’ve got a cannibalisation issue.

4.3. Decide on a Primary Page.

Determine which page is the strongest and most relevant. This will be the one you keep or focus on improving. Consider search traffic, backlinks, content quality, and conversion potential.

4.4. Consolidate or Remove Competing Pages.

Depending on the situation, you might merge pages into a single, comprehensive resource, 301 redirect weaker pages to the primary page or re-optimise secondary pages for related but distinct keywords.

Ensure that any consolidated page retains the best content from each version, and update internal links to point to the new primary page.

4.5. Strengthen Your Internal Linking.

Use internal links to signal to search engines which pages are most important. Link related pages back to your main content hub to build authority and context.

4.5. Create a Keyword and Content Map.

Going forward, build a keyword map that assigns a unique target keyword (and intent) to each page on your site. This helps prevent future overlaps and guides your content planning.

5. Proactive Tips to Avoid Internal Keyword Competition in the Future.

Staying on top of keyword cannibalisation means creating a sustainable SEO content strategy that scales your content and remains aligned with user search intent. The goal is to maintain a clear and consistent keyword structure throughout your site, ensuring that each page serves the purpose and adds value.

So, what can you do?

Here are several practical, proactive steps to avoid cannibalising your rankings as your website grows.

• Create a Keyword and Content Map

  Start with building a keyword map that assigns a unique target keyword (and intent) to each page on your site. This helps prevent future overlaps and guides your content planning as your content library grows.

  
  

• Plan your content around topics, not just individual keywords.

  Organise your content into pillar pages. These are broad, authoritative pages that serve as the central source of information for a topic, and cluster pages, which explore related subtopics in more detail. Each cluster page should link back to the pillar page and vice versa, reinforcing the structure and guiding both users and search engines.

  This approach reduces the chance of cannibalisation while increasing your topical authority.

• Use semantic variations.

  Google’s natural language processing capabilities are more complex than you might think. It no longer relies solely on exact-match keywords; it understands semantic relationships and user intent, which is good as it provides you with more flexibility in targeting topics.

  
  

  Avoid using the same keyword on multiple pages. Instead, incorporate synonyms, LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) terms, and contextual phrases that match the user’s search behaviour without causing duplication.

  
  

  For example, instead of optimising three articles for "cheap smartphones", you could target variations like “affordable Android phones,” “budget-friendly smartphones,” and “low-cost mobile phones” across different pieces, each with its angle and value.

  
  

• Schedule regular content audits.

  The web evolves, and so should your strategy. Review your site periodically to catch issues early. This will allow you to identify duplicate or overlapping content and spot instances of cannibalisation early.

5. Keyword Cannibalisation in SEO. Conclusion.

Keyword cannibalisation can quietly hurt your SEO efforts without you even realising it. One moment you’re publishing great content, and the next, your rankings are slipping, your pages are scattered, and your conversions are dropping.

It happens very often, but fortunately, it’s fixable.

With a structured approach, starting from a content audit, prioritising clear keyword assignments, and tidying up your internal linking, you can stop your pages from fighting each other and keep top search results the way you intended.

Stop Competing With Yourself and Fix Your SEO

Keyword cannibalisation could be costing you valuable traffic and visibility. Don’t let internal competition hold your business back.

Get in touch with SEO experts at Vision Marketing today and discover how a clear, data-driven strategy can boost your search performance, streamline your content, and reclaim your top rankings.

Book your free SEO consultation now.

---

FAQs.

Q1: Can keyword cannibalisation ever be a good thing?

In rare cases, Google might rank multiple pages from the same site for one keyword, but this often signals a lack of clarity. It’s better to have one strong page than several weaker ones.

Q2: Is it better to delete or merge cannibalised content?

That depends. If both pages have unique value, merging is usually the best route. If one is outdated or thin, consider removing it and redirecting to the stronger page.

Q3: How often should I check for keyword cannibalisation?

It depends on how often you publish new content. Regular audits ensure your content stays aligned with your strategy and Google’s evolving algorithms.

Q4: Can internal linking help solve cannibalisation?

Smart internal linking can guide Google to the right page and consolidate your site’s topical authority.

Q5: Does using synonyms prevent keyword cannibalisation?

Yes, using varied but related phrases can help differentiate content and reduce overlap. Google is smart enough to understand topic relevance beyond exact-match keywords.