What is keyword cannibalization?

Keyword cannibalization happens when multiple pages on your website target the same keyword or very similar keyword variations. Instead of boosting your SEO, this overlap confuses search engines and forces them to choose between competing pages—ultimately hurting your rankings.

Why It’s a Problem

When more than one page is optimized for the same term, search engines struggle to determine which page to rank. This can lead to:

• Lower visibility for all affected pages.
  
  

• Diluted click-through rates (CTR).
  
  

• Reduced domain authority signals to the most relevant content.
  
  

• Wasted crawl budget on duplicate or competing URLs.
  
  

Common Causes

• Writing multiple blog posts on similar topics without a clear focus.
  
  

• Creating product or service pages that overlap in intent.
  
  

• Failing to plan a content strategy with keyword mapping.
  
  

• Using duplicate title tags and meta descriptions.
  

How to Fix It

1. Audit Your Site: Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console to spot overlapping keywords.
   
   

2. Merge or Consolidate Content: If two posts serve the same intent, consider combining them into a stronger, single page.
   
   

3. Adjust Keyword Targets: Differentiate your keywords using long-tail or semantic variations.
   
   

4. Implement Canonical Tags: If pages must exist, use canonical tags to guide Google on which one to prioritize.
   

Example of Cannibalization

You might have:

• /blog/seo-for-small-businesses
  
  

• /blog/seo-strategies-small-business-owners
  
  

If both target “SEO for small businesses,” they’ll compete in the SERPs instead of supporting each other.

Let us help you build a content strategy that connects. Contact Hyer Buzz today.