In 60 Seconds

Cannibalization in 60 Seconds

•Keyword Cannibalization happens when two or more pages on your site target the same Buying Moment.
•Google gets confused: 'Which page is the authority?' Often, it chooses neither, and you rank lower for both.
•Common Scenario: You have a blog post 'AC Repair Tips' and a service page 'AC Repair'. They fight for the query 'AC Repair'.
•The Fix: Assign one 'Job' to every URL. Service pages are for 'Do'. Blog posts are for 'Know'.
•Internal linking is the signal. Link from the 'loser' (informational) page to the 'winner' (transactional) page.

It is a common tragedy. A business works hard to create content. They write blogs, build service pages, and launch city pages.

Then, their rankings drop.

They have committed "Keyword Cannibalization." They have confused the search engine by creating multiple assets that compete for the exact same Buying Moment.

Instead of owning the shelf with one strong product, they have flooded the shelf with generic options, and Google decides to stock none of them.

Diagnosing the Problem

How do you know if you are cannibalizing yourself?

The "Switcheroo": Google ranks Page A for a keyword on Monday, then Page B on Tuesday, then Page A again. This fluctuation means the algorithm is undecided.
Wrong Landing: You want your transactional "Book Now" page to rank, but your 2019 blog post about "History of Plumbing" is ranking instead (and converting nobody).
Site: Search: Go to Google and type site:yourdomain.com "service name". If you see 15 pages that all look vaguely similar, you have a problem.

The "One Page, One Moment" Rule

To fix this, you must map every URL to a unique Intent.

Scenario: "Water Heaters"

You might have:

/water-heaters (Main Service Page)
/blog/water-heater-repair-tips
/blog/tankless-vs-tank
/services/tankless-installation

The Protocol:

The "Head" Term: "Water Heater Service" -> Should go to the Main Service Page.
The "Know" Term: "How to fix pilot light" -> Should go to the Blog.
- Crucial Step: The blog MUST link to the Service Page with the anchor text "Water Heater Repair." This tells Google: "I am talking about water heaters, but THAT page over there is the authority for booking water heaters."
The "Specific" Term: "Tankless installation" -> Should go to the sub-service page.

How to Fix Existing Cannibalization

If you find two pages fighting:

Option 1: The Merger (Best for SEO)

If you have two weak articles about the same thing (e.g., "5 Tips for Spring Cleaning" and "Spring Cleaning Checklist"), combine them.

Take the best content from both.
Put it on the stronger URL.
301 Redirect the weaker URL to the stronger one.
Benefit from combined authority.

Option 2: The De-Optimization

If you need to keep both pages (e.g., a "Commercial" page and a "Residential" page), make them distinct.

Change the titles. Ensure one explicitly says "Commercial" in the H1 and Title Tag.
Rewrite the content to use semantically different vocabulary.

Option 3: The Canonical Tag

If you must have duplicate content (e.g., a specific landing page for ads that is similar to your SEO page), use the rel="canonical" tag.

Tell Google: "This ad page exists for humans, but credit all the SEO juice to the main page."

Verification Checklist

Site Audit: Run a crawl (using Screaming Frog or Ahrefs) to find duplicate H1s and Title Tags.
Anchor Text Scan: Check your internal links. Are you linking to the Service Page using the target keyword?
Content Pruning: Have you deleted or merged old, thin updates that dilute your authority?

Common Mistakes

[!WARNING] The "City Page" Spam Creating 50 pages called "Plumber Austin", "Plumber Round Rock", "Plumber Georgetown" with identical content is not 'coverage'. It is cannibalization and duplicate content. Google will likely ignore 49 of them. Make sure location pages have unique, localized info.

Tags and Categories: WordPress often creates pages like /tag/plumbing. These are low-quality pages that can eat your ranking. Set them to noindex.
Homepage Hoarding: Trying to optimize your homepage for EVERY service. The homepage should be for the Brand. Service pages are for the Service.

FAQ

Q: Is it bad to rank twice? A: If you hold positions #1 and #2 (the "Indented Listing"), that is great. That is dominance. But if you hold positions #8 and #9, you are splitting equity. You would likely be #3 if you consolidated.

Q: How long does it take to recover after 301 redirecting? A: Usually 2-4 weeks for Google to recrawl and reassign the authority.

Sources and References

Google Developers: Consolidate Duplicate URLs - Google Official Guide
Ahrefs: Keyword Cannibalization: How to Find and Fix It - Comprehensive guide on SEO equity.

Changelog

2024-03-20: Initial publication.

Read Next in This Hub:

Buying Moment Map - Define distinct intents.
Demand Loss Audit - Check for visibility leaks.

Related System:

Local Visibility Systems - Structure your site correctly.

How to Stop Keyword Cannibalization Across Buying Moments