Keyword cannibalisation

What This Is

Two of your pages compete for the same query and neither holds a strong position. In Search Console the query shows two or more of your URLs, and the position shifts between them.

Before you check

1. Have Search Console access.

2. Know which query is affected.

3. Be able to edit both pages.

Diagnostic tree

Run the checks in order. Each check ends in a resolution or the next check.

Check 1. Does the query show two or more of your URLs?

How: Search Console, Performance, Search results, Queries tab. Click the affected query, then open the Pages tab for that query.

Why: cannibalisation shows as two of your URLs appearing for one query, with the position shifting between them.

If two or more of your URLs appear, go to Check 2. If only one URL appears, go to Resolution A.

Check 2. Do the pages target the same intent or different intents?

How: read the title, H1 and body of each page. Then list each page’s top five queries in Search Console and count the overlap.

Why: two pages for the same intent compete and split signals. Two pages for different intents can each rank for their own query.

If three or more of the top five queries overlap, go to Check 3. If fewer than three of the top five queries overlap, go to Resolution B.

Check 3. Which page should win?

How: compare the pages on clicks over 28 days, internal links pointing to each, and depth of coverage.

Why: when two pages match one intent, Google picks one. We should pick the stronger one and merge the rest into it.

If one page leads by 30% or more on clicks, go to Resolution C. If neither page leads by 30% or more, go to Resolution D.

Resolutions

When to escalate

Escalate when consolidation is done and the query still shows two or more of your URLs after 30 days.