Understanding Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your website target the same or very similar keywords. This creates competition between your own pages, ultimately hindering your overall search engine ranking potential. Think of it like this: Imagine you have two stores selling the same products in the same location. Customers might visit one store, but it’s unlikely they’ll visit both, leading to decreased sales for both stores. Similarly, if your website has multiple pages vying for the same keywords, search engines may struggle to determine which page is the most relevant for a given search query, leading to lower rankings and reduced organic traffic for all pages involved.
Identifying Cannibalization
To identify cannibalization, you need to analyze your website’s content and keyword usage. You can use various tools like Google Search Console and SEMrush to gather insights into your website’s performance. Look for instances where multiple pages rank for the same keyword, especially if these pages have similar content.
Resolving Cannibalization
Addressing cannibalization requires a strategic approach:
1. **Consolidate or Merge:** Combine pages with similar content and keywords into a single, comprehensive page. This ensures that all the relevant information is housed in one place, maximizing your website’s authority on that topic.
2. **Redirect:** If merging pages is not feasible, redirect the less relevant page to the stronger page. This directs all the traffic and ranking power to the chosen page, preventing further cannibalization.
3. **Re-optimize:** Adjust the keywords and content on your pages to ensure they target different, yet related, keywords. This strategy allows for better targeting and differentiation within your website.
Working with AltShift WP
Working with AltShift WP can help you identify and resolve keyword cannibalization efficiently. Their team of experts can provide in-depth analysis, offer personalized solutions, and implement the necessary changes to optimize your website’s performance and ensure your content is well-structured for optimal search engine visibility.
This article is a summary of the original article found at: ‘https://moz.com/blog’