What Is Keyword Cannibalisation?

What you need to know about keyword cannibalisation

Keyword cannibalisation is when multiple pages on a website compete for the same or very similar keywords. This confuses the search engines and they can’t decide which page to rank resulting in weaker SEO performance and lower rankings.

Why is Keyword Cannibalisation a Problem?

• Diluted rankings – Search engines split the ranking signals between the competing pages and reduce their visibility.
• Lower click-through rates – Multiple similar results confuse users and reduces engagement.
• Wasted crawls – Search engines spend time indexing duplicate content instead of more valuable pages.
• Poor user experience – Visitors land on less relevant pages increase bounce rates and reduce conversions.

How to Identify it

To check for keyword cannibalisation, look for:

• Multiple pages ranking for the same keyword
• Sudden ranking drops when new content is published
• Fluctuating positions in search results

How to fix it

• Merge similar content – If two pages cover the same topic, combine them into a single, authoritative page.
• Use canonical tags – If both pages need to exist, a canonical tag tells search engines which version to prioritise.
• Optimise internal linking – Ensure your most important page receives the strongest internal links.
• Adjust keyword targeting – Assign unique keywords to each page to avoid overlap.

Cannibalisation weakens the SEO but fixing it can improve rankings, increase traffic and create a stronger site structure. A well-planned keyword strategy can boost visibility and improve user experience, helping you avoid issues such as this.