Understanding SEO Cannibalisation

SEO cannibalisation is a term that is used to describe a negative phenomenon where a website’s pages compete with each other for search engine rankings, resulting in reduced traffic and revenue. This issue can arise when a website has multiple pages targeting the same keywords, or when the content on different pages overlaps. In this blog post, we will guide you through understanding SEO cannibalisation, identifying it on your website and how to fix it.

What Is SEO Cannibalisation?

SEO cannibalisation is a problem that can cripple your website’s ability to rank among search engine results pages. It occurs when two or more pages of a website target the same keywords or have the same content, causing them to compete with each other. This creates confusion for search engines as they struggle to identify which page to rank higher. High levels of SEO cannibalisation can lead to a decreased click-through rate, rank drops, and loss of traffic and revenue.

Identifying SEO Cannibalisation

Identifying SEO cannibalisation on your website can be done through conducting a website audit. An audit involves examining all pages on your website, assessing their SEO value and, identifying any duplicate or similar content targeting the same keywords. Additionally, it would help if you paid attention to internal linking, making sure that pages targeting the same keyword link to the correct original page. Lastly, you should check for any unnecessary redirects that may be redirecting traffic away from the targeted pages.

How to Fix The Problem

Fixing SEO cannibalisation can be done through creating a clear content hierarchy for your website. This involves identifying the core themes of your website and creating a hierarchy of related pages that provides a clear information structure. You can do this by analyzing your website’s content, finding related topics, and creating a clear content hierarchy that promotes the original content. Besides, optimizing content will help by ensuring that each page is targeting unique keywords and by ensuring that internal links are directed to the most relevant pages.

The Benefits of Fixing SEO Cannibalisation

Fixing SEO cannibalisation on your website leads to a clearer content structure, which results in increased user engagement and improved search engine rankings. Besides, it improves user experience by providing content that speaks to the users’ search intents while reducing the confusion caused by similar and duplicate content targeting the same keywords. Improved user experience and clearer website structure positively impact website rankings, leading to increased traffic and revenue.

Conclusion

SEO cannibalisation can have a negative impact on website rankings, leading to reduced traffic and revenue. By creating a clear content hierarchy, optimizing content and using internal links, and removing duplicate content, you will ensure that your website provides a better user experience, improves search engine rankings, and attracts more visitors.

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