Keyword cannibalization occurs when two or more pages on the same website are competing for the same keyword. As you can imagine, this issue can cause confusion among search engine algorithms and negatively impact your SEO performance. Suddenly, your pages are competing against one another rather than competing against other websites. Often, it means that both pages end up lower in the rankings. Fortunately, there are a few strategies you can employ to prevent this problem in 2023:
1. Establish Clear Keywords: The key to preventing keyword cannibalization is to make sure each of your pages has its own clear set of keywords that are specific and relevant to the content on the page. This means avoiding general, broad terms, which could be used by multiple pages on your site.
2. Track Keywords: Keep an eye on the keywords you’re using for each of your pages. Make sure that no two pages are competing for the same keyword, as this could create confusion among search engines and result in them choosing one page over another. Use tracking tools such as Google Search Console or a rank tracker to help you keep tabs on your keywords. With a proactive approach, you can stay on top of any issues.
3. Monitor Search Rankings: Monitoring the search engine rankings of your pages is also important for preventing keyword cannibalization. Make sure that each page is ranking well and not competing with other pages on your site for the same keyword. If you do find two pages competing, one will likely outrank the other. Moving forward, optimize both pages for your desired search engine results.
4. Optimize Internal Linking: Linking between web pages is an important part of SEO, but it can also cause keyword cannibalization if done incorrectly. For example, linking multiple pages on your website to a single page with a certain keyword can cause the other pages to compete for that same keyword. To prevent this, make sure your internal links are properly optimized and that you link only one page to a certain keyword. Additionally, use descriptive anchor text when linking from page to page so search engine crawlers know what each page is about – King Kong can help with this.
5. Work with Experts: If you lack experience with SEO, working with an experienced SEO professional or agency can help you avoid keyword cannibalization. An expert can analyze your site and determine which keywords are most effective for targeting each page. What’s more, they can also recommend strategies to optimize the page content and ensure that each page targets a unique keyword set.
Biggest Keyword Cannibalization Mistakes to Avoid in 2023
1. Using the Same Keywords Across Multiple Pages: Duplicate content is one of the most common mistakes made by website owners when it comes to keyword cannibalization. If you use the same keywords or phrases on multiple pages, search engines will have trouble discerning which page should rank for those keywords.
2. Using Too Many Variations of the Same Keyword: While it’s important to target several variations of a keyword, you should avoid using too many as this can lead to keyword cannibalization. Instead, focus on creating unique content for each variation or target related keywords that are still relevant to your main topic.
3. Over Optimization: When optimizing your content for search engine results, it’s important to strike the right balance between including keywords and writing naturally. Using too many keywords or repeating them too often can prevent search engines from understanding which page should rank for a particular keyword.
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