Fluxx Tech
Keyword cannibalisation happens when two or more pages on your site target the same search, so Google isn’t sure which one to rank. Often neither ranks as well as one strong page would.
Common examples
• A service page and a blog post both targeting “website design company in Coimbatore”
• Several blog posts on nearly the same topic, such as “SEO tips”, “SEO tips 2026” and “best SEO tips”
• Location pages with copied content competing with the main service page
• Product variants with separate, near-identical pages
Signs of cannibalisation
• Rankings for a keyword swing between different pages
• Two of your pages appear for the same query, both low
• Search Console shows several URLs getting impressions for one query
• The “wrong” page ranks, such as a blog post instead of the service page
How to find it
1. In Search Console’s Performance report, filter by a query and check the Pages tab
2. Search “site:yourdomain.com keyword” on Google
3. List your pages with their target keywords in a spreadsheet and look for duplicates
How to fix it
Situation | Fix |
Two similar pages, both thin | Merge into one strong page; 301-redirect the other |
Blog post outranks the service page | Re-target the blog to an informational angle; link it to the service page |
Several old posts on one topic | Combine the best parts into one updated guide |
Pages serve different intents | Make the difference clear in titles, headings and content |
Location pages with copied content | Rewrite with genuinely local content, or merge |
Prevent it in future
• Keep a keyword map: one main keyword per page
• Check existing content before writing a new post
• Use internal links to show which page is the main one for a topic
• Update existing pages instead of creating near-duplicates
Frequently asked questions
Is it always bad if two pages rank for the same keyword? Not if both rank well and serve different needs. It’s a problem when they hold each other back.
Should I delete the weaker page? Merge useful content and redirect it rather than deleting, so you keep any links and history.
Does canonical tagging fix cannibalisation? It can for near-duplicate pages, but merging or re-targeting is usually clearer.
