Search Engine Optimization

Have you noticed that some pages on your website are competing for the same positions in the search engines? SEO cannibalization occurs when several pages on your site compete for the same keywords, diluting their ranking potential in search results. This phenomenon can seriously hamper your SEO strategy by dividing the authority that Google gives to your content. Find out how to identify this problem and what solutions you can implement to prevent your pages from harming each other. Understanding SEO cannibalization Definition and basic concept SEO cannibalization occurs when several pages on the same website compete for the same keywords in search engines. This phenomenon causes a dilution of authority and complicates the work of the algorithms that must determine which page deserves to be positioned. Understanding SEO is important for identifying and correcting cannibalization, which negatively affects your visibility in search results. When several pages compete for the same keyword, Google struggles to identify the most relevant to users’ search intent. The search engine then divides its “SEO juice” between these pages instead of concentrating authority on a single URL. This can lead to fluctuations in rankings, with different pages appearing alternately for the same queries, reducing the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. The causes of SEO cannibalization Several factors contribute to the appearance of cannibalization on a website. The absence of a coherent content strategy is the main source of this problem. Without proper planning of keywords per page, copywriters inevitably end up creating content that overlaps and clashes in search results. Common causes of SEO cannibalization and their impact Cause of Cannibalization Description Impact on SEO Multiple similar content Several pages deal with the same subject with minimal variations, diluting the relevance of each. This reduces the chances of individual pages ranking, and confuses search engines as to which page is most relevant. Poor keyword targeting Use of keywords that appear different but generate the same search results (e.g. “louer” vs. “location”). Internal competition for the same queries, preventing a page from being optimally positioned. Content duplication Presence of identical or very similar content on several pages of a site. Dilutes authority, wastes Google’s crawl budget, and risks penalties for duplicate content. Inadequate site structure Lack of logical organization of categories and sub-categories, making it difficult for search engines to understand the content hierarchy. Difficulty for search engines to identify the most important pages, reducing overall site visibility. Undefined Content Strategy Lack of planning of keywords targeted by each page, leading to overlapping topics and queries. Split content creation efforts, reduced organic traffic and lower search rankings. In Canada, the cannibalization problem is particularly acute for bilingual sites. These sites must simultaneously manage content in English and French, sometimes with literal translations targeting the same queries. Without proper implementation of hreflang tags and a strategy adapted to the linguistic specificities of each market, these sites run the risk of creating unwanted internal competition. Impact on natural referencing Cannibalization directly affects a site’s visibility in search results. When several pages compete for the same positions for a query, Google may choose the least relevant or alternate between them, resulting in a variation in positioning. This volatility reduces click-through rates and fragments potential organic traffic to your site. The authority acquired through backlinks and user engagement is spread across different pages instead of being concentrated on a single one. This dilution considerably weakens the ranking potential of each page. What’s more, Google’s crawl budget is unnecessarily spent on redundant content instead of exploring and indexing other important pages on your site. Concrete examples of cannibalization SEO cannibalization affects all types of websites, from personal blogs to large e-commerce platforms. It usually occurs when a site creates separate pages for slightly different subjects, but which essentially target the same search intent. Multiple pages: When several pages on a website target the same keyword, they compete with each other, diluting their ability to rank well. The key is to ensure that each page targets a single keyword or key phrase. So it’s important to have a clear SEO strategy regarding keywords and SEO semantic cocoons. Site structure: A poorly structured website and its pages can lead to cannibalization, making it difficult for search engines to understand the relationship between different pages. So it’s important to structure your site properly. Similar content: Creating similar or duplicate content on several pages can lead to cannibalization, as search engines have difficulty determining which page is the most relevant. Cannibalized content therefore needs to be reworked. Poorly targeted keywords: Poor keyword targeting, using terms that look different but display the same search results, can cause cannibalization. So it’s important to have a clear SEO strategy regarding keywords and semantic cocoons. A Canadian e-commerce site selling electronic equipment had created category pages and product pages both targeting the term “laptop”. This configuration created an internal competition where the main product page, although more detailed and relevant, was regularly outperformed by a generic category page. This cannibalization resulted in a 30% drop in organic traffic and a reduced conversion rate, as visitors arrived on a page less suited to their purchasing intentions. Detecting SEO cannibalization Signs of a cannibalization problem There are several indicators of SEO cannibalization that need to be identified quickly. A first warning sign is fluctuating positioning in search results. When different pages on a site fluctuate for the same queries, this generally indicates internal competition. A drop in organic traffic despite quality content is also a worrying sign. Observation of ranking data often reveals a characteristic phenomenon known as “keyword flux”. This constant to-ing and fro-ing of pages in the rankings for the same keyword confuses search engines. Google then struggles to determine which page best responds to users’ search intent. This cyclical and unpredictable behavior is distinguished from other SEO problems by its fluctuating nature, rather than by a constant deterioration in rankings. Tools for identifying cannibalization A number of SEO tools can be used to effectively diagnose cannibalization on