Keyword Cannibalization

Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on the same site compete for the same query intent, making it harder for search engines to identify the best result to rank. Symptoms include unstable rankings, URL swapping in Search Console, diluted link equity, and lower-than-expected performance for strategically important terms. Cannibalization is often caused by overlapping content plans, weak internal linking hierarchy, or publishing new pages without cluster governance. Fixes include consolidating similar pages, differentiating intent targets, applying stronger internal navigation signals, and updating on-page positioning to clarify page roles. The goal is not one page per keyword, but one clear best page per intent cluster. Resolving cannibalization usually improves consistency and authority concentration.