SEO Cannibalization Guide: What is it and how to avoid it?

SEO cannibalization is a frequent phenomenon but often underestimated, even by seasoned professionals. It can seriously affect the visibility of your site if it is not identified and treated in time. In this guide, you will discover What is SEO cannibalization, how to detect it effectively, and especially how to avoid it through clear and actionable methods.

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1. What is SEO cannibalization?

When is SEO cannibalization two or more pages on your site target the same keyword (or similar variants with the same intent).

Consequences of SEO cannibalization:

• google Not sure which page to show, so he alternates them, which makes your positions unsettled.
• Tu Dilute your SEO authority between several pages.
• You can do ranker The wrong page (less optimized).
• You are at risk of losing positions and traffic.

Concrete example of SEO cannibalization:

You have three pages:

• /best-crm-
• /crm-software-comparison
• /choose-crm-pme-me

They all target the intention “which CRM to choose” → probable cannibalization.

‍ 2. How do you spot cannibalized pages?

Method 1: Google Search Console (free and powerful)

Objective: To see multiple pages positioned on the same keyword.

Ultra-detailed steps:

1. Log in to Google Search Console
2. Click on “Performances” > “Search Results”
3. In the tab “Queries”, identify an important keyword (high or strategic clicks)
4. Click on this keyword
5. Go to the tab “Pages” : you will see all pages Who are positioned on this request

If there is more than one page listed → possible cannibalization. Analyze the relevance of each page.

Method 2: Google site command:

Type in Google:
site:tonsite.com keyword

Example:
site:monagence.fr SEO agency

➡️ You get The list of pages that talk about this keyword.
If several have very similar titles or content → risk of cannibalization.

Method 3: Manual analysis in a table

1. Get the list of your pages via GSC or your CMS
2. For each URL, note:
   • The main keyword
   • Les variations
   • La average position
3. Sort pages by keyword:
   You will immediately spot the thematic duplicates.

Method 4: Specialized tools (faster)

a) SEMrush

• Position tracking tab > Keyword Cannibalization
• You see the cannibalized keywords + the pages concerned

b) Ahrefs

• Go to “Organic keywords”
• Keyword filter → If multiple URLs are displayed for a query = cannibalization

c) Screaming Frog (freemium)

• Do a crawl of your site
• Check Title, H1, and Content Similarity Tags

d) ContentKing/Oncrawl/JetOctopus

• Advanced audit tools with change history and automatic detection

Method 5: Identify indirect symptoms

Even without a tool, some signs should alert you:

• You have several pages on the same theme
• One drop in traffic or position for no clear reason
• Do you see Pages that alternate in the top 10 for the same request
• You're not coming Never to be ranked permanently On a keyword

3. Is it real cannibalization? Take the test:

Not every occurrence is a problem.

Ask yourself these questions:

4. How do you fix SEO cannibalization? (case by case)

5. Anti-cannibalization checklist (to be followed before creating content)

• Do I already have a page that deals with this subject?
• Does this new page have a different intention ?
• Do my existing pages target the same main keyword ?
• Can I turn this page into supplemental (specific content, different angle)?
• Should I update an existing page rather than creating a new one?

6. Bonus: table structure for tracking & detection

7. Recommended SEO tools

8. Ultra-practical summary

To identify and correct SEO cannibalization:

1. uses Search Console → “Requests” tab, then “Pages”
2. Check if several pages rank on the same keyword
3. Analyze their content, intention, performance
4. Apply the right fix: merge, differentiate, remove, or optimize
5. Set up a content strategy to avoid cannibalizing in the future

FAQ — Everything you need to know about SEO cannibalization

What are the indirect signs of SEO cannibalization?

Even without tools, several clues can put you on the trail:

• You have several pages that deal with the same theme or keyword.
• Your traffic is decreasing for no logical reason.
• Your Google positions vary abnormally.
• Google displays several of your pages alternately for the same query.

How can you avoid SEO cannibalization in the future?

Before publishing a new page:

• Check if you already have similar content via Google or Search Console.
• If yes, update this page or merge the contents.
• Use a editorial follow-up (Excel, Notion, Airtable) to keep a clear view of the keywords that are already targeted.

How do you correct an existing SEO cannibalization?

Here are the possible actions depending on the situation:‍

Merge two similar contents and redirecting one to the other in 301.

‍Differentiate the intent of each page (rewriting, keyword change).

Delete or deindex useless pages.

Optimize the right page to strengthen its authority (content, structure, backlinks, internal links).

‍

Can you have several pages on the same subject without cannibalization?

Yes, if each page answers a different intention.
Example:

• “How to choose a CRM” = informational
• “Comparison of the best CRMs 2025” = comparative ➡ These two contents can coexist provided they are clearly differentiated in content, form and targeted keywords.

Can SEO cannibalization be beneficial?

In rare cases, two pages from the same site can coexist in Google's top 10.
But it's not not stable, not recommended : Google will often end up choosing only one.
He is ever more effective to focus authority on a well-optimized page.