Ever feel like your website is fighting with itself for attention? That’s exactly what SEO cannibalization is. It happens when two or more pages on your site are targeting the same keyword or search intent. Instead of helping your site rank better, these similar pages compete against each other in Google’s eyes—and that can drag your rankings down.

Let’s break it down with a simple example. Imagine you own a baking blog and you’ve written multiple articles about “chocolate cake recipes.” One is titled “Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe,” another is “Simple Chocolate Cake Guide,” and a third is “How to Make a Chocolate Cake.” All three are trying to rank for the same keyword: chocolate cake recipe. Now Google is confused—Which one should it rank? As a result, none of them may rank as well as they could if you had just one strong page on the topic.

SEO cannibalization dilutes your page authority, splits your traffic, and weakens your content’s overall impact. It’s like trying to win a race with three runners on your team, but they all keep tripping each other up.

So how do you fix it? Start by identifying overlapping keywords across your site using SEO tools like Google Search Console or SEMrush. Then, decide whether to:

• Merge similar content into one comprehensive post,
• Delete or redirect outdated or duplicate pages,
• Or reoptimize each page to target different keywords or angles.

Remember, the goal is to have one clear, powerful page per keyword.

Looking ahead, as your website grows, regular content audits can help prevent cannibalization and keep your SEO strategy strong and streamlined.