Search Operator
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 5:50 am
Use the "site:[domain] keyword" search operator in Google to find a list of pages that are considered relevant and optimized for a particular keyword.
Keyword cannibalization - Site search operator
If you think you're suffering from a cannibalization issue, analyze the intent of these pages and make any necessary corrections to ensure that only one page is targeting a specific intent.
How to fix keyword cannibalization on your site
Once you have identified the cannibalization problems that exist on your website, it is time to solve them.
But first things first, you need to understand that there is no “one size fits all” approach to achieving this and the path you choose to solve problems depends largely on individual circumstances.
Simply put, the way to solve a cannibalization problem will not always be the same in all cases.
That said, there are common solutions to turn to when the time is right, including...
Delete and redirect cannibalized pages
If you find multiple pages on your site that are all focused on the same intent, but you only need to keep one of them alive, the best way to fix the problems is usually to implement 301 redirects.
Once you've identified which page is the strongest cannibalizer (consider inbound links pointing to the pages, organic visibility through other terms, and historical traffic as signals to help you make a decision), simply remove the others and 301 redirect your URLs to the remaining page.
This is usually the simplest way to solve cannibalization problems.
Also, be sure to update any internal links pointing to the pages you've removed, but other than that, you should see the removed URLs drop in Google's index within a few weeks.
Canonicalization
Sometimes, you don't have the option to remove cannibalized pages and philippines number list just keep one.
It could be because it's a page dedicated to a PPC campaign, a great piece of content from a user experience perspective, or your CMS restrictions are causing page duplication, or something else entirely.
But when this is the case, consider using canonicalization to help you troubleshoot the issues.
Doing so means you can select one page as the primary page, which indicates that it will rank in search results and ensures that ranking signals such as link equity will be attributed to the page with the canonical URL.
None of the pages will need to be deleted, and will remain accessible to users.
Noindex
Just like when using canonicalization, if for whatever reason you are unable to remove or delete and redirect the problematic pages, implementing rel="noindex" tags (or an HTTP Response Header) on all but the page you've chosen to be your home page can often be just as effective.
Choosing this approach means that all pages can still exist on the web, but all but one will be deindexed, and cannibalization issues will be solved as a result.
That said, canonicalization should be used in preference to the noindex method, since ranking tokens are attributed to the canonical, whereas otherwise they will not be.
Use this approach with caution.
However, don't be mistaken in combining canonicalization and noindex, as the two signals are contradictory pieces of information, as John Mueller states:
Keyword cannibalization - Site search operator
If you think you're suffering from a cannibalization issue, analyze the intent of these pages and make any necessary corrections to ensure that only one page is targeting a specific intent.
How to fix keyword cannibalization on your site
Once you have identified the cannibalization problems that exist on your website, it is time to solve them.
But first things first, you need to understand that there is no “one size fits all” approach to achieving this and the path you choose to solve problems depends largely on individual circumstances.
Simply put, the way to solve a cannibalization problem will not always be the same in all cases.
That said, there are common solutions to turn to when the time is right, including...
Delete and redirect cannibalized pages
If you find multiple pages on your site that are all focused on the same intent, but you only need to keep one of them alive, the best way to fix the problems is usually to implement 301 redirects.
Once you've identified which page is the strongest cannibalizer (consider inbound links pointing to the pages, organic visibility through other terms, and historical traffic as signals to help you make a decision), simply remove the others and 301 redirect your URLs to the remaining page.
This is usually the simplest way to solve cannibalization problems.
Also, be sure to update any internal links pointing to the pages you've removed, but other than that, you should see the removed URLs drop in Google's index within a few weeks.
Canonicalization
Sometimes, you don't have the option to remove cannibalized pages and philippines number list just keep one.
It could be because it's a page dedicated to a PPC campaign, a great piece of content from a user experience perspective, or your CMS restrictions are causing page duplication, or something else entirely.
But when this is the case, consider using canonicalization to help you troubleshoot the issues.
Doing so means you can select one page as the primary page, which indicates that it will rank in search results and ensures that ranking signals such as link equity will be attributed to the page with the canonical URL.
None of the pages will need to be deleted, and will remain accessible to users.
Noindex
Just like when using canonicalization, if for whatever reason you are unable to remove or delete and redirect the problematic pages, implementing rel="noindex" tags (or an HTTP Response Header) on all but the page you've chosen to be your home page can often be just as effective.
Choosing this approach means that all pages can still exist on the web, but all but one will be deindexed, and cannibalization issues will be solved as a result.
That said, canonicalization should be used in preference to the noindex method, since ranking tokens are attributed to the canonical, whereas otherwise they will not be.
Use this approach with caution.
However, don't be mistaken in combining canonicalization and noindex, as the two signals are contradictory pieces of information, as John Mueller states: