Preventing keyword cannibalization: The right way to rank for multiple keywords

Introduction:
Keyword cannibalization is a common SEO problem that affects the ranking of your pages for the same search queries. It happens when Google doesn't know which page to show for a query, and you lose traffic to competitors instead. Here's how to find and fix it.

1. Understand the issue
Check Search Console > Performance > Pages > Avg. Position > Pages to see if you have multiple pages in the top 10 for the same keyword. Use the filter 'Position' > '11-30' to see pages with similar ranking positions.
Sort by 'Position' and 'Clicks' to see the most affected pages.
Add 'Query' as secondary dimension to see the keywords.
Compare URLs and text to see if they cover the same topic.
Check the CTR for each page and the search volume to see if you can consolidate.

2. Analyze search intent
Use Google Search Console > Search Analytics > Queries > Pages > click on a page > 'Pages similar to this' to see related queries.
Check the pages and the intent.
Use Google Trends to see if they have different intents.
Use Ahrefs > Site Explorer > Organic search > Organic search > Pages > Best by > Keywords to see the search volume.
Compare the search volume and the traffic.

3. Check the content
Use Google Search Console > Search Analytics > Queries > Pages > click on a page > 'Pages similar to this' to see related queries.
Check the content for synonyms and variations.
Use SEMrush > Site Audit > Site Structure > Pages > click on a page > 'Organic search' to see the keywords.
Check if they cover the same topic.
Use Yoast SEO > Content analysis > Content analysis to see if they cover the same topic.
Check the headings and subheadings.

4. Choose the best page
Use SEMrush > Site Audit > Site Structure > Site audit > Click on a page > 'Organic search' to see the keywords.
Compare the search volume and the traffic.
Check the backlinks and the authority.
Use Google Analytics > Behavior > Site content > Landing pages to see the bounce rate.
Use Yoast SEO > Content analysis > Readability > Focus keyword to see the relevance.
Check the text density.

5. Redirect the duplicate page
Use Google Search Console > URL Inspection > Requests > 'Requested URL' to check the page.
Use Google Analytics > Behavior > Site content > Landing pages > Landing pages to see the traffic.
Use Redirect 301 to the best page in Google Search Console.
Use Yoast SEO > Redirects > Redirects to redirect the page.
Use Google Analytics > Acquisition > Search console > Queries > Pages > click on a page > 'Pages similar to this' to see related queries.
Check if they match the new URL.

6. Merge the content
Use Google Analytics > Behavior > Site content > Landing pages > Landing pages to see the traffic.
Use Google Analytics > Behavior > Site search > Organic search > Pages to see the queries.
Use Yoast SEO > Content analysis > Focus keyword to merge the content.
Use SEMrush > Site Audit > Site Audit > Site audit > Click on a page > 'Organic search' to see the keywords.
Check if they cover the same topic.

7. Optimize the page
Use Yoast SEO > Content analysis > Focus keyword to optimize the page.
Use Google Analytics > Behavior > Site search > Organic search > Pages to see the queries.
Check if the page covers the topic.
Use SEMrush > Site Audit > Site Audit > Site audit > Click on a page > 'Organic search' to see the keywords.
Use Yoast SEO > Content analysis > Focus keyword to optimize the page.

8. Add canonical tags
Use Google Search Console > URL Inspection > Requests > 'Requested URL' to check the page.
Use Yoast SEO > SEO > General > Canonical to add the best URL.
Use Google Analytics > Site content > Landing pages to see the traffic.
Check if the page covers the topic.
Use Yoast SEO > SEO > General > Canonical to add the best URL.

9. Update internal links
Use SEMrush > Site Audit > Site audit > Site audit > Click on a page > 'Organic search' to see the keywords.
Use Yoast SEO > SEO > Links > Internal links to add links.
Use Yoast SEO > Links > Internal links to add links.

10. Improve the page
Use SEMrush > Site Audit > Site audit > Site audit > Click on a page > 'Organic search' to see the keywords.
Use Yoast SEO > SEO > Content > Optimize > Optimize for search engines.
Use Yoast SEO > Content > Optimize for search engines to optimize the page.

11. Check for duplicate content
Use Siteliner to check for duplicate content.
Use SEMrush > Site Audit > Site audit > Click on a page > 'Organic search' to see the

Conclusion: briefly recap the key actions and remind about the importance of consistency.