Addressing SEO Cannibalization: Critical Insights for Internal, International, and Subdomain Optimization

Posted on January 1, 2025

Addressing SEO Cannibalization: Critical Insights for Internal, International, and Subdomain Optimization

SEO cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your website target the same keyword or topic, potentially impacting your search engine rankings. Recently, a Whiteboard Friday presentation shed light on this subject, covering three distinct types of cannibalization: internal, international, and subdomain.

Why This Is Important

Understanding and eliminating SEO cannibalization is critical for ensuring each of your pages can achieve its full ranking potential. Without proper management, cannibalization can dilute your SEO efforts, leading to reduced visibility and site performance.

Internal Cannibalization

Internal cannibalization happens when multiple URLs on a single domain compete for the same keywords. It can lead to confusion for search engines and users alike, as they struggle to determine which page is the most relevant.

International Cannibalization

For websites targeting diverse geographic regions, international cannibalization arises when various versions of a site compete against each other for international keywords, often due to poorly handled hreflang tags or similar content across versions.

Subdomain Cannibalization

Subdomains can form their own SEO challenges by competing with the main domain or other subdomains. Each subdomain should ideally target distinct topics or keywords to avoid conflict.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Conduct Keyword Audits: Regularly perform keyword audits to ensure that multiple pages aren’t competing for the same terms.
  • Utilize Canonical Tags: Implement canonical tags to indicate which version of a page search engines should prioritize.
  • Optimize Hreflang Tags: For international pages, ensure hreflang tags are correct to guide search engines to the appropriate regional version.
  • Diversify Content Across Subdomains: Assign unique themes or goals to each subdomain to minimize overlap.

To dive deeper into these strategies and solutions, check out the full article from Moz’s Whiteboard Friday.