36: Keyword Research 1: What's the Goal?

Summary

In this episode, Meredith’s husband introduces Season 2 by discussing keyword cannibalization, a common SEO issue where multiple pages on a website compete for the same keyword, hurting rankings. He explains how website owners can identify and prevent this by optimizing specific pages for targeted keywords. The episode outlines the dangers of conflicting keyword signals and sets up the next two episodes to cover keyword selection and implementation.

Blog Post: Understanding Keyword Cannibalization and How to Fix It

Season 2 of the podcast kicks off with a big SEO topic: keyword cannibalization. While the term sounds dramatic, it refers to a common issue where multiple pages on your website compete for the same keyword. This can confuse search engines and ultimately harm your rankings, as Google won't know which page to prioritize. If you want to improve your SEO performance, understanding keyword cannibalization and learning how to avoid it is key.

What is Keyword Cannibalization?

Keyword cannibalization happens when several pages on your site target the same keyword, resulting in those pages competing against each other. Rather than boosting your rankings, this creates confusion for search engines like Google. Instead of recognizing one well-optimized page for that keyword, Google might alternate between different pages, lowering your overall ranking.

For example, if you have a website with a page specifically dedicated to "children’s photography," but you’ve also scattered that same keyword across multiple other pages like your homepage or testimonials page, Google might not know which page to rank. As a result, none of the pages perform as well as they should.

Signs of Keyword Cannibalization

Here are some key signs that keyword cannibalization might be affecting your site:

• Rank Fluctuations: If your rankings for a specific keyword keep bouncing between different pages, this is a red flag. Google can’t decide which page to prioritize, which can lead to inconsistent results.

• Wrong Pages Showing Up in Search: If you search for a particular keyword and the wrong page from your site appears, such as a pricing or testimonial page instead of a targeted content page, keyword cannibalization is likely at play.

• Ranking Drops: If your rankings for important keywords have steadily dropped or fluctuated significantly, this issue could be the cause.

How to Fix Keyword Cannibalization

Once you've identified that keyword cannibalization is a problem, the next step is to fix it. Here’s how:

• Assign One Keyword Per Page: Make sure each page on your site is optimized for one specific keyword. If you have a dedicated page for "children’s photography," let that be the only page on your site focusing on that keyword. This way, search engines can clearly identify which page to rank.

• Limit Keyword Usage on Other Pages: Avoid overloading your homepage or other general pages with specific keywords that should belong to dedicated pages. For example, rather than repeating "children’s photography" multiple times on your homepage, focus on broader terms like "family photography" and leave the specific keyword for the appropriate page.

• Content Optimization: Ensure each page is optimized with relevant content that aligns with its assigned keyword. Google tends to favor pages that provide valuable, targeted content rather than those that try to rank for too many keywords at once.

What's Next: Choosing the Right Keywords

In the next episode of the podcast, Meredith’s husband will dive into how to choose the right keywords for your website. Most website owners assume they know their target keywords, but in reality, choosing the right ones requires research and strategy. Stay tuned for part two, where you’ll learn how to conduct effective keyword research and avoid common mistakes.

Resources

Meredith’s husband mentioned future episodes on choosing keywords and how to implement them on your website. Make sure to listen to the upcoming episodes for in-depth guidance!