Keyword Cannibalization
When multiple pages on the same site target the same keyword or search intent, forcing them to compete against each other in results. Search engines struggle to decide which page to rank, so they may split link equity, swap pages in and out, or rank the weaker one.
Why It Matters
Cannibalization suppresses the rankings of pages that should be winning, wastes crawl and link equity, and confuses your topical structure. Consolidating competing pages usually lifts the surviving page's authority and position.
Common Mistake
Publishing many near-identical articles on slight keyword variations instead of one strong, comprehensive page. Fixing it by deleting pages without redirecting them wastes their accumulated authority and creates broken links.