While expanding an older article, I found a topic I thought was missing.
My first reaction was:
"I'll just create a new post for this."
Then I searched my own site.
I had already written an article covering almost the same thing.
That made me stop.
What Is Keyword Cannibalization?
The term sounds more complicated than it is.
In simple terms, it can happen when multiple pages on your site target very similar search intent, making it harder to understand which page should be the main resource.
But having two pages mention the same keyword doesn't automatically mean there's a problem.
The real question is:
Do these pages give the reader substantially different answers?
How I Checked
I started with a site search and then opened Google Search Console.
I looked at the important queries and checked which URLs were receiving impressions for them.
Then I compared the two articles.
Were they targeting the same audience?
Were they answering the same question?
Was there a clear reason for both pages to exist?
If the answer is mostly no, I consider whether the content should be combined.
In My Case, I Merged Them
The two pages were too similar, so I combined the strongest sections into one stronger article.
The weaker URL was then redirected to the more useful page.
I didn't do this simply because the pages shared keywords.
I did it because one page made more sense for the reader than two almost-identical pages.
What I Learned
This changed how I approach topical depth.
Before creating another article, I now ask:
Can this information improve an existing page?
If yes, I expand the existing page.
If it deserves a completely different search intent, I create a new article.
For more on that approach, read From Thin Keywords to Topical Depth: How I Actually Moved My Impressions.
And if you want to see the rewrite that inspired this process, here's The Article Rewrite That Doubled My Impressions.
