Avoid Keyword Cannibalization but target location based keywords

[Serious Joker]

Hey Folks,

I have a SEO project of franchise based company, and they have made different pages for same keyword with different cities/state names. Website is ranking through but the I think it is cannibalizing keywords. Please let me know what should I do to avoid the keyword cannibalization but still target the keywords that are ranking.

Thanks

[goodroi]

Sounds more like a local SEO project. That would require a different approach than targeting the general SERPs. For the general SERPs you need to be a bit creative. Like using local testimonial content to boost the local terms being mentioned and not have 99% duplicate content.

[martinibuster]

And localized links and mentions, too.

Importantly, the phrase, "keyword cannibalization" does not describe anything specific and is useless for understanding what the problem is, much less trying to fix the problem.

It's a catchall phrase that can mean more specific things, like thin content, bad site architecture, outdated content, etc.

So when you diagnose it as Keyword Cannibalization, that's about as useful to you as a doctor saying, "I discovered why your stomach hurts. You have health issues."

[NickMNS]

@martiniBuster

Importantly, the phrase, "keyword cannibalization" does not describe anything specific and is useless for understanding what the problem is, much less trying to fix the problem.

On one hand I don't agree with this, but then I suppose my this disagreement proves your point. To me "keyword cannibalization" means something very specific, that is when you advertise for keywords that you rank for organically. For example advertising for your domain name, will likely result in an your ad appearing at the same time as your domain appearing in first place (organic). User then click the ad because it is on top. Thus your traffic is routed through PPC channels instead of organic and your organic traffic drops. Now this has nothing to do with the op's post, so either it is not as I think, or it means different things to different people. So I guess it is an unclear term.

[martinibuster]

So I guess it is an unclear term.

Yup. :)

[Serious Joker]

Hi Thanks for replying.

Let me elaborate more, the business is of widget franchise companies, the keywords used in website pages are like.

widget franchise in India
widget franchise in Delhi
widget franchise in Punjab etc

and the content is not thin, neither duplicate, but based on keywords like these. That's why I think it can be bad for ranking on short keywords like widget franchise or abc widget franchise.

[edited by: goodroi at 4:46 pm (utc) on Jan 16, 2021]
[edit reason] Welcome to WebmasterWorld, please go read the rules :) [/edit]

[martinibuster]

The keywords that are localized by city are Local type keywords. Those are different from the regular Organic keywords that don't have a geographic element.

As GoodROI said, you would have to differentiate the local pages according to local relevant text. And as I said, that can be supplemented with local relevant links.

None of the local franchise pages should be ranking for the non-local phrases as that wouldn't be relevant on a national level. And if Google does rank it, that may be an artifact of lack of competition and/or a lack of a suitable site/page.

[madhuB]

Will the same rules apply if someone targets at a country level? Like Keyword1 Dubai, Keyword1 India, etc.?

[martinibuster]

Country rankings are localized. Typically via the ccTLD but also, I'm pretty sure, the location of the host can send a signal.

Good luck!

Roger Montti