---
title: "Step 3: How to find cannibalization issues"
description: "A step-by-step workflow for finding and resolving cannibalization issues"
url: https://docs.surferseo.com/en/articles/11401897-step-3-how-to-find-cannibalization-issues
collection: "Create a winning content plan"
updated: 2026-10-06
language: en
alternates: [fr, de]
---

# Step 3: How to find cannibalization issues

A step-by-step workflow for finding and resolving cannibalization issues

Why is this important?

Keyword cannibalization can harm your website’s performance by splitting your authority, reducing click-through rates (CTR), and confusing search engines. Instead of helping your site rank better, competing pages dilute your SEO efforts, potentially hurting your rankings and wasting resources.  
​

What’s in it for you?

By resolving keyword cannibalization, you’ll:

-   Boost rankings for your target keywords.
    
-   Increase organic traffic by focusing efforts on the most relevant pages.
    
-   Improve user experience with more precise, more targeted content.
    
-   Save your crawl budget for more important pages.
    

What you’ll need:

-   **Surfer**: Topical Map to generate a Cannibalization Report
    
-   **Google Sheets**: For organizing and analyzing data
    

When to do it and how often?

-   Do a keyword cannibalization check **quarterly** to be sure your site stays optimized.
    
-   Run the check **after the algorithm updates.**
    
-   Run cannibalization audit after **major content releases.**
    

> **Info:** Cannibalization Report is available in [Pro, Peace of Mind, and Enterprise subscription plans](https://surferseo.com/pricing/) - if you are unsure if your plan has access, feel free to reach out to our Support Team - we'll help you verify!

## Prepare

1.  Go to **Surfer** and navigate to the **Topical Map.**
    
2.  If you don’t have a **Topical Map** for your domain, create one and wait a few minutes for Surfer to prepare it. [Here's how ->](https://docs.surferseo.com/en/articles/11401619-step-1-how-to-find-new-content-ideas.md)
    

## **Generate Your Cannibalization Report**

![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/gattachments/PUZhu7u2NZO3xjO1HNFdEkz7TBxAkw0JzRhCH17SL6rdrt6Bp3Jl6jQmJ5WenAEhYmKSEl47gZA.gif)

1.  Open a **Topical Map** section.
    
2.  Select **Export** → **Generate Cannibalization Report.**
    
3.  Once processed, download the report (CSV).
    

## **Analyze in Google Sheets**

1.  Open the CSV and add 3 new columns:
    
    -   **Number of URLs**:
        
        \=COUNTIF(A:A, A2)
        
    -   **Total Impressions for Keyword**:
        
        \=SUMIF($A$2:A, A2, $D$2:D)
        
    -   **% of Impressions (per URL)**:
        
        \=(D2\*100)/E2  
          
        We advise the following order:
        
        ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/helpcenter/6928645a69d9b470d70dcfd6/20251212091325_1142.png)
    
2.  Create a **Pivot Table**:
    
    -   Select all data → Insert → Pivot Table → New Sheet
        
    -   **Rows**:
        
        -   Keyword
            
        -   URL
            
        
    -   **Values**:
        
        -   Impressions
            
        -   % of Impressions
            
        -   Position
            
        
    -   **Sort**:
        
        -   For keywords → Descending by **SUM of** Impressions
            
        -   For URLs → Descending by **SUM of %** of Impressions
            
        
    -   **Filter**:
        
        -   Exclude brand keywords
            
            (Filters → Text does not contain → “Your Brand Name”)
            
        

## 🕵‍♀️ **What to look for**

You’re looking for overlap—keywords split between multiple URLs.

**It’s a problem if**:

-   Two or more URLs share similar % of impressions _and_ similar positions
    

**It’s not a problem if**:

-   One URL dominates (70%+ impressions)
    
-   It’s a branded keyword
    
-   Extra URLs rank poorly (page 3+)
    

## **Prioritize Fixes**

Start where it matters most:

1.  **High priority**: Pages tied to conversions, product, revenue.
    
2.  **Medium priority**: Pillar, service, or high-traffic pages.
    
3.  **Low priority**: Supporting or long-tail content.
    

## **How to fix it**

**Option A: Merge**

If the topic is very similar and the user intent is clear, merge the articles into a single piece of content.

→ Remember to **301 redirect** the removed URL.

**Option B: Internal linking (signal the target)**

Point the search engine in the right direction with internal linking. **Use exact-match anchor text in the cannibalizing article to link to the target page.** This way, you will give a clear sign that there is a pair of keywords and URLs that you are targeting.

**Option C: Separate the intent**

Rewrite one of the articles to focus on a different (but related) intent.

→ Check SERPs to validate the difference in search intent.

💡 Options B and C send strong signals to search engines about which page deserves to rank.

🎉 That's it! Now, let's show you [how to track and measure your progress in Surfer ->](https://docs.surferseo.com/en/articles/11401902-step-4-how-to-measure-your-content-progress.md)

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