Cannibalisation matrix
Queries where several of your URLs compete, and how to fix them.
In shortKeyword cannibalisation is when several of your own pages compete for the same search query, so Google keeps switching between them and none ranks as well as one strong page would. The Cannibalisation matrix (Analytics → Search Console → Cannibalisation matrix) lists up to 20 such queries from your last 30 days of Search Console data, shows the competing pages, and suggests which page should win.
What cannibalisation looks like
Say you have a guide called *What is AEO* and a blog post called *AEO explained for beginners*. Both get impressions for "what is aeo". Google tests one, then the other; your position wobbles, links and clicks are split, and a competitor with one clear page sits above both. That's cannibalisation.
It is not always a problem. Your homepage and a product page can both show for your brand name. A how-to guide and a pricing page can both appear for a query with mixed intent. Two results on page one can be a win. The question is whether the split is costing you clicks.
What the matrix counts
- It reads your last 30 days of Search Console data broken down by query and page.
- A query is listed when more than one of your pages got impressions for it, the pages' positions are less than 15 places apart, and the query had at least 1,000 impressions in total.
- It shows the top 20 queries by impressions. An AI model writes recommendations for the top five.
The 1,000-impression floor means smaller sites often get No cannibalization detected even when two pages overlap on smaller queries. You can still spot those by hand: in the MCP command center, ask for queries where more than one page got impressions in the last 90 days.
Run the analysis
- Open the matrixGo to Analytics → Search Console → Cannibalisation matrix and confirm the site in the top bar. The dashed card shows the filter criteria.
- Click Run AnalysisClick Run Analysis. A message says how many cannibalised queries it found.
- Expand a queryThe table lists each Query, the number of competing Pages, total Impressions and Pos Diff (the gap between the best and worst position). Click a row to see each competing page with its position, CTR, clicks and impressions, best-ranked first.
- Read the AI recommendationsAI Insights & Recommendations covers the top five cases: the likely search intent, which page should be primary and a consolidation approach. Treat it as a draft; you know which page converts and which one you want to rank.
- Save the listResults aren't stored. Copy the queries and decisions before leaving the page, because another run charges again.
How to fix a cannibalised query
First pick the primary page for the query: the one that best matches what the searcher wants, usually the one with more links, better conversions or the better position. Then choose a fix for the others.
| Fix | When to use it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Merge and redirect | The pages say much the same thing | Move anything unique into the primary page, then 301-redirect the other URL to it and update internal links |
| Differentiate | Both pages are worth keeping but target different intents | Re-angle the secondary page to a different query: change its title, H1 and intro, and stop it competing for the primary query |
| Internal links | The primary page is right but Google keeps picking the other one | Link from the secondary page (and related posts) to the primary with descriptive anchor text |
| Canonical tag | Near-duplicates must stay live, such as filtered or printable versions | Point the duplicate's canonical to the primary. Google treats it as a hint, not a command |
| Leave it | Both pages rank in the top few places and serve different needs | Two results can earn more clicks than one. Monitor instead of fixing |
A large Pos Diff with one page far behind is usually harmless: Google has already picked a winner. Act first on queries where two pages sit close together and swap places, and check the expanded rows for which page actually earns the clicks.
Credits are taken before Search Console is read and before the AI model runs, so a run that errors during the AI step isn't refunded automatically. Very large sites should also know the analysis reads up to 25,000 query-page rows, so the long tail may be cut off.
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