Avoid Keyword Self-Cannibalization

[678648631264]

<dl>

<dt>Cannibalizing link</dt>

<dd>Several links...
</dd>

<dt>Explanation</dt>

<dd>It's a best practice in SEO to target each keyword with a single page on your site (sometimes two if you've already achieved high rankings and are seeking a second, indented listing). To prevent engines from potentially seeing a signal that this page is not the intended ranking target and creating additional competition for your page, we suggest staying away from linking internally to another page with the target keyword(s) as the exact anchor text. Note that using modified versions is sometimes fine (for example, if this page targeted the word 'elephants', using 'baby elephants' in anchor text would be just fine).</dd>

<dt>Recommendation</dt>

<dd>Unless there is intent to rank multiple pages for the target keyword, it may be wise to modify the anchor text of this link so it is not an exact match.</dd>

<dd>How do I fix this?
</dd>

</dl>

[Nobody1560986989723]

How your internal links (links on your website's pages to other pages on your website) are worded makes a difference to how effective the keyword targeting of a page is.

So if I have a page selling 'Purple Elephants' there should not be links to other pages with the text 'purple elephants'. On the flip side, on other pages, links to this product should contain 'purple elephants'.

So you fix it by looking at your page which should focus on purple elephants and finding links to other pages containing this phrase and changing the wording.

Remember what it says above that 'partial matches' may not have such a negative effect so purple ride-on elephants would still probably be okay. What you want to ensure that the links going out from that page are not precisely the keyword you're targeting. (i.e. exact-match).

[678648631264]

So the links going to another page on my site (Another post in this case), just change the anchor text of 'purple elephant's'? to maybe 'elephants' or 'great elephants' and then when you click the link, it actually then brings you to 'purple elephants'?

Hope this has helped me!

[Nobody1560986989723]

Well, no, because the assumption is that a page won't be linking to itself (except maybe in a navigation system) so your links should be going to other pages anyway.

Just bear in mind that cannibalization doesn't just apply to internal links (though that's how it often happens). You also don't want to be linking to outside resources with your own target keywords.

But yes, it's the anchor text that needs changing.

[annomd]

I'm wondering if SEOmoz is overreacting to some of my link text, or if I should alter the text?

When you are targeting long tail key phrases, your main phrase is likely to be part of many longtail phrases.  In my case the homepage targets 'company formations' and the link that's been flagged in the On-Page Report is "Prices for Irish Limited Company Formation" which isn't that close of a match.

It's a link in my main navigation, so whatever I change it to chances are the wording will be similar to key phrases I am targeting on other pages. Also, making sure the link text makes most sense to users is a priority!

Thanks Martin, your reponses have clarified this a bit.