Investigate keyword cannibalisation with Search Console
Check whether multiple URLs competing for a query create a real problem before merging useful pages.
Two pages appearing for the same query do not automatically mean cannibalisation. They may answer different needs. Investigate when the wrong page repeatedly attracts visibility, a useful page loses exposure, or users land on content that does not fulfil the search intent.
Work through it, step by step.
Choose a specific query and inspect the pages receiving visibility over comparable periods. Record which URL gained and which lost, rather than looking only at the site total.
Read each page and write its intended job in one sentence. Distinguish a definition, a buying guide and a product page before deciding they are duplicates.
Review internal links and canonical signals where the pages overlap. Consider clearer differentiation first; merge only when one resource can fully serve the shared purpose.
Make it concrete.
A product page and a tutorial both appear for a product-related query. If tutorial searches lead to instructions and purchase searches lead to pricing, multiple URLs may be useful rather than harmful.
What to keep in mind.
Alternating positions can reflect changing query context. A report alone cannot establish that removing a page will improve the remaining one.
Your next useful step.
Document whether the action is differentiation, link clarification or consolidation. If you merge URLs, plan redirects and verify the destination independently; Liftaven does not perform that migration.
Working with this in Liftaven
Start with a verified property and a complete reporting period. Keep the search type, country and device consistent when comparing results. Liftaven provides search reports and an MCP route; use the native Search Console interface for checks that are not exposed in a particular report.
Explore the workspaceSources & context
This note combines original practical guidance with the reporting references below. Follow provider documentation for current definitions and availability; suggested investigations are not guarantees of a particular result.