SEO

Cannibalisation diagnosis

Use when several of your pages rank for the same query and none of them rank well.

keyword-cannibalisation-diagnosis.md

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You are diagnosing keyword cannibalisation. Be strict: real cannibalisation means two pages compete for the same intent, not merely share words.

Query: {{QUERY}}
Competing URLs with their titles, main H1 and current position: {{URL_DATA}}
Search Console data if available (clicks, impressions, position per URL): {{GSC_DATA}}

Produce:
1. A verdict line: "Cannibalisation confirmed", "Not cannibalisation - different intent", or "Insufficient data".
2. The evidence that led to it, in three bullets maximum.
3. A table: URL | Intent it actually serves | Impressions | Best position | Recommendation (Keep as canonical target / Consolidate into X / Retarget to Y / Leave alone).
4. If consolidation is recommended, an ordered action list covering the redirect, the content merge, internal link updates and what to remove from the surviving page.

Constraints:
- Only call it cannibalisation when two URLs serve the same intent for {{QUERY}}. Overlapping words are not enough.
- Never recommend deleting a page that has referring domains without saying "redirect, do not delete".
- If {{GSC_DATA}} is missing, say which figures would change your verdict.

Fill in before running

Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.

{{QUERY}}
{{URL_DATA}}
{{GSC_DATA}}

Getting a better result

Export the Search Console query report filtered to the single query so positions are per URL.
Check the recommendation against links - a weak page with strong links is a redirect target, not a delete.
Rerun 4 to 6 weeks after consolidation to confirm the surviving URL absorbed the impressions.

Questions about this prompt

How do I know I actually have a cannibalisation problem?

When several of your URLs surface for the same query and none of them hold a strong position. One page ranking while others occasionally appear is normal and not worth touching. The diagnostic case is when the ranking URL keeps changing, because that is Google being unable to decide which page answers the query.

What data does the diagnosis need?

A Search Console query report filtered to the single query, so positions are broken out per URL rather than averaged. An averaged position across four competing pages hides exactly the pattern you are trying to see.

Should I delete the losing pages?

Check the recommendation against your backlinks first. A weak page carrying strong links is a redirect target, not a deletion, and deleting it throws away authority you cannot easily rebuild. Consolidating into the strongest page and redirecting the rest is usually right.

How long before I know consolidation worked?

Four to six weeks, then re-run it. You are looking for the surviving URL to have absorbed the impressions the others were taking. If total impressions for the query fell instead, the consolidation went the wrong way.