I've got two blog posts targeting basically the same keyword and they keep swapping positions in the rankings, never both doing well at once. Someone told me this is 'cannibalization' and I need to fix it, someone else said it's a myth. Who's right, and if it's real, how do I resolve it without losing the traffic either page has?
It's real when it's real, and overblown when people slap the label on any two pages sharing a word. Your specific symptom — two pages targeting the same intent trading positions and never both winning — is the genuine article. Google can't decide which one to rank, so it flip-flops and neither builds momentum.
How to resolve without losing traffic:
/search-console — filter by that query and see if both URLs appear for it. If yes, real cannibalization.Merging usually lifts the survivor above where either sat alone.
Checked in Search Console and yep, both URLs showing for the same query. They're the same intent, no question. Merging the weaker into the stronger and redirecting. Makes total sense that splitting the signal was hurting both.