cannibalization

Blog Cannibalization - Keyword Overlap Detection

Detect when multiple blog posts compete for the same search keywords. Two modes: local-only analysis (default) and DataForSEO API mode for SERP-level data.

Two Modes

Mode	Flag	Cost	Data Source
Local	(default)	Free	File content analysis via Grep/Read
API	--api	~$0.01/call	DataForSEO Page Intersection + Ranked Keywords

Local mode works without any API keys. API mode requires DataForSEO credentials set as environment variables: DATAFORSEO_LOGIN and DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD.

Local Mode Workflow

Step 1: Scan Blog Files

Use Glob to find all content files in the target directory:

• Patterns: **/*.md, **/*.mdx, **/*.html
• Skip files in node_modules/, .git/, drafts/

Step 2: Extract Primary Keywords

For each file, read and extract keyword signals from:

• Title tag or H1 heading (highest weight)
• H2 headings (medium weight)
• First paragraph (supporting signal)
• Meta description if present in frontmatter

Step 3: Cluster by Similarity

Group posts into clusters using these matching rules (in priority order):

1. Exact match - identical primary keyword across 2+ posts
2. Stem match - same root word (e.g., "optimize" vs "optimization")
3. Semantic overlap - Claude determines that two keywords target the same search intent
4. Subset match - one keyword contains another

Step 4: Score and Flag

For each cluster with 2+ posts, assess severity and generate a recommendation.

Severity Scoring

Level	Criteria	Action Urgency
Critical	Same exact keyword, both pages in top 20	Immediate
High	Same keyword cluster, one page outranks the other	This week
Medium	Related keywords with partial SERP overlap	This month
Low	Semantic similarity but different confirmed intents	Monitor

Output Format

Summary Table

| Post A | Post B | Shared Keywords | Severity | Recommendation |
|--------|--------|-----------------|----------|----------------|
| /best-crm-tools | /top-crm-software | best crm, crm tools | Critical | MERGE |
| /email-tips | /email-marketing-guide | email marketing | High | DIFFERENTIATE |

Per-Cluster Detail

For each flagged cluster, provide:

• Both post titles and URLs
• Full list of overlapping keywords
• Which post is stronger
• Specific recommendation with rationale

Recommendations

MERGE

When both pages are thin or cover the same intent with similar depth.

• Combine the best content from both into one comprehensive post
• 301 redirect the weaker URL to the merged post

DIFFERENTIATE

When pages serve different intents but keyword targeting overlaps.

• Shift the primary keyword of the weaker post to a related long-tail
• Update the title, H1, and meta description

CANONICAL

When one post is clearly the authority and the other is a lesser duplicate.

• Add rel="canonical" on the weaker page pointing to the authority

NO ACTION

When intent is genuinely different despite surface-level keyword similarity.

• Document the reasoning for future audits
• Monitor rankings quarterly

Error Handling

• No blog files found: Report "No blog files found in [directory]" and suggest checking the path
• Single-post directory: Report "Cannibalization analysis requires at least 2 posts" and exit gracefully
• DataForSEO credentials missing: Fall back to local mode automatically and notify the user