Hello, I need some advice. I have created blog posts targeting the same keywords as my product pages. My intention was for the blog posts to also rank well, as they serve a different purpose. I have also included links back to my product pages from the blogs and have increased internal links to the product pages to highlight their importance.However, when I search for my keywords, most of the results are product pages. Despite this, my product page performance has decreased significantly since publishing the blog posts. Some keywords no longer display my product page at all. The product pages are more valuable to me, so I need to prioritize them.
Should I consider de-indexing the blog posts to ensure my product pages are shown by Google again? Or should I wait to see if Google changes its mind and displays both as intended? If I wait, how long should I give it before taking action?
This decline has been ongoing for the past 4-5 months and is now barely visible. Thank you for any advice you can provide.
It’s likely that your blog posts are cannibalizing your product pages due to keyword overlap. This means Google is seeing the blog posts as more relevant for those keywords, pushing your product pages down in the search results.
While it’s possible Google will eventually understand the different intent behind your blog posts and product pages, waiting for that to happen could take a significant amount of time, especially considering the decline you’ve experienced over the past 4-5 months.
Therefore, it might be beneficial to consider the following strategies:
- Re-evaluate your keyword strategy: Ensure your blog posts and product pages target distinct keywords. If they’re too similar, Google will have difficulty distinguishing between them. Consider focusing on more specific keywords for your blog posts, such as “how to” phrases, “guides,” or “reviews” that align with the informative nature of your blog content.
- Optimize your product pages: Enhance your product pages with compelling descriptions, high-quality images, and user-generated content. Ensure these pages are comprehensive and provide all the necessary information to convert visitors into customers.
- Adjust your internal linking strategy: Rather than linking directly to specific products from your blog posts, consider linking to relevant category pages or landing pages that provide a broader overview of your products.
If these adjustments don’t improve your product page rankings after a reasonable period (e.g., a few weeks), you might consider de-indexing the blog posts temporarily. This can be done by adding a “noindex” meta tag to the blog post header or by using robots.txt. However, de-indexing should be considered a last resort as it might also impact your overall SEO performance.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and adjustments. By closely analyzing your keyword strategy, website content, and internal linking structure, you can effectively address the cannibalization issue and ensure your product pages get the visibility they deserve.