Spot overlap that deserves a closer look
Two pages appearing for one query can be useful: a category page and a detailed guide may answer different needs. Keyword cannibalization becomes a concern when similar pages compete for the same purpose and neither is the clear destination. Search Console overlap is evidence to review, not proof that either page should disappear.
Look at the query, each page's role, clicks and impressions together. A small number of impressions can make the split look dramatic without representing a meaningful traffic problem. Prefer a deliberate decision about intent over a blanket rule to consolidate every overlap.
How the analysis chooses queries
mowteng's insights_cannibalization finds queries where two or more pages each receive at least 10% of impressions. That threshold surfaces a shared visibility pattern. It does not measure whether one page caused another to lose rank.
Ask for the reporting period and each page's impression share. Follow up with gsc_search_analytics for page and query performance; it supports clicks, impressions, CTR and average position, with up to 1,000 rows per call and paging. Use a period comparison to check whether the overlap is new.
Questions that separate signal from noise
Find queries where multiple pages each get at least 10% of impressions. Show the competing URLs, impression shares, clicks and reporting period.
For the strongest overlap, compare each page's query performance over two equal periods. Tell me what the data shows and what needs a content review.
Choose the right response
Keep pages separate when they serve distinct needs. Clarify titles, headings and internal anchor text when their purposes are different but unclear. If two pages repeat the same answer, review whether one stronger page would serve readers better before planning a merge and redirects.
Check canonical URLs when duplicates or URL variants appear. A canonical decision and a content merge solve different problems. mowteng never edits your site's pages; you make and verify any changes in your own publishing workflow.
Find the overlap by hand
In Search Console's search performance report, choose a date range and select a query. Switch to the pages view to see which URLs received impressions. Export the rows if you need to calculate each page's share. Repeat for important queries and compare dates for possible URL switching. Review the actual pages before interpreting the split as a problem.