# Content Cannibalization Audit

Identify URLs competing for the same reader task, diagnose whether overlap is harmful, and choose consolidation, redirection, differentiation, or no action.

## Usage note

Shared words or queries do not automatically mean harmful cannibalization. Diagnose whether pages serve the same reader task and divide signals or confuse navigation before merging or redirecting anything.

## How to use this template

1. Define the suspected overlap and collect page, query, indexing, link, and content evidence.
2. Write the distinct reader task and contribution of every affected URL.
3. diagnose editorial, internal-link, canonical, redirect, and localization causes.
4. Choose no action, differentiation, consolidation, redirection, or retirement with a rollback record.
5. Implement all dependent updates and monitor page-query behavior after search systems reprocess changes.

## Blank template

### Audit scope and baseline

- **Query family or topic:** [Enter]
- **Reason for audit:** [Observed overlap, traffic change, duplicate content, migration]
- **Measurement period:** [Enter dates and comparison period]
- **Country, device, and search type:** [Record filters]
- **Known external changes:** [Seasonality, launch, algorithm, competition, other]
- **Audit owner and date:** [Name, YYYY-MM-DD]

### Candidate URL record

Duplicate for each URL.

- **URL and index status:** [Enter]
- **Canonical selected and declared:** [Enter]
- **Title and H1:** [Enter]
- **Primary reader task:** [Describe without keywords]
- **Unique value:** [Evidence, tool, example, workflow, perspective]
- **Primary action:** [Describe]
- **Query impressions, clicks, and average position:** [Record with period]
- **Internal anchors and key source pages:** [Summarize]
- **External links or important history:** [Record]
- **Freshness and maintenance owner:** [Date, team]
- **Content risk:** [Thin / Outdated / Conflicting / Duplicate / None]

### Overlap diagnosis

- [ ] The pages serve the same task, not merely the same broad topic.
- [ ] Query-page assignment changes materially over time.
- [ ] Titles, headings, and internal anchors send conflicting signals.
- [ ] Important facts, offers, or instructions disagree.
- [ ] Technical duplicates, parameters, canonicals, or old routes were checked.
- [ ] Seasonal, competitive, measurement, and quality explanations were considered.
- **Diagnosis:** [Healthy coverage / Harmful overlap / Technical duplicate / Inconclusive]
- **Evidence supporting diagnosis:** [Summarize]

### Decision and implementation

- **Chosen action:** [No action / Differentiate / Merge / Redirect / Retire]
- **Destination or retained URL:** [Enter]
- **Unique material to preserve:** [List by source URL]
- **Material to remove or update:** [List]
- **Title, heading, and internal-link changes:** [List]
- **Redirect and canonical plan:** [Status and owner]
- **Sitemap, navigation, schema, and locale updates:** [List]
- **Backup or rollback reference:** [Enter]
- **Approver and implementation date:** [Name, date]

### Monitoring

- **Baseline saved at:** [Enter reference]
- **Recheck dates:** [List]
- **Indexing and canonical result:** [Record]
- **Query-page distribution:** [Describe change]
- **Clicks and user outcome:** [Compare cautiously]
- **Unexpected loss or conflict:** [Describe]
- **Next decision:** [Keep / Adjust / Roll back / Investigate]