Cannibalization of content - It's killing your revenues

Cannibalization of contentIt’s on the increase and it’s killing your revenues!

Jon Earnshaw@jonearnshaw @PiDatametricswww.pi-datametrics.com

November 2016

@jonearnshaw @PiDatametrics www.pi-datametrics.com

This is NOT aboutduplicate content

penalties


This is about Cannibalization


ContentConfusion

Conflict


3 PartsWhere we’re going wrong nowWhat happens when we turn our backsSaving revenue attrition


Why we’re in the state we’re in


40%of online marketing

budgets are spent on content!


So, why do we create content?


BUTWe’ve been making

two mistakes


Isolation


Curation


What happens when we turn our backs on our

content?


Four main types

● Internal conflict● Subdomain conflict● International conflict● Semantic flux


Internal ConflictThe most common cause of unexplained loss of visibility


Example 1We’re losing visibility left,

right and center!


Site: Large Retailer (with over 1000 stores across the US)Search Engine: Google USSearch Term: Multiple Clothing Terms - high volumeDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 10 October 2016


Site: Large Retailer (with over 1000 stores across the US)Search Engine: Google USSearch Term: wedding guest dressesDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 10 October 2016


Site: Large Retailer (with over 1000 stores across the US)Search Engine: Google USSearch Term: Petite maxi dressDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 10 October 2016


Site: Large Retailer (with over 1000 stores across the US)Search Engine: Google USSearch Term: Petite maxi dressDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 10 October 2016

Six conflicting pages including category, product and various facets


Example 2Why have we dropped

to the bottom of page 1?


Site: One of the largest online retailers in the US with almost 1000 stores across the countrySearch Engine: Google USSearch Term: travel luggageDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 10 October 2016


Site: One of the largest online retailers in the US with almost 1000 stores across the countrySearch Engine: Google USSearch Term: travel luggageDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 10 October 2016

Two completely different pages but with related content


Example 3Classic glass ceiling

followed by a fall


Site: Big four US bank (operating in over 100 countries)Search Engine: Google USSearch Term: best bank debit cardDate Range: 01 April 2016 - 10 October 2016


Site: Big four US bank (operating in over 100 countries)Search Engine: Google USSearch Term: best bank debit cardDate Range: 01 April 2016 - 10 October 2016

Three conflicting pages:● the canonical page● comparison page● special card page

This is why DEPTH of tracking is so important


Mai

n pa

geCo

mpa

rison

pag

eSp

ecia

l car

d p

age


Example 4A steady decline from page 1!


Site: US multinational retail chain with several thousand storesSearch Engine: Google USSearch Term: juicerDate Range: 01 April 2016 - 30 September 2016


What about Bing?


Site: Large department store (334 stores, in 39 states) Search Engine: Google US Search Term: Women’s suitsDate Range: 01 January 2016 - 10 October 2016

/designer-suits

/womens-clothing

/womens-work-suits

/womens-swimsuits

/womens-work-suiting


Site: Large department store (334 stores, in 39 states)Search Engine: Bing US Search Term: Women’s suitsDate Range: 01 January 2016 - 10 October 2016

/designer-suits

/womens-clothing

/womens-work-suits

/womens-swimsuits

/womens-work-suiting


Subdomain ConflictYes - they’re still out there!


One ExampleWhy is our visibility dropping?


Site: US hotel chain (with over 2000 hotels in North America alone)Search Engine: Google USSearch Term: best NYC hotelsDate Range: 01 April 2016 - 30 September 2016


Site: US hotel chain with over 2000 hotels in North America aloneSearch Engine: Google USSearch Term: best NYC hotelsDate Range: 01 April 2016 - 30 September 2016

An absence of coexistence!

book.subdomain

main domain


International Conflict


One ExampleHighly suspicious flux

in the credit card space


Site: One of the biggest credit card companies in the worldSearch Engine: Google USSearch Term: corporate cardsDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 30 September 2016

Canadian page


Site: One of the biggest credit card companies in the worldSearch Engine: Google USSearch Term: corporate cardsDate Range: 01 June 2016 - 30 September 2016

Canadian page

US subdomain


Semantic flux


One ExampleIt’s time to turn to the UK


Site: PC WorldSearch Engine: Google UKSearch Term: macbook airDate Range: 01 April 2016 - 30 September 2016


Taking better care of our content


Internal ConflictFinding it


You need dataDon’t be fooled by a straight line!

Always investigate suspicious flux


Internal ConflictFixing it


Cinque Terre


Site: Global Travel SiteSearch Engine: GoogleSearch Term: Cinque TerreDate Range: 11 June 2016 - 16 June 2016



Location page

Guide to best beaches

Guide to sailing


Don’t change anything just yet!


Do apparently conflicting pages position in their own right?


Sailing in the

Cinque Terre

Luxury travelguide to theCinque Terre

CinqueTerre


Cinque Terre

Sailing in theCinque Terre

Luxury guide to the

Cinque Terre

Dining out in the

Cinque Terre

Luxury guide to CT

Sailing in the CT Dining out in the CT

The Cinque Terre The Cinque Terre

Link


● Monitor the visibility of your content daily● Identify internal conflict● Remain inside the mind of your customers● Decide on the doorways into your world● Restrict your crawl space if necessary● Create appropriate hubs● Utilise intra-site linking


Internal ConflictPreventing it


Thinking of creating new content?

Follow these essential steps to avoid Internal Conflict...


5. LINK......any existing and relevant complementary pages to your new content, using the destination theme term as the anchor text. Don’t overdo it! These should benefit the searcher as well as Google.

6. THEME......The new page for this term and link back to it appropriately.

Ensure the Title is unique and containsthe term.

3. CHECK AGAIN: Try removing the ‘intitle:’ from the search operator.

1. BEGIN... ...with the customer.

What search phrase would they use to find your content? This forms the basis for Page Theming.

2. IMPORTANT:Before publishing ask yourself: “Do we have other similar or related content on-site?” Use the site operator in Google for clues:e.g. site:mysite.com intitle:search term

3. CHECK......the search results for the term you’re optimising for.

Do you see any pages from your domain?

YES

COMPLEMENTARY

4. ASK... Are the pages complementary or conflicting?

CONF

LICT

ING

NO

5. DECIDE:Which page do you want to position for the term you are optimising?

THE

NEW

PAG

E

AN EXISTING PAGE

6. COMPLEMENTYour new page is complementary. As it is new it has the potential to conflict so theme and link between this and the chosen existing page carefully. This page may well position in its own right for derivative and longer tail queries.

Thank you

Jon Earnshaw@jonearnshaw @PiDatametricswww.pi-datametrics.com

November 2016

Cannibalization of content - It's killing your revenues

Marketing

Transcript of Cannibalization of content - It's killing your revenues