Keywords where a non-platform site ranks two pages in the top 10, by vertical (selected)
| Vertical | Keywords | % with a double |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate | 340 | 71.5% |
| Finance | 340 | 60.0% |
| Insurance | 338 | 56.8% |
| Dental and medical | 340 | 47.4% |
| Marketing | 340 | 44.4% |
| Software | 340 | 34.7% |
| Health | 340 | 22.4% |
| DIY | 340 | 20.0% |
| Supplements | 340 | 19.4% |
| Recipes | 334 | 16.2% |
| Fitness | 340 | 14.7% |
| All study keywords | 10,019 | 35.1% |
Source: PageSpeed Matters, Oct 2026. Selected verticals shown; the All row covers every study keyword. Large platforms excluded.
Summary
Keyword cannibalization is the worry that two pages on the same site compete for one search, so neither ranks as well as one strong page would. It is one of the most discussed on-page SEO problems, but there is little data on how often sites actually split a keyword across pages.
We measured it in Google's US top 10. Of 806 sites that reach the top 10 for at least 10 of our 10,019 keywords, 58.2% have at least one keyword where two different pages from the site rank at once. Two rankings are not always a problem, so this shows how common splits are, not how much traffic they cost.
What we measured
We looked at Google's US top 10 organic results for 10,019 study keywords in October 2026. We grouped each result by site (hostname) and counted the distinct URLs each site had per keyword. Two results count as different pages when their normalized URLs differ, after removing query strings, fragments, www and trailing slashes. A keyword where one site has two pages in the top 10 is a double.
The site figures cover the 806 sites that reach the top 10 for at least 10 study keywords. The keyword and doubles figures leave out a list of large platforms, such as marketplaces, video sites, forums and social networks, that appear across almost every kind of search.
Two limits matter. Sites with more top-10 keywords have more chances to double up. And a double is not proof of a problem: it can mean two strong pages that answer different needs.
Most larger sites rank twice somewhere
58.2% of the 806 sites that reach Google's top 10 for at least 10 study keywords have at least one keyword where two of their pages rank at once. 55.3% have at least one double where the two pages sit in non-adjacent positions, so these are not only two results grouped together under one listing.
For the typical site, doubles are a small share of its rankings. The median site has 8.1% of its top-10 result slots in doubles. Splits are common across sites, but they make up a minority of a typical site's appearances.
58.2%
Share of 806 sites in Google's US top 10 for at least 10 study keywords that have two pages ranking at once for at least one keyword.
More than a third of keywords show one site twice
Looking at it from the keyword side, 35.1% of the 10,019 keywords have at least one non-platform site ranking twice in the top 10.
The site holding the top spot is often the one that doubles. Of 4,185 non-platform doubles, 40.8% include the #1 result, so the site at #1 often takes a second slot on the same page too. Many doubles involve the page that already ranks first, which is a poor fit for the idea that two pages always hold each other back.
Real estate and finance are the most split
The kind of search matters a lot. Real estate searches are the most split: 71.5% of 340 real estate keywords have a non-platform site ranking two pages in the top 10. Finance follows at 60.0% of 340 and insurance at 56.8% of 338.
At the other end, fitness (14.7% of 340), recipes (16.2% of 334) and supplements (19.4% of 340) keywords are the least likely to show one site twice.
Real estate, finance and insurance sites usually publish many closely related pages, such as listings by area, product pages and rate pages, so two of them likely fit the same search more often. Recipe and fitness results are spread across many independent publishers, which likely leaves fewer chances for one site to take two slots.
Bigger sites double up more
Doubles become near universal for larger sites. 44.4% of 428 sites with 10 to 19 top-10 keywords have at least one, rising to 65.4% of 254 sites with 20 to 49, 86.4% of 66 sites with 50 to 99 and 96.6% of 58 sites with 100 or more.
Part of this is simple chance: a site that ranks for more keywords has more chances to land two pages on one of them. Size likely plays a part too: large sites have more pages on overlapping topics, so two of them are more likely to fit the same search.
What this means for your site
Finding two of your pages on one results page is normal, especially if your site is large. The question is whether both pages deserve to be there.
- In Search Console's performance report, filter by a query and open the Pages tab to see every URL that gets impressions for it.
- If both pages serve different needs, such as a guide and a product page, and both rank well, leave them alone.
- If the pages overlap and both rank lower than you would expect, merge them into one stronger page and redirect the weaker URL to it.
- If one page is clearly the main one, point internal links to it with descriptive anchor text, and make the titles and headings of the second page more distinct.
- For near-duplicate URLs, such as filtered or parameter versions of the same page, use a canonical tag to name the version you want indexed.
Sources
- PageSpeed Matters analysis of Google US top 10 organic results for 10,019 keywords, October 2026
- Google Search Central, How to specify a canonical URL with rel="canonical" and other methods: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/consolidate-duplicate-urls
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<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://www.pagespeedmatters.com/resources/data-studies/keyword-cannibalization-statistics">Two Pages, One Keyword: 58.2% of Sites Rank Twice in Google's Top 10 - PageSpeed Matters</a></p>
Frequently asked questions
How common is keyword cannibalization?
Very common among sites that rank widely. Of 806 sites in Google's US top 10 for at least 10 of our 10,019 keywords, 58.2% have at least one keyword where two of their pages rank at once. 35.1% of keywords show a non-platform site ranking twice.
Is it bad if two of my pages rank for the same keyword?
Not always. Of 4,185 non-platform doubles in our data, 40.8% include the #1 result, so the top-ranking site often holds a second slot too. It is worth a look when both pages overlap and both rank lower than expected.
Which industries have the most keyword cannibalization?
Real estate searches are the most split: 71.5% of 340 real estate keywords have a site ranking two pages in the top 10, followed by finance at 60.0% and insurance at 56.8%. Fitness, recipes and supplements are the least split, at 14.7%, 16.2% and 19.4%.
How do I find keyword cannibalization on my site?
In Search Console's performance report, filter by a query and check the Pages tab for more than one URL. The median site in our data has 8.1% of its top-10 slots in doubles, so expect a few, and focus on the ones where neither page ranks well.
When two pages split a keyword without helping each other, merging or differentiating them is a contained fix that gives one page the full weight. Need help with this? See our on-page SEO services.