This week’s Ask An SEO question comes from Caroline in Cleveland, who wrote:
Multiple divisions of our company want to rank for the same keywords.
Are there any tips for how to approach this type of situation? It seems like our company will be competing against itself in SERPs for page 1 rankings.
Nowadays, people are far too concerned about keyword cannibalization.
The reality is that if you work for a company where it makes sense for several products to rank for the same keyword, you may find that one of your sites ranks higher than the other.
However, in most cases, this isn’t the big deal that Bill over at “blue widgets” would have you believe.
The fact that more than one product ranks for “blue widgets” does not imply that obtaining the sale or lead is a zero-sum game.
In fact, having a multi-divisional corporation rank for multiple keywords related to the same topic gives you a much better chance of creating a branded preference for your goods and services.
You also have a better chance of being the location of the sale.
Read 2022 Local SEO Success: The Year of Everywhere.
Divisions Should Share Data
It is preferable to share information with your divisional counterparts.
When people keep things from each other, it’s easy to create a hostile work environment.
Heads of divisions must communicate with one another about how they intend to collaborate rather than how they intend to beat the competition within their own company.
For example, each division should cross-promote the other through graphics on ranking pages.
After all, if both divisions rank for the same keywords, it stands to reason that they should cross-promote each other.
After all, if you’re looking for a “red widget” but end up on the “blue widget” page – if you see a promotion for the “red widget,” you’re more likely to click on it.
Set Communication With Higher-ups
In reality, my experience has taught me that ranking a few spots higher than a competitor does not always translate into an increase in sales.
If your company has multiple divisions that rank for specific keywords related to a topic, you should be able to track how much traffic and sales those queries are generating.
You must communicate these figures to your superiors.
Make it clear that the goal is to increase and traffic sales in aggregate rather than judging each division separately.
Working to increase the overall pie rather than just what each division collects will strengthen the entire corporation.
It can be difficult for those in charge of the company to see this at times.
As a result, it is critical to communicate the message of “overall growth” early and frequently.
Compete – But Help One Another
You want to outrank your divisional competitor, but even if you don’t (and they do), it’s still beneficial to the organization as a whole.
When your divisional counterparts aren’t performing well, you should assist them.
Give each other advice on how to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
If you and your divisional counterparts rank first and second on the SERP, you are more likely to close the sale – or at the very least, create a brand preference.
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Read What You Should Know About Keyword Prominence As A Ranking Factor In Google.
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