(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
When two or more of your pages compete for the same Chinese search term on Baidu, you don’t split the traffic — you destroy it. Keyword cannibalization silently erases 40–70% of your potential organic visibility in China. These five diagnostic and repair methods have rescued dozens of overseas brands from self-inflicted ranking collapse.
1. Cannibalization Detection Using Baidu Webmaster Tools
1.1 Duplicate Ranking Report Analysis Baidu Search Console’s “Search Performance” tab flags every URL ranking for the same keyword — export weekly and filter for >1 URL per high-volume term. Track impression share drop: if total impressions for a keyword fall 25%+ despite steady search volume, cannibalization is active.
1.2 Click Distribution Imbalance If the #3-ranking page gets 60% of clicks while your intended money page at #1 gets only 15%, Baidu has chosen the wrong winner. Use “URL Inspection” to see which page Baidu considers most relevant.
2. Intent Clustering to Eliminate Overlap
2.1 Single-Intent URL Rule Map every Chinese keyword to one primary intent (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional) and assign exactly one target URL. Create a master spreadsheet: keyword → intent → canonical URL → content type.
2.2 301 Redirect Consolidation Permanently redirect thinner, older, or duplicate pages to the chosen primary URL using Baidu’s “URL Removal” + 301 protocol. Update internal links within 48 hours to reinforce the new hierarchy.
3. Internal Linking Architecture Reset
3.1 Anchor Text Silo Enforcement Audit every internal link: anchor text must point to the single canonical page for that keyword cluster. Replace generic anchors (“learn more”) with exact-match Chinese anchors only on the target page.
4. Content Differentiation & Deoptimization
4.1 Keyword Density Rebalancing Reduce target keyword density on secondary pages to <0.8% and remove H1/H2 usage entirely. Repurpose cannibal pages into supporting content (e.g., “comparison guide” or “user reviews”) that link only to the main page.
Case Study: UK Fashion Retailer Recovers 442% Traffic After Cannibalization Purge
A British fast-fashion brand had 47 product listing pages ranking for “oversized hoodie women” — none above position 12. Using Baidu Search Console, we identified 41 cannibal pages, 301-redirected them to one optimized category page, rewrote supporting blogs to link only to the canonical, and submitted updated sitemap. Result: the single page jumped to #1, organic traffic for the term grew 442% in 60 days, and monthly China revenue increased ¥3.8M.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
