Why Keyword Cannibalisation Isn’t Killing Your SEO for Lawyers Sydney Strategy

The term "keyword cannibalisation" floats around SEO discussions with a sense of dread. For many Sydney law firms, the fear is that creating multiple pages about similar practice areas, such as one for 'family law' and another for 'divorce proceedings', will cause Google to penalise their website, thereby sinking their rankings. But the truth is, the concept is widely misunderstood, especially for service-based businesses like yours. A well-structured SEO for lawyers in Sydney strategy doesn't just tolerate multiple service pages but actively uses them to capture a wider net of potential clients.

What Keyword Cannibalisation Looks Like in a Law Firm Context

At its core, keyword cannibalisation traditionally refers to a situation where multiple pages on your website compete against each other for the same search term in Google. The theory goes that this confusion makes it harder for Google to decide which page is the most relevant, potentially harming the rankings of all of them. But in the legal field, this "competition" is often a natural and necessary part of serving clients effectively.

Consider a potential client searching for legal help. Their journey might start broad, with a search for "Family Lawyer Sydney." As they learn more, their queries become more specific: "Child Custody Lawyer Sydney," "property settlement after divorce," or "binding financial agreement advice." Each of these searches signals a different need and a distinct stage in their legal journey. A generic "Family Law" page can't possibly address the nuances of each of these issues with the depth required.

Creating separate, detailed pages for each service demonstrates expertise and directly answers a user's specific problem. These pages aren't duplicates. They are targeted resources designed for different client intents, ensuring that no matter the query, your firm has a relevant, expert answer ready.

Why Google Doesn’t Punish Law Firms for Multiple Service Pages

The idea that Google actively punishes sites for this kind of content overlap is one of the biggest myths in SEO. In fact, Google’s own representatives have worked to dispel it. Search Advocate John Mueller has repeatedly stated that having multiple pages rank for the same or similar queries isn't a problem. He suggests that what people call "cannibalisation" is often a misdiagnosis for other, more tangible issues like thin content or poor site architecture. This perspective is crucial for law firms, where topical depth is a key signal of authority.

Google’s primary goal is to provide the best possible answer to a user's search. A person looking for a "divorce lawyer" has a different, broader intent than someone searching for a "child custody lawyer for fathers." A well-crafted page dedicated to the specific legalities and challenges of child custody will always be a better result for that user than a general overview page. By creating these distinct service pages, you are helping Google do its job better. This approach aligns perfectly with what we know about modern search behaviour, where users expect specific answers to their questions. The data below shows just how critical online visibility is, reinforcing the need for a comprehensive digital presence.

The Real SEO for Lawyers in Sydney Problems (Not Just Cannibalisation)

If keyword cannibalisation isn't the villain it's made out to be (Just a little bit), what are the real issues holding back your law firm's SEO? Often, the problems blamed on cannibalisation are symptoms of deeper strategic flaws. Identifying these is the first step towards meaningful growth.

The most common culprits include:

• Thin or Duplicate Content: This is the big one. If your "Divorce Lawyer Sydney" page and your "Family Lawyer Sydney" page contain nearly identical text, with only a few words changed, you have a problem. This isn't helpful overlap; it's low-effort content that offers no unique value to the reader or to search engines. Each page must have a distinct purpose and provide substantial, unique information.
• Poor Site Structure and Internal Linking: Without a clear and logical internal linking strategy, Google struggles to understand the hierarchy of your content. If you have a main "Criminal Law" page, it should link out to more specific pages like "Bail Applications" and "AVO Defence." These sub-pages should then link back to the main pillar page. This structure tells Google which page is the most important for a broad topic and how the specialised pages support it. A messy structure confuses search engines and users alike.
• Lack of Local Context: For a Sydney law firm, local SEO is non-negotiable. Many firms create generic service pages without optimising them for specific locations. If you serve clients in Parramatta, your website should reflect that. A lack of geographically targeted content means you’re missing out on the highly valuable local searches that drive client calls.
• Competing Blog Posts: Sometimes, a law firm will publish a blog post on a topic that is already covered by a primary service page. For example, writing a post titled "Everything You Need to Know About Wills" when you already have a comprehensive "Wills & Estates Lawyer" service page. This can genuinely split your authority and confuse Google about which asset to rank for high-intent searches.

Healthy Overlap vs. Harmful Duplication for Lawyers

Understanding the difference between productive content overlap and damaging duplication is key. It's not about avoiding similar topics entirely; it's about ensuring every page has a unique job to do.

Healthy overlap is a sign of topical authority. Imagine a client searches for "Estate Lawyer Sydney." It would be perfectly reasonable for Google to show your main "Wills & Estates" page, but also a more specific page on "Testamentary Trusts" or "Powers of Attorney." This shows Google that your website is a comprehensive resource on the entire subject. This kind of overlap increases your firm's credibility and captures a wider variety of search queries, from general to highly specific. It’s a feature, not a bug, of a strong content strategy.

Harmful duplication occurs when you create multiple pages with the same intent and nearly identical content just to target slight keyword variations. For example, having separate pages for "Sydney family lawyer," "family lawyer in Sydney," and "best Sydney family lawyers" that all say the same thing.

This offers no additional value and can dilute your ranking signals, forcing Google to guess which page is the "real" one. The goal is to create distinct value with each page, not just to carpet-bomb Google with keywords.

How Sydney Law Firms Should Handle Overlap

Instead of deleting pages out of fear, the solution is to manage your content strategically. SEO for lawyers in Sydney should build strategies to build a clear, logical website structure that guides both potential clients and search engines. A smart approach turns potential overlap into a clear strength.

A highly effective method is the 'hub and spoke' model. Think of your main practice area page, like "Family Law Sydney," as the central hub. This page provides a broad overview of your services. From this hub, you create 'spoke' pages for each distinct service within that practice area: 'Divorce Lawyers', 'Child Custody', 'Property Settlement', and 'Financial Agreements'.

The hub page links out to each spoke, and each spoke page links back to the hub. This creates a powerful content silo that establishes your authority on family law as a whole while allowing you to rank for very specific, high-intent keywords with your spoke pages.

Your internal linking strategy is the glue that holds this all together. Links should be used contextually to guide users to more detailed information. For instance, on your "Divorce Lawyers" page, when you mention property settlement, you should link directly to your dedicated "Property Settlement" page. This creates a seamless user experience and clearly signals the relationship between your pages to Google. Furthermore, widen your local reach by creating targeted pages for key suburbs you serve, moving beyond just the CBD to connect with clients where they live and work.

Turning Overlap Into Opportunity for Sydney Law Firms

Keyword cannibalisation isn’t the threat many law firms in Sydney believe it to be. For service-based practices, multiple pages on related topics aren’t harmful duplication, but an effective way to expand your search reach to your clients (At least when done correctly). The real risks come from thin content, poor internal linking, or missing local relevance, not from having too many pages.

A smart SEO for Lawyers Sydney strategy embraces service-specific pages, builds them into a clear hub-and-spoke structure, and uses internal linking to guide both users and Google. This approach strengthens topical authority, captures more search intent, and ensures every page serves a distinct purpose.

At SEO Growth, we help law firms move past the myths, turning content overlap into a competitive advantage. If you want a website that attracts clients, ranks for the right terms, and drives measurable growth, get in touch with us today.

‍