Find Cannibalising Google Shopping Listings Without a Spreadsheet

Right, let's talk about the elephant in the room. You've got multiple product listings fighting each other in Google Shopping like two Spider-Men pointing at each other, and you're losing money whilst they duke it out. The worst part? You probably don't even know it's happening because you've been too busy wrestling with Excel sheets that crash every time you open them.

Here's the thing about cannibalisation in Google Shopping: it's not just annoying, it's expensive. When your own products compete against each other, you're essentially bidding against yourself, driving up costs whilst confusing Google about which product deserves the prime real estate. It's like running two identical ads and wondering why your CPC went through the roof.

The Real Cost of Shopping Cannibalization

Before we dive into the detection methods, let's be brutally honest about what this is costing you. When multiple SKUs target the same search terms, you're not just splitting impressions, you're actively damaging your Quality Score. Google sees multiple pages from your site competing for the same query and thinks, "Blimey, these people don't know what they're selling."

The result? Higher CPCs, lower impression share, and that sinking feeling when you realise you've been paying premium prices to compete against yourself. It's the PPC equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot, then wondering why you're limping.

Method 1: The Google Search Console Detective Work

Forget complex spreadsheets. Your first port of call should be Google Search Console, which is free and doesn't require a degree in data analysis to understand.

Navigate to the Performance report and filter by your most important product keywords. Here's where it gets interesting: scroll down to the "Pages" section and look for keywords where multiple URLs are showing up. If you see three different product pages all ranking for "waterproof hiking boots," congratulations, you've found your cannibals.

The beauty of this method is that it shows you exactly what Google thinks about your site structure. If multiple pages are appearing for the same search term, Google is essentially saying, "I can't tell which page you want me to show, so I'll just rotate between them randomly." Brilliant for your conversion rates, obviously.

Pay particular attention to queries where the rankings fluctuate between different URLs. This flip-flopping is a dead giveaway that Google is confused about your site architecture, and confused algorithms don't buy anything.

Method 2: The Manual SERP Investigation

Sometimes the most effective approach is refreshingly simple: just Google your own products. Use site-specific searches with the format site:yoursite.com "hiking boots waterproof" and see what comes up.

This manual approach reveals something spreadsheets often miss: the actual user experience. When you search for your products, you're seeing exactly what your potential customers see. If multiple similar products appear for the same query, your customers are facing the same confusion that's plaguing your ad performance.

The trick here is to think like your customers, not like a PPC manager. Search for the terms they'd actually use, not the technically correct product names you've optimised for. You might discover that your "Men's Waterproof Hiking Footwear" and "Waterproof Men's Walking Boots" are fighting each other for the exact same customer intent.

Method 3: The Shopping Tab Reality Check

Here's where it gets properly interesting. Open an incognito browser window (because your search history is skewing results) and search for your key product terms directly in Google's Shopping tab.

Look for instances where multiple products from your site appear for the same search query. This is cannibalisation in action: your products are literally competing for the same eyeballs, the same clicks, and the same customers.

What you're looking for are situations where similar products with overlapping keywords are both showing up. It's particularly problematic when one product has better margins or conversion rates than the other, but the lower-performing product is getting more visibility.

The Shopping tab view also reveals something crucial: how your products appear compared to competitors. If your cannibalising products are pushing each other down in the results, you're essentially giving your competitors free real estate.

Method 4: The Performance Max Audit

If you're running Performance Max campaigns (and let's face it, Google has probably forced you into them), you need to audit these differently. PMax campaigns can create particularly sneaky cannibalisation issues because they pull product data from your feed and make their own decisions about which products to promote.

Check your asset group performance to identify which products are getting traffic for similar search terms. Look for patterns where multiple asset groups are triggering for the same customer searches. This is especially common when you've structured your PMax campaigns around product categories that have overlapping keywords.

The solution isn't always obvious here, because PMax campaigns have a mind of their own. But identifying the cannibalisation is the first step towards either consolidating campaigns or adjusting your product feed to be more specific about which products should appear for which queries.

Method 5: The Customer Search Term Analysis

Dive into your actual search terms report (the one Google keeps trying to hide from us). Look for instances where the same customer search query is triggering multiple different products from your catalogue.

This analysis reveals the gap between what you think your products should rank for and what customers are actually searching for. Often, you'll discover that products you thought were targeting different markets are actually competing for the same customer intent.

Pay special attention to search terms with high commercial intent. If multiple products are appearing for queries like "buy waterproof boots online," you're splitting your chances of conversion across multiple listings instead of presenting one strong, optimised option.

The Quick Fix Framework

Once you've identified cannibalising listings, you don't need complex spreadsheet formulas to fix them. Here's the straightforward approach:

Consolidate or differentiate. Either merge similar products into a single, stronger listing, or make their differences crystal clear through more specific targeting and product descriptions.

Audit your negative keywords. Add the weaker-performing product as a negative keyword for the stronger one's campaigns, and vice versa where appropriate.

Restructure your campaigns. Group truly similar products together instead of letting them compete across different campaigns.

Update your product titles and descriptions. Make it obvious to both Google and customers why each product exists and who it's for.

The goal isn't to eliminate all competition between your products: it's to ensure that when competition happens, it's intentional and beneficial. Sometimes having two products compete makes sense if they target genuinely different customer segments or price points.

Beyond the Quick Fixes

The most successful e-commerce brands treat cannibalisation as an ongoing audit process, not a one-time fix. Set up regular checks using these methods, because your product catalogue changes, customer behaviour evolves, and Google's algorithms love to shake things up just when you think you've got everything sorted.

Remember, the goal isn't perfect organisation: it's profitable organisation. Sometimes a bit of controlled cannibalisation can actually increase your overall market share if it's managed strategically.

Ready to stop your products from fighting each other and start making them work as a team? Get in touch with our team at JudeLuxe for a strategic audit that doesn't require you to become a spreadsheet wizard.