SERP similarity explores how closely search results across various queries resemble one another. Understanding how much the SERP overlap allows you to target multiple keywords with fewer pieces of content, avoid keyword cannibalization, and refine your approach to keyword selection.
In this article, let’s see what SERP similarity is and how you can use it to refine your content strategy.
Table of Contents
👉 Copy the Python script directly
What is SERP similarity?
SERP similarity is the degree to which search results for different queries are alike. It refers to how much the same URLs or websites appear in the SERPs for multiple queries. The higher the SERP similarity, the more search engines view the queries as being closely related in terms of search intent or topical relevance.
What is SERP overlap?
SERP overlap is a more focused view, calculating the exact number of shared URLs between two or more SERPs.
For example, if two keywords have a SERP overlap of 50%, it means that half of the top results are the same for both keywords.
- High Overlap: If more than 50% of the top results for two queries are the same, there’s a high overlap, suggesting that these queries are treated as very similar by search engines.
- Medium Overlap: When 20%-50% of the top results overlap, it indicates some similarity but enough distinction that separate content strategies might still be beneficial.
- Low Overlap: If fewer than 20% of the top results overlap, the queries are likely being treated as distinct by search engines, warranting different content approaches.
How to analyse SERP overlap with Python in Google Colab
There are some online SERP overlap tools available online, but they don’t always have the information I need or require to sign up. Thus I have created a script to compare SERP similarity and overlap using Python in Google Colab.
The output of the script can:
- Compare SERPs for multiple queries.
- Calculate SERP overlap percentage
- Show the ranking positions of URLs that appear in two or more queries.
- Visualise overlap with Venn diagrams (only if you comparing up to three queries)
Before using the script, you should obtain your own Custom Search JSON API key and programmable search engine ID, and replace yours in the script. Please also note that the API only provides 100 search queries per day for free.
You can follow these steps to use the SERP Overlap Checker:
- Open the script in Colab notebook and make a copy to your Drive
- Replace with your API key and custom search engine ID
- Define your search query / keyword
- Define the region and/or language of your search
- Hit the Play button
Then you will find the output of the SERP Overlap Checker:
How SERP Overlap Refines Content Strategy
SERP overlap analysis provides actionable insights that can help shape a more efficient and targeted content strategy. Here’s how it can refine your approach:
1. Create Content Clusters
Content clusters are a proven SEO strategy that involves creating a comprehensive, pillar piece of content supported by related sub-topics. If multiple keywords show significant SERP overlap, this is an indication that they could be addressed in a content cluster.
For example, if SERPs for “best running shoes” and “running shoes for marathon training” overlap significantly, a single, well-structured piece could cover both topics comprehensively.
This strategy ensures that you’re not creating redundant content but instead building a structured network of related content that enhances topic authority.
2. Consolidate Similar Pages
If you notice that certain keywords have high overlap, it suggests that search engines treat them as almost interchangeable. Instead of creating separate content for each keyword that ultimately leads to duplicate content, you can group them into a single optimized page.
This allows you to streamline your content creation process and focus on optimizing fewer, higher-quality pages that target multiple keywords.
3. Expand into Low-Overlap Queries
Not all keywords will have significant SERP overlap. When you identify queries with low overlap, these often represent niche opportunities where the competition is different or less intense.
Targeting these low-overlap keywords can allow you to create specialized content that serves underserved audiences, giving you a better chance of ranking without battling against highly authoritative sites.
4. Adjust content depth and focus
When you analyze SERP similarity, you might notice that top-ranking pages for certain queries are more comprehensive or detailed than others. If high overlap is found between queries like “how to train a dog” and “best dog training methods,” it suggests that a single piece of content addressing both might be more effective. Adjusting your content depth based on SERP overlap helps ensure that you are meeting user intent and providing the right level of detail.
Conclusion
Analyzing SERP overlap is a useful way to guide your SEO strategy and make more informed content creation decisions. Take your time to play around with the script to analyze SERP overlap to suit your own needs.
If you find this script useful, feel free to share it on social media. Or if you have any feedback, you can reach out to me.
