Merge two thin posts or expand one? Check the keyword overlap first.

Merge two thin posts or expand one? Check the keyword overlap first.
Got five 600-word posts all orbiting the same topic. Two moves, and overlap decides which.
— High keyword overlap (they're cannibalizing each other in GSC, same queries, multiple URLs): MERGE into one definitive page, 301 the rest. Stops the self-competition instantly.
— Low overlap (each owns distinct queries, just shallow): EXPAND each in place. They're not fighting, they're just thin.
The mistake is merging posts that AREN'T cannibalizing — you'd kill two ranking pages to make one. Pull the GSC query report per URL before you touch anything.
Run a cannibalization check this week. Merge only the real overlaps.