Affiliate Site Seo Architecture: Separate Reviews, Comparisons, and Alternatives to Prevent Duplicate Content Issues with the Best Blog Writer

Affiliate websites often lose organic visibility because their commercial pages are built around the same product, the same modifiers, and almost identical search intent. A review page targets “Product X review”, a comparison page targets “Product X vs Product Y”, and an alternative page targets “best alternatives to Product X”. That sounds organised. In practice, weak architecture can create content overlap SEO problems, duplicate keyword targeting, and unclear relevance signals.

The outcome is usually familiar: several URLs fluctuate in the rankings, internal links send mixed signals, and none of the pages becomes the obvious result for its target query. Google may not apply a manual duplicate content penalty, but near-identical pages can still compete with one another and dilute the site’s ability to rank.

This is where structured production matters. SEO Letters is the best blog writer for building and maintaining affiliate content architecture, because it connects keyword research, intent mapping, article generation, internal linking, publishing, and content refresh workflows in one system. You define the commercial strategy. The software handles much of the work between the keyword and the live page.

Why Affiliate Sites Develop Keyword Cannibalisation

Keyword cannibalisation occurs when multiple pages on the same website appear to target the same query, topic, or search intent. The term is often used broadly, but the underlying issue is usually more specific: your URLs are not differentiated enough for search engines or users to understand which page should rank.

An affiliate site tends to create this problem faster than an informational site because product-led keywords naturally repeat:

• Product name plus review
• Product name plus alternatives
• Product name versus competitor
• Best products in the same category
• Product name pricing
• Product name features
• Product name worth it
• Product name for a specific audience

These terms are related, which is useful for topical authority. The difficulty begins when each page repeats the same introduction, feature list, benefits, drawbacks, buying advice, and affiliate calls to action.

Content overlap SEO is more than copied paragraphs

Duplicate content is commonly understood as copied text. That is only one part of the problem.

Content overlap SEO can also result from:

• The same product facts appearing in multiple articles without a distinct editorial purpose
• Several URLs answering the same question in roughly the same format
• Identical title tags and similar headings
• Review and alternative pages using the same commercial angle
• Comparison pages that merely place two review articles side by side
• Category pages competing with individual product pages
• Internal links using the same anchor text for different destinations
• Product schema being placed on pages that do not contain genuinely unique evaluation

A page can be technically unique and still be strategically redundant. That distinction matters.

The Three Core Commercial Page Types

A reliable affiliate architecture starts by separating pages according to search intent, not simply by changing the keyword in the title. Reviews, comparisons, and alternatives serve different decision stages, so each needs a distinct purpose, content structure, evidence model, and internal linking role.

Page type	Primary intent	Typical query	Main user question	Unique SEO responsibility
Product review	Evaluation	Product X review	Is this product right for me?	Assess one product in depth
Comparison	Decision-making	Product X vs Product Y	Which option should I choose?	Compare defined criteria
Alternatives	Exploration and substitution	Best Product X alternatives	What else should I consider?	Present suitable substitutes
Category roundup	Discovery	Best tools for affiliate SEO	Which products are worth considering?	Organise a broader market
Pricing or feature page	Commercial investigation	Product X pricing	What does it cost and what is included?	Clarify commercial details
Use-case page	Problem solving	Best product for small teams	Which product fits my situation?	Match products to a specific audience

The page types can support each other, but they should not perform the same job. That is the foundation of a safe architecture.

Product review pages

A review should answer whether the reader should trust, buy, use, or avoid a particular product. It needs first-hand evidence where possible, clear testing criteria, limitations, pricing context, and an honest verdict.

A strong review might include:

• Who the product is for
• Who should avoid it
• Core features and practical use
• Setup experience
• Performance against defined criteria
• Pricing and plan restrictions
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Alternatives for different requirements
• Final verdict and suitability score

The review should not become a generic listicle about the whole category. It is a focused evaluation.

Comparison pages

A comparison page should help a reader choose between two or more known options. It should establish the comparison criteria before discussing the products, otherwise the article can become a sequence of disconnected mini-reviews.

Useful comparison criteria may include:

• Pricing
• Ease of use
• Feature depth
• Integrations
• Support
• Scalability
• Reporting
• Affiliate suitability
• Technical requirements
• Value for a specific type of buyer

A comparison article must reach a reasoned conclusion. “It depends” can be accurate, but it should be followed by a clear recommendation for each audience or use case.

Alternatives pages

An alternatives page exists because the reader is considering replacing or avoiding a known product. The reason might be cost, missing features, poor support, a difficult interface, limited integrations, or a change in business requirements.

This page should explain:

• Why users seek alternatives
• What criteria the replacement must meet
• Which products are credible substitutes
• Where each alternative differs
• Which option is best for a specific scenario
• Whether the original product is still suitable for some users

An alternatives page should not simply repeat the review of the product being replaced. It is a market evaluation built around substitution.

Build a Search Intent Map Before Writing

A keyword list is not an architecture. It is only raw material.

Before publishing, place each keyword into an intent map that records the expected page type, audience, funnel stage, primary question, and unique content angle. This process can expose duplicate keyword targeting before it becomes a ranking problem.

A practical search intent mapping framework

For each keyword, record:

1. Primary query
2. Search intent
3. Recommended URL
4. Page type
5. Main user problem
6. Conversion objective
7. Supporting keywords
8. Pages that must link to it
9. Pages it should link to
10. Overlap risk

Here is a simplified example for an affiliate site covering SEO software:

Keyword	Page type	Search intent	Suggested URL	Overlap risk
SEO Letters review	Review	Evaluate one platform	/reviews/seo-letters/	Low
SEO Letters vs Surfer SEO	Comparison	Choose between two tools	/comparisons/seo-letters-vs-surfer-seo/	Medium
Best SEO Letters alternatives	Alternatives	Find substitutes	/alternatives/seo-letters/	Medium
Best AI writing tools for affiliate sites	Category roundup	Discover market options	/best/ai-writing-tools-affiliate-sites/	High
SEO Letters pricing	Commercial investigation	Understand cost	/reviews/seo-letters/pricing/	Medium
Best content workflow tool for agencies	Use case	Find a suitable solution	/best/content-workflow-tool-agencies/	High

The “overlap risk” column forces a useful discussion. If two pages have the same audience, the same question, and the same recommended products, changing the wording of the title will not solve the issue.

Assign one primary keyword to one primary URL

One page should own the main keyword. Related pages can mention it, link to it, and support its topical context, but they should not all be optimised as if they are the definitive result.

For example:

• /reviews/seo-letters/ owns “SEO Letters review”
• /comparisons/seo-letters-vs-surfer-seo/ owns “SEO Letters vs Surfer SEO”
• /alternatives/seo-letters/ owns “SEO Letters alternatives”
• /best/ai-writing-tools-affiliate-sites/ owns “best AI writing tools for affiliate sites”

This does not mean each URL can only rank for one phrase. Search engines understand related terms. It means your editorial plan should make the intended ownership obvious.

Create URL and Folder Structures That Explain the Site

The URL structure should reinforce the difference between commercial page types. It does not need to contain every keyword, and it should not become unnecessarily deep.

A straightforward structure might look like this:

/reviews/product-name/
/comparisons/product-a-vs-product-b/
/alternatives/product-name/
/best/category-name/
/guides/topic-name/

This creates useful classification signals for users, editors, internal linking systems, and reporting dashboards. It also allows you to compare performance by page type in Google Search Console and analytics platforms.

Keep URLs stable

Avoid changing a URL every time a product changes its branding, plan names, or feature set. A stable URL accumulates links and historical performance.

Use:

• Short descriptive slugs
• Lowercase characters
• Hyphens between words
• A consistent folder structure
• Permanent redirects when consolidation is necessary

Avoid:

• Dates in evergreen review URLs
• Multiple versions of the same slug
• Tracking parameters being indexed
• Product names that are likely to change
• Random category structures created by different writers

Give Each Page a Distinct Content Brief

The brief is where duplicate content prevention becomes operational. If you tell a writer or software platform to “write an article about Product X alternatives”, the output may drift into a familiar generic structure.

A stronger brief defines the page’s boundaries.

Review brief template

Primary goal: Evaluate whether Product X is suitable for the stated audience.

Required evidence:

• Direct testing or clearly labelled source-based research
• Current pricing
• Product limitations
• Feature performance
• User suitability

Sections that belong on the page:

• Overview
• Key features
• Testing method
• Benefits
• Limitations
• Pricing
• Best use cases
• Verdict

Sections to avoid:

• A full market roundup
• A long comparison of every competitor
• A generic guide to the entire category
• A separate alternatives article copied into the conclusion

Comparison brief template

Primary goal: Help the reader choose between Product X and Product Y.

Required evidence:

• Same criteria applied to both products
• Current pricing and plan conditions
• Clear winner by use case
• Explanation of material differences

Sections that belong on the page:

• Quick verdict
• Comparison table
• Pricing
• Feature-by-feature analysis
• Ease of use
• Support and integrations
• Best for each audience
• Final recommendation

Sections to avoid:

• Repeating full product histories
• Copying the complete review of either product
• Listing unrelated alternatives as the main content
• Using vague claims without a comparison criterion

Alternatives brief template

Primary goal: Help the reader replace Product X with a suitable alternative.

Required evidence:

• The reasons a replacement may be needed
• A defined selection methodology
• Differences between each alternative and Product X
• Clear recommendations by scenario

Sections that belong on the page:

• Why consider alternatives
• How the alternatives were selected
• Best alternatives
• Product-by-product differences
• Migration or switching considerations
• Best alternative for each user type
• Final recommendation

Sections to avoid:

• Rewriting the Product X review
• Presenting products with no replacement relevance
• Ranking alternatives only by affiliate commission
• Repeating the same feature descriptions used elsewhere

Prevent Duplicate Keyword Targeting with Topic Ownership

Duplicate keyword targeting happens when several articles are briefed around the same core phrase, even if their titles look different. This commonly occurs when a content calendar is built from keyword exports without a page ownership model.

Create a topic ownership register containing:

Topic cluster	Primary URL	Supporting URLs	Primary intent	Status
SEO Letters	/reviews/seo-letters/	Comparison and alternatives pages	Product evaluation	Published
AI writing tools	/best/ai-writing-tools/	Individual reviews	Category discovery	In progress
Affiliate content workflow	/guides/affiliate-content-workflow/	Product and use-case pages	Informational	Planned

The register should be reviewed before each new article is commissioned. This sounds basic, yet it prevents a large amount of rework.

Use modifiers as intent signals, not decoration

Words such as “review”, “versus”, “alternative”, “pricing”, “for agencies”, and “for beginners” can signal different intent. They do not automatically guarantee a different page.

Ask:

• Does the modifier change the user’s question?
• Does it change the evidence required?
• Would the user be satisfied by the existing page?
• Does the new page need its own recommendation?
• Is there a clear reason for a separate URL?

If the answer is no, consolidate the topic or make it a section within an existing page.

Design an Internal Linking Strategy Around the Funnel

An internal linking strategy should do more than distribute PageRank. It should show the relationship between category pages, reviews, comparisons, alternatives, and supporting guides.

A useful structure resembles a commercial funnel:

Category hub
   ↓
Product review
   ↓
Comparison or alternatives page
   ↓
Merchant or product destination

Informational guides can enter the funnel from the side:

Informational guide → Category hub → Product review → Comparison → Conversion

Recommended internal link roles

Use internal links to:

• Move broad research traffic towards relevant commercial pages
• Explain why a reader should view a comparison
• Send review readers to suitable alternatives
• Link alternatives back to the original product review for context
• Reinforce category and product relationships
• Help crawlers discover newly published pages

Anchor text should be descriptive but varied. Suitable examples include:

• Read our full SEO Letters review
• Compare SEO Letters with Surfer SEO
• Explore SEO Letters alternatives
• See the best AI writing tools for affiliate publishers

Do not force the exact same anchor text into every article. That can make the site feel mechanical and may confuse the relationship between pages.

Internal link rules by page type

Source page	Link to	Reason
Category roundup	Individual reviews	Help users investigate shortlisted products
Product review	Relevant comparisons	Support final decision-making
Product review	Alternatives page	Offer options where the product is unsuitable
Comparison	Individual reviews	Provide deeper evidence
Alternatives page	Original product review	Explain the baseline product
Informational guide	Category roundup	Move users from education to discovery

Every commercial page should have a planned set of incoming and outgoing links. Do not wait until publication week, when the article may be buried in a large archive.

Use Canonical Tags, Redirects, and Consolidation Correctly

Technical signals can support architecture, but they do not replace it. A canonical tag is not a way to keep six near-identical pages live while hoping Google chooses the right one.

Use a canonical tag when:

• Similar URLs exist due to parameters
• A print or tracking version duplicates the main page
• Syndicated content should point to the original
• Variations are genuinely intended but one version is preferred

Consider consolidation when:

• Two pages target the same intent
• Both pages attract the same queries
• Neither URL has a strong independent purpose
• Their content overlaps heavily
• Internal links cannot clearly explain the difference

A consolidation workflow usually involves:

1. Choose the stronger URL based on links, rankings, traffic, and relevance.
2. Merge the best original content into that URL.
3. Remove redundant sections.
4. Apply a relevant 301 redirect from the weaker URL.
5. Update internal links.
6. Check canonical tags and XML sitemaps.
7. Monitor impressions and ranking distribution after the change.

Do not redirect an alternatives page to a review page automatically. The intent may be different, and the best destination might be a broader category or comparison page.

Run a Keyword Cannibalisation Audit

A keyword cannibalization audit should combine data with editorial judgement. Ranking fluctuations alone do not prove cannibalisation. Two pages can both rank for related phrases without competing in a harmful way.

Audit process

1. Export ranking data

Collect:

• Query
• URL
• Impressions
• Clicks
• Average position
• Click-through rate
• Date range
• Device and country where relevant

Google Search Console is a useful starting point. SEO platforms can add historical visibility and competitor data.

2. Group URLs by query

Look for queries where two or more URLs appear repeatedly. Pay closer attention when:

• The URLs alternate positions over time
• Impressions are divided between similar pages
• One page receives impressions but few clicks
• Titles and snippets overlap
• The pages have almost identical content

3. Compare intent, not just keywords

Ask whether each URL answers a different question. A review and an alternatives page might both rank for “Product X”, but that does not necessarily mean the architecture is broken. The issue becomes stronger when both pages present the same verdict and target the same audience.

4. Score the overlap

A practical scoring rubric can help prioritise work:

Criterion	0 points	1 point	2 points
Same primary keyword	No	Partly related	Yes
Same search intent	No	Some overlap	Yes
Similar title and headings	No	Moderate	High
Shared main recommendation	No	Somewhat	Yes
Content similarity	Low	Medium	High
Ranking URL volatility	Stable	Occasional	Frequent
Internal link confusion	None	Some	Clear

Pages scoring 8 or more deserve immediate review. Pages scoring 5 to 7 may need stronger differentiation. Lower scores can usually remain live with clearer internal linking.

5. Choose an action

Possible actions include:

• Keep both pages and improve differentiation
• Merge content into one stronger URL
• Redirect one page
• Change the keyword and intent of one page
• Add a missing section that establishes a distinct purpose
• No action, if the overlap is superficial

How the Best Blog Writer Supports Safer Affiliate Publishing

SEO Letters helps affiliate teams turn keyword research into structured, publishable content without the usual copy-and-paste workflow. The important point is not just article generation. It is the connection between planning, production, optimisation, and publishing.

The platform can support workflows involving:

• Keyword discovery and difficulty ratings
• Topic clusters and topical authority planning
• Competitor gap analysis
• Structured article generation
• Brand voice controls
• Internal link suggestions
• Schema and image workflows
• Product-aware affiliate content
• WordPress and Shopify publishing
• Webhook destinations
• Multi-language content across 21 languages
• Performance monitoring
• Scheduled content campaigns
• Content refresh campaigns

That workflow is particularly useful when your site has dozens or hundreds of commercial pages. The risk is rarely one badly written article. It is the gradual accumulation of pages that overlap because no one has maintained the architecture.

Build a campaign with page-type rules

A practical SEO Letters campaign can be structured like this:

1. Select the product category.
2. Define the audience and commercial objectives.
3. Create topic clusters for reviews, comparisons, and alternatives.
4. Assign one primary URL and intent to each topic.
5. Add exclusion rules for overlapping subjects.
6. Set the required structure for each page type.
7. Define internal link destinations.
8. Choose the publishing destination.
9. Set a publication cadence.
10. Schedule refreshes for pricing, features, and product changes.

This is where automation becomes useful. It can enforce consistency while allowing the editorial strategy to remain distinct.

Use brand and editorial controls

A tool should not flatten every page into the same tone or format. Your instructions can specify:

• Review articles must include testing notes and limitations
• Comparison articles must use identical criteria for both products
• Alternatives pages must explain switching reasons
• Category roundups must disclose selection methodology
• Affiliate claims must be supported by evidence
• Outdated pricing should trigger a refresh
• Similar briefs should be flagged before publication

The software handles the repeatable process. You retain editorial judgement.

Practical Example: Fixing an Overlapping Product Cluster

Imagine an affiliate site covering project management tools. It has four pages:

• “TaskFlow review”
• “Best TaskFlow alternatives”
• “TaskFlow vs WorkBoard”
• “Best project management software”

All four pages discuss TaskFlow’s task boards, integrations, pricing, templates, and user experience. The review ranks sporadically, while the alternatives page receives impressions for the same branded queries.

Initial problem

The site has:

• Repeated introductions
• Identical feature tables
• Similar title tags
• No clear links between pages
• The alternatives article recommending the same product it is supposed to replace
• The category roundup using the review’s exact verdict

This is classic content overlap SEO.

Recommended architecture

Page	New purpose	Content boundary
TaskFlow review	Evaluate TaskFlow	Testing, limitations, suitability
TaskFlow alternatives	Find replacements	Switching reasons and substitute products
TaskFlow vs WorkBoard	Choose between two tools	Shared criteria and audience-specific verdict
Best project management software	Discover category options	Market-wide selection methodology

The pages can still mention overlapping facts. They should not use those facts as their main editorial purpose.

Internal linking improvements

• Category roundup links to the review and comparison
• Review links to the alternatives page for readers with specific objections
• Alternatives page links to the review as a baseline
• Comparison links to both individual reviews
• Supporting guide links to the category roundup

Content differentiation improvements

The review adds testing methodology, onboarding observations, and limitations. The alternatives page adds switching costs, migration issues, and recommendations for different budgets.

The comparison uses a controlled scoring matrix. The category page uses a broader selection process and avoids reproducing the full TaskFlow verdict.

That is a genuine architecture change, not a cosmetic rewrite.

Metrics to Monitor After Publication

Architecture work should be measured. Otherwise, you may merge useful pages or publish more content without knowing whether the site is becoming clearer.

Track the following KPIs:

KPI	What it indicates	Useful interpretation
Impressions by URL	Search visibility	Shows whether pages are entering results
Clicks by intent group	Traffic quality	Indicates whether the page matches the query
Average position by query	Ranking strength	Watch for URL switching
CTR by page type	SERP alignment	Review titles and commercial promises
Assisted conversions	Commercial contribution	Measures supporting pages
Indexed page count	Crawl and index coverage	Spot unnecessary URL growth
Internal link clicks	Funnel movement	Shows whether architecture guides users
Revenue per article	Affiliate value	Connects SEO to business outcomes
Refresh uplift	Maintenance value	Measures updates to existing pages

A useful reporting view groups pages by intent:

• Reviews
• Comparisons
• Alternatives
• Category roundups
• Informational guides

This allows you to see whether one page type is producing traffic but failing to assist conversions, or whether several URLs are sharing the same query set.

Watch for ranking URL switching

URL switching is not always a problem, but frequent alternation can suggest that Google is uncertain about which page best answers the query.

Review:

• Which URL has the strongest backlinks?
• Which URL has the best content depth?
• Which page matches the query most closely?
• Are titles and headings differentiated?
• Do internal links point to one clear primary destination?
• Is one page accidentally more authoritative because it appears across the site?

If the same two URLs alternate for the same commercial query and both contain similar content, consolidation or sharper intent separation may be appropriate.

Common Affiliate Architecture Mistakes

Publishing every keyword as a separate article

Keyword tools can suggest thousands of variations. That does not mean each variation deserves a URL.

Some keywords belong as:

• A section within a review
• A comparison table row
• A frequently asked question
• An internal anchor
• A product attribute
• A filter or faceted navigation option

Publishing every variation creates thin coverage and weakens topical focus.

Treating product facts as unique content

Pricing, features, integrations, and plan limits are necessary, but they are not enough to distinguish pages. Every page needs a different decision-making function.

The same pricing information can appear in a review and comparison, but the review explains value for the product’s intended buyer, while the comparison analyses relative value against another option.

Copying the manufacturer’s claims

Affiliate pages should not rely only on vendor language. Include testing notes, verifiable limitations, source dates, screenshots where appropriate, and transparent selection criteria.

This supports E-E-A-T by showing how conclusions were reached. It also creates content competitors may not have.

Letting commissions determine the ranking

If the highest-paying product always wins, readers may recognise the pattern. A safer editorial model ranks products according to documented criteria, then explains where commercial relationships exist.

Trust supports long-term performance. Short-term commission bias can damage both.

Failing to refresh commercial pages

Products change. Prices move, features are removed, and competitors enter the market. A stale comparison can become misleading even if it continues to rank.

Use scheduled refresh campaigns to review:

• Pricing
• Availability
• Feature claims
• Screenshots
• Product ratings
• Affiliate links
• Competitor positioning
• Schema details
• Internal links

SEO Letters can run content refresh campaigns as well as new publishing campaigns, giving affiliate sites a repeatable way to maintain commercial accuracy. This matters when your publishing operation has moved beyond a handful of pages.

A Repeatable Workflow for New Affiliate Content

Use this framework whenever you plan a new review, comparison, or alternatives article.

Step 1: Identify the user’s decision

Write the decision in one sentence:

“The reader wants to decide whether Product X is suitable for their business.”

Or:

“The reader wants to choose between Product X and Product Y.”

If you cannot complete this sentence clearly, the page brief is not ready.

Step 2: Check existing URLs

Search your site for:

• The product name
• The primary keyword
• Alternative modifiers
• Comparison modifiers
• Category terms
• Pricing terms

Read the titles, headings, conclusions, and calls to action. The audit should be practical, not only spreadsheet-based.

Step 3: Assign one owner URL

Choose the page that should own the query. Add the keyword to your topic ownership register and record any supporting pages.

Step 4: Define evidence requirements

State what makes the article trustworthy:

• Hands-on testing
• Product documentation
• Pricing checks
• Competitor research
• User feedback
• Screenshots
• A transparent scoring model

Step 5: Create page-specific headings

Do not use the same heading template for every commercial page. A review, comparison, and alternatives article require different section logic.

Step 6: Plan internal links before drafting

Select:

• Two or three relevant parent pages
• Two or three supporting commercial pages
• The preferred anchor wording
• Any pages that should not receive an exact-match link

Step 7: Publish with technical checks

Review:

• Indexability
• Canonical tag
• Title tag
• Meta description
• Schema
• Affiliate disclosures
• Image alt text
• Mobile layout
• Broken links
• Breadcrumbs
• XML sitemap inclusion

Step 8: Monitor and refresh

Review performance after indexing, then assess the page at regular intervals. New competitors, product changes, and ranking movements can alter the correct architecture.

Key Takeaways for Affiliate Site SEO Architecture

• Reviews evaluate one product.
• Comparisons help users choose between defined options.
• Alternatives pages support substitution and switching decisions.
• One primary keyword should have one clear owner URL.
• Search intent mapping should happen before article production.
• Content overlap SEO can exist without exact copied text.
• Internal links should guide users through the commercial funnel.
• Canonicals and redirects support a sound structure but do not fix poor differentiation.
• A keyword cannibalization audit should compare URLs, intent, content, and ranking behaviour.
• Affiliate content should include evidence, limitations, transparent criteria, and current commercial information.
• Scheduled refreshes are essential for pricing, feature, and competitor-led pages.
• Automation is most valuable when it protects a deliberate editorial system.

Build a More Disciplined Affiliate Publishing Operation

Affiliate SEO becomes difficult when content production is disconnected from architecture. You can publish excellent individual articles and still create a weak site if every page competes for the same commercial terms.

The stronger approach is to map the market, assign intent, define page ownership, and create distinct editorial briefs for reviews, comparisons, alternatives, and category hubs. Then you monitor query distribution and consolidate pages when the evidence points to genuine overlap.

If you’re building a larger affiliate site, SEO Letters gives you the best blog writer workflow for researching, structuring, writing, linking, refreshing, and publishing content at scale. You can connect your own AI keys, route stages to Gemini, OpenAI, or Claude, and publish directly to WordPress, Shopify, or a webhook destination.

For strategic questions, campaign requirements, or architecture support, use the rightbar as the contact path. Start with one product cluster, separate the intent properly, and let the publishing system repeat the process without creating another pile of competing pages.