Group by the question answered
Export the URL list and assign a primary reader question to each page. Two pages with different keywords may still answer the same question. Compare quality, search data, backlinks where available and business usefulness before choosing a preferred destination.
Keep the strongest useful material
A merge should improve the destination page, not just reduce the sitemap count. Preserve original examples, practical steps and information that readers need. Remove repetition and make the combined page easier to navigate.
Redirect with relevance
When a page is permanently replaced by a genuine equivalent, redirect it to that equivalent. A page with no relevant successor may need a proper removal response instead. Update internal links to the final destination so users do not repeatedly pass through redirects.
Monitor the result
Record the old URL, new destination and reason. Check redirects, canonical tags and sitemap membership after launch. Search performance can fluctuate, so assess the topic group over time rather than treating a short-term change as a complete result.
