The PROS and CONS of Sub-domains

A client recently inquired about the use of subdomains versus subfolders and the benefits of each. From an SEO perspective, much of our research points to using subfolders rather than subdomains as the best answer. However, there are some cases in which a subdomain can be a good choice. The following points illustrate the pros and cons of subdomains.

Subdomain PROS ::

• Concise and easy to remember URLS can make marketing and branding easier, but it may also take some client education to ensure that users don’t type in the www.
• Links between a subdomain and a main domain may be treated with slightly more weight than an internal link, but if the subdomain and main domain are hosted in the same place links between the two will be given the same weight as internal links.
• It is possible to get links from directories in multiple categories if the topic of the subdomain would fall under a different category than the main domain.

 
Subdomain CONS ::

• It takes more work to build up page rank and links on a subdomain just as if it were a new top level domain.
• The content on a subdomain is not necessarily considered relevant to the main domain.
• The relationship to the main domain is not as clearly established as a subfolder to the main domain.
• Search engines don’t always pass the same authority from the main domain to the subdomain.
• Link juice is split between main domain and subdomain.
• Subdomains are often not seen as distinct enough to show up in the search results as a different site alongside the main domain. So, dominating the space on page one with your main domain and subdomains is unlikely.

Many of the subdomain cons are the subfolder or subdirectory pros. The advantages of subfolders are that they directly contribute to the content and authority of the main domain. Subfolders keep the link juice concentrated on the main domain rather than splitting it as a subdomain does. Therefore, it is easier to build up page rank and links to the main domain. Some of the subdomain pros can also be seen as the subfolder cons. For example subfolder URLs are often not as concise and easy to remember as a subdomain. Also, as a general rule it is better not to bury pages too deep within folders making them hard for users and search engine robots to find. In general, subfolders tend to be the better choice unless there is a really compelling reason to use a subdomain. If you have questions about redesigning the architecture of your site, please contact us.

Copyright 2008 - 2010 Technology United | Made by Technology United | Connections | Disclaimer | Terms Of Use |