When launching a new business or new brand, you may be wondering whether to develop your website with a subdomain or a subdirectory. Which one is better for SEO ? Subdomains and subdirectories have different roles, so it is important to choose according to your purpose .
Difference between subdomain and subdirectory
In the first place, I will explain what subdomains and subdirectories are, their meanings, roles, and differences .
What is a domain
In general, a domain is a generic top-level domain such as “.com”, “.net”, “.jp” at the end of a URL , and is also called this domain . Each domain has its own meaning, “.com” means commercial or commercial, and “.jp” means that the address is in Japan .
What is a subdomain
A subdomain is a domain added before the main domain . for example
「https://www.ferret-plus.com」
is the main domain
「https://〇〇. ferret-plus.com」
“〇〇” in front of “ferret-plus.com” is the subdomain . You can use any character you like, so it’s a good idea to choose words that are easy to understand according to the content .
Subdomains are used when the theme is different with the same brand, such as developing different services . When starting a new business, it is common to create a website with a subdomain .
What is a subdirectory
Subdirectories are characters that follow, not before, this domain . for example
「https://www. ferret-plus.com」
is the main domain
「https://www.ferret-plus.com/××」
like
「ferret-plus.com」
“××” after is the subdirectory.
In many cases , subdirectories play the role of folders that separate pages for each category, and in most cases, pages are divided into genres on the same site. It’s a good idea to use words that are easy for site administrators to manage.
SEO effects and benefits of subdomains and subdirectories
So what are the SEO benefits of subdomains and subdirectories ? Based on the merits of each, I will explain the points of SEO measures.
SEO Effects and Benefits of Subdomains
Many people think that ” Using subdomains will increase the effect of backlinks to this domain and will be an SEO measure,” but in reality, there is no clear SEO effect on Google . However, since subdomains are recognized as internal links by Google Search Console , it would be ant to use them as SEO measures for this domain .
On the other hand, you can expect a higher SEO effect than creating a site with a new domain . Subdomains are basically treated as separate sites, but you can take over the reputation of this domain . This is a huge benefit as it will give you an SEO advantage over starting from scratch . Another advantage of subdomains is the ability to cut costs . Purchasing a new domain costs money, but subdomains save you money on domain acquisition and administration costs. Since this domain can be used as the main, it also contributes to branding.
SEO tips for subdomains
Since subdomains are developed separately from the main domain , content production takes time and costs . The point is to establish a system that can continuously transmit information by expanding the operation staff and utilizing outsourcing.
However, subdomains are affected by the SEO rating of this domain , so there is a risk of negative impact if this domain ‘s power is weak. Even if you do not have SEO measures for this domain , even if you expand subdomains , they may fall together. While the power of the domain is still low, it is more efficient and constructive to prioritize developing the power of this domain by developing it in a subdirectory instead of a subdomain .
In addition, it is important to create highly specialized pages for SEO measures for subdomains . When building a website for a new business or another brand , it is necessary to develop pages with a large amount of information in line with themes and concepts . By thoroughly analyzing the access of each page and brushing it up by turning the PDCA cycle , you can create pages with high usability , and the SEO effect will be improved.
SEO Effects and Benefits of Subdirectories
With subdirectories, backlinks directly affect this domain , so you can expect a stronger synergistic effect than with subdomains in terms of SEO . If you want to increase the SEO effect of this domain , it is recommended to increase the number of pages in subdirectories rather than subdomains .
Another advantage of subdirectories is that you can expand the pages of the same theme more and more, increasing the number of indexes . The amount of indexing is the amount of content , which is also an important evaluation criterion in SEO . If you increase the number of indexes , you can expect a higher SEO effect. Dealing with content from a variety of perspectives will increase your expertise and make it easier for you to gather loyal fans, so it will be effective for branding.
SEO tips for subdirectories
Subdirectories can be accessed and analyzed from this domain , so it is easy to turn the PDCA cycle , and SEO measures for this domain can be done smoothly while making improvements . It is recommended when resources such as operation staff are limited, or immediately after the launch of a new business.
The point to be aware of in subdirectory SEO measures is the penalty for duplicating content . Unlike subdomains, it is directly connected to this domain , so the risk of content being affected increases as the number of pages increases. Duplicate information will make it easier for access to drop, and it will also make it easier for your SEO rating to drop, so be careful. It will be easier to check if the contents are collectively managed in Excel or the like .
However, if you develop a service brand that is completely different from this domain in a subdirectory, Google will not be able to judge the genre of the domain , and there is a possibility that the SEO effect of the domain itself will decline. If you’re dealing with completely different content , expand on subdomains instead of subdirectories.
Decide whether to use a subdomain or a subdirectory according to your purpose
SEO measures are different for each , but the purpose and role are different for subdomains and subdirectories in the first place . Let’s decide which one to use based on “what kind of content you want to develop” instead of the height of the SEO effect, and then take SEO measures that suit each.
