Several elements affect how well a website performs and ranks on search engines. Content generation and digital marketing strategies are typically the starting point for most businesses in this regard. However, the underlying website structure, while often viewed as low-priority, still is a critical factor to creating a user-friendly site design that gets better rankings.
But when it comes to site structure design, website owners have an important choice to make - do you create subdomains or subdirectories? In this guide, we'll cover both options and which is best for improving your SEO.
What is a Subdomain?
A subdomain operates as a distinct, independent website housed under a primary domain. Think of your main website like your home address. A subdomain is like having a special, separate apartment within that same building. So, if your main address is "example.com," you might have an extended property at "blog.example.com." It's still part of building, but has its own entrance, style, and layout.
This is incredibly handy for businesses since the main site might need to look and feel completely different from the other extension. It can even have its own design features, user analytics, and content management system.
Larger companies use subdomains all the time. It's an easy way to separate certain digital assets. Some common use cases for subdomains typically include:
- Segmentation of Content: A business might want to segment content so it's managed differently for unique audiences (Example: cooking.nytimes.com).
- Regional Targeting: Some companies may wish to provide content or language versions for users from different parts of the world (Example: us.example.com vs. uk.example.com).
- Separate E-Commerce Stores: Other organizations might want to keep their main site and online store separate. This lets them sell products through their uniquely branded e-commerce sites with their own domains (Example: shop.example.com).
- Support and Documentation: A company can configure a separate knowledge base or an intranet with more technical documentation to centralize support to users (Example: support.google.com).
- Testing and Staging Environments: Businesses are able to develop separate domains useful for developing site features, trying out new designs, or testing major updates without disrupting the main site (Example: dev.example.com)
What is a Subdirectory?
A subdirectory, unlike a subdomain, functions like a folder within the main domain’s file structure. For example, ‘www.example.com/blog’ would actually be part of the main site's hierarchy. This tactic centralizes content under one domain name to ensure that it can use the shared authority and ranking power of the main site.
A subdirectory is used to help organize other subpages that live within the site's hierarchy. Some of the common use cases for subdirectories include:
- Blog sections: Incorporating blog content into the main website helps improve content visibility in search engines, linking everything back to the primary site domain (Example: example.com/blog).
- Service pages: Providing in-depth descriptions of specific services in their own subdirectories improves site navigation and helps larger companies better categorize their list of offerings (Example: example.com/services).
- E-commerce pages: Product listings can have their own dedicated subdirectory pages on the main website to help increase product visibility (Example: example.com/store).
- International content: Subdirectories can be helpful for creating different localized versions of content so all users have similar site navigation experiences (Example: example.com/en or example.com/fr)
Key Differences Between Subdomains and Subdirectories
Knowing the key differences between a subdomain and subdirectory will help you to better decide which is right for your business. Below are four primary considerations for each:
URL Structure
Subdomains: These are essentially treated as separate websites. They require individual setup in Google Search Console and often have separate analytics tracking. Managing them can be more complex, similar to handling multiple distinct websites.
Subdirectories: These are folders within your main website. They're inherently part of the same domain, making management simpler and more centralized. Analytics and Search Console tracking are typically managed the same way under the primary domain.
SEO Authority
When it comes to search engine optimization, subdirectories are typically a better solution. They naturally share the main website's established authority online. This means that all links and positive search signals distribute more evenly across the site, including the subdirectories.
Subdomains, on the other hand, are seen as their own entity by search engines. You'll need to build up their SEO and attract backlinks separately. It's similar to launching a brand-new website and building your reputation from scratch.
Indexing & Ranking
Google sees subdomains as separate websites. Each subdomain's content gets cataloged and ranked on its own merits. Quality links between your main site and the subdomain can help, but the subdomain won't automatically get a boost from the main domain's ranking power without further optimization.
Subdirectories are a different story. They directly add to the overall authority of your site. Because the content lives within the main domain, it benefits from the established ranking authority, which can really help when trying to improve search results.
User Experience & Management
Subdirectories make managing your website much easier. Everything lives under one roof, so tracking and analyzing your site's performance is pretty straightforward. You can use a single tool, like Google Analytics, to see how everything is doing in one place.
Subdomains, however, require a bit more technical work. You'll likely need to set up separate analytics and maybe even use different systems to manage the content. This can add complexity and require more effort to keep everything running smoothly.
What Does Google Say?
Google officially says that it doesn't play favorites and that both subdomains and subdirectories are treated equally in its complex search algorithms. In theory, this means neither decision should have much bearing over how sites rank.
But this stopped many SEO experts from arguing the topic for years. Many still believe that subdirectories might give you a slight edge in rankings and get your content found faster.
Still, John Mueller, Google's Senior Webmaster Trends Analyst, has mentioned that by simply following smart internal linking, you're able to level the playing field regardless of how the site is structured. Basically, if you're careful about how you link different pages within your site, you can overcome any potential SEO challenges of choosing either subdomains or subdirectories.
SEO Implications of Subdomains vs. Subdirectories
Subdomains
Google sees subdomains as their own, separate websites, not directly connected to the main domain. This can sometimes spread your keywords and link power a little thin. Because each subdomain is on its own, it has to build up its own reputation and attract links independently.
However, subdomains can still be a smart move in some cases. Larger companies with a lot of different products, or websites with multiple pages of content, might find this separation helpful. Global businesses that need to manage websites for different countries can also benefit from using subdomains to show the right content and language for each region.
Subdirectories
Unlike subdomains, subdirectories keep all your SEO power in one place, under the main website. This means all the content benefits from the main domain's established reputation and the "link juice" it's accumulated. This can help new pages get found faster and rank better in search results because they're seen as part of a trusted website.
Subdirectories are usually the go-to choice for things like blogs, service pages, and product listings. If you're looking to get the most SEO value and keep things simple to manage, this structure is usually the better bet. By keeping everything under one domain, you can focus your SEO efforts and build on the existing strength of your main website.
Best Practices for Using Subdirectories
If you decide to move forward with subdirectories in your site structure, there are some best practices you’ll want to follow:
Maintain a Clear URL Structure
Keep your URLs clean and organized. Use descriptive names that tell both people and search engines exactly what each subdirectory is about. Be sure to use relevant keywords in the URL as well. This increases the likelihood that the page will appear when people search for those terms.
Something like "sitename.com/services/digital-marketing" is clear and straightforward for viewers. This eliminates guesswork on what they'll find on the other side of the link, and it helps your SEO.
Consolidate Link Equity
It's important to use internal links wisely. Linking related pages within your subdirectories helps guide both visitors and search engines through your content. It shows how different sections are connected and highlights the most important pages. This strengthens your overall site structure and helps individual pages get noticed.
Use a Single Google Analytics Property
When using subdirectories, you only need to use one Google Analytics property for your whole website. This gives you a more unified view of everything in one place. It's then much easier to track how your site is performing overall. You'll be able to see how users are interacting with your content, identify certain usage trends, and monitor if your SEO efforts are producing adequate results.
Keep XML Sitemaps Updated
Your XML sitemap helps search algorithms learn where to find all the pages on your website. Whenever you add new content or remove pages, or especially when making larger structural changes, be sure to keep this updated. This step pushes search engines to crawl and index your site more often, making sure everything gets indexed faster and starts populating in search results.
Optimize for Mobile Usability
Making sure your subdirectories are formatted for mobile devices is important. This not only makes for a better user experience but also helps with your search engine rankings. Google prioritizes sites that work well on mobile. You can use tools like Google's Mobile-Friendly Test or PageSpeed Insights to continuously track how your site is meeting their mobility guidelines and locate any areas for improvement.
When Should You Use a Subdomain?
Subdirectories are often the more straightforward choice for organizing your website, but there are definitely times when subdomains are the better option. Knowing when to use them helps you make the right decision for your specific situation.
- International Business: When operating on an international level, subdomains can help organize content and services according to region or language. This lets businesses have different subdomains for countries or language groups that can help provide more targeted content and can help create a better user experience. It also makes it easier to manage region-specific content and assists with localized SEO efforts.
- Testing Environments: Subdomains provide a safe, separate space to test new website features, designs, or updates before they go live. This keeps the main website running smoothly and lets developers experiment without impacting your visitors' experience. Using a subdomain as a "testing ground" minimizes risks and ensures a smooth rollout when you're ready to make changes.
- E-commerce Stores: Provides brands unique branding options, features, and a separate platform to manage purchases. It also gives businesses more flexibility in how they design and how they organize products for different types of customers. In cases where a business runs multiple online stores in various niches or wants to use a different brand name, subdomains are a good option.
- Multiple Content Management Systems: If multiple web pages need their own content management systems (CMS), subdomains will allow businesses to structure their site to support that effort. This allows them to use completely different layouts and styling options for their content or introduce unique features for certain service pages.
When Should You Use a Subdirectory?
Subdirectories are a great way to organize your website, especially if you're focused on getting the most out of your SEO, keeping things simple to manage, and staying consistent.
- SEO Optimization: With subdirectories, all your content lives under one roof. This means everything benefits from the website's overall authority and ranking power. If SEO is a top priority, subdirectories provide a clear and efficient way to organize and optimize your content to support your marketing efforts.
- Simpler Management: It is much easier to manage your website with subdirectories. There’s no need to separate hosting, security certificates, or analytics tracking for each one - it’s all managed under the main domain. This reduces administrative work, simplifying content updates, site maintenance, and performance monitoring.
- Unified Branding: Subdirectories help create a consistent look and feel across your entire website. When users move between different sections, they see a consistent design and structure, which strengthens your brand identity and builds trust. This smoother experience keeps visitors engaged and helps them gain a positive impression of your site.
- Avoiding Internal Competition: With subdomains, you can sometimes end up with different parts of your website accidentally competing against each other for the same keywords and visitors. Subdirectories avoid this problem by keeping all your content under one entity. This ensures that all your pages work together to improve your overall SEO and not hurt it.
Carefully Consider Your Business Needs
Subdomains and subdirectories can both impact how your website is structured, its ranking ability in search engines, and how users interact with it.
Subdomains give you flexibility for separate branding, dividing up content, and testing new things. Subdirectories, on the other hand, concentrate your site improvements, making management of the site easier, and keeping your branding consistent.
By thinking carefully about these things and picking the structure that best fits your business goals, you'll create the structure you're looking for without negatively impacting your SEO efforts.