When it comes to determining whether a subdomain or subdirectory is preferable for marketing, SEO experts are typically in agreement. That debate may be confounding and paralyzing for marketers.
In this article, you’ll learn the differences between such subdomains and subdirectories, as well as how they affect SEO. Both have benefits and drawbacks, and you should consider all of these factors before launching a new website.
Related: What is search engine optimization?
What Is A Subdirectory, Exactly?
A subdirectory is a type of website structure that sits behind a domain name and uses categories to organize content on a website. A subdirectory is the same as a subfolder, and the words are interchangeable.
Related: What is social media marketing?
A Subdirectory’s URL
In a Web address, this subfolder appears after the primary directory or internet connection. HubSpot, for example, has a base address of hubspot.com. A subdirectory Address may be hubspot.com/pricing, for example. Hubspot.com/pricing/sales, for example, might be something a little more advanced. One such subfolder organization is depicted in the diagram below.
Consider subdirectory to be similar to nested puppets in terms of design. Each file can almost indefinitely stack on top of the others. That means you may have a subfolder inside a subdirectory inside a folder for dozens, if not hundreds, of layers.
Related: What Is Lead Nurturing And What Are The Right Tactics?
Subdomains And Search Engine Optimization
A subdomain might help with SEO, but it would require a dedicated individual or team to manage it. A subdomain’s domain does not drop from the originating web address instantly, unlike subdirectories.
Because each subdomain is typically classified as a separate site, you may have to pay a premium for services or subscriptions when you’re charged for each web address. Let us take a closer look at the benefits of using subdomains in light of these challenges in marketing.
Related: Lead Generation: Can It Be Useful For Your Products?
What Are The Benefits Of Using Subdomains?
Subdomains are handy if a firm has a lot of content that would be difficult to keep up with on a single site. The design might be beneficial if a company has many significant recurring initiatives that require several sales marketing funnels, or if you want to partner with another company but want to split the marketing on the effort.
If you need to separate content on your website for a specific industrial purpose, subdomains are beneficial.
When Is It Appropriate to Use Subdomains?
1. Providing Assistance
This does not necessarily necessitate including your customer service information on your official pages. For example, instead of google.com/support, I use support.google.com. The design document is most likely to blame for the primary explanation. Google.com is a search phrase, and Google Customer Support is not included in the Browse business area. As a result, in order to completely connect with it and service its customers, it requires its own domain.
2. Different Regions
A subdomain is a great alternative if you serve many locations, either domestically or internationally. It would not be necessary to create a category for a German and an English website. For example, for the various areas it serves, Website uses domains. Some of its subfolder sites appear to be as follows:
stgeorge.craigslist.org/ and orangecounty.craigslist.org/
3. Write a Blog
The majority of businesses want to have their website as a subdomain at all times. HubSpot is a company that does precisely that. You’ll see that you’re now browsing a blog.hubspot.com page. Nonetheless, this article may be found under the blog.hubspot.com site’s Business subdomain.
When a website has a publication plan in place that is important enough, even in frequency, to deserve its own structure and growth path, it may choose to always have a blog as a subdomain (more on that in a minute). If you truly want to position yourself as a specialized authority, a subdomain is also advantageous for your marketing website.
4. E-Commerce Website
Companies that offer products or services can set up an ecommerce shop on a subdomain in addition to their main website. HubSpot does the same thing. HubSpot clothing is available at shop.hubspot.com, in addition to our key software hubs.
5. Occasions
When a business provides conferences, it’s a good idea to segregate that section of the website into subdomains. Similarly, whenever you wish to isolate a section of your website from your core product or service, this is beneficial. With their events.microsoft.com website, Google does this.
What to Do If You’re in a Commercial Dispute
There is no such thing as a straightforward commercial conflict, yet they are an awful reality. When faced with a commercial disagreement, especially one that is still in its early stages, the best course of action is to seek the advice of a commercial litigation attorney who can assist in resolving the matter before it gets more complicated or costly. A considerable portion of civil and commercial litigation is settled out of court before trial, and having the proper commercial litigation attorney on your side is crucial to achieving a cost- and time-effective marketing resolution.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that this topic might be difficult at times, the decision ultimately comes down to the needs of your marketing website. If you have a lot of different but important content to provide, a subdomain might help you organize and manage your site. Subdirectories may be beneficial for small sites with little content.
Whatever design you choose, you’ll need to stay current on SEO best practices in order to meet your site’s goals. The free lesson below will provide you with a variety of website SEO evaluation tool sets to help you improve your marketing site.
