What is a Subdomain?

A subdomain is a domain within the main domain, which is created to serve a specific purpose. It can be defined as a way of segmenting content on your website and providing more flexibility in managing the content.

Multiple subdomains can be created within the same website. Subdomains are handled by search engines independently from the main domain, meaning that each can be optimized individually.

Subdomains can be used to segment a new or existing domain into multiple sites. Sites with large amounts of content appreciate this feature as it gives them more flexibility in managing their site. One example is when you have an eCommerce store on your website;

Example: store.examplewebsite.com

In SEO terms, a subdomain is considered a different site than the main domain; in order to rank well on search engine results, it must also be optimized independently.

They are different reasons why people will be using subdomains.

When should you consider using subdomains?

A subdomain can be defined as a domain within the main domain, which is created to serve a specific purpose. It is often used to segment a website and provide flexibility in content delivery.

You can even install WordPress on your subdomain, and it will work as a separate website from the main domain.

Subdomains are mostly used for content management whether it be on a blog or an eCommerce site; however, there is no reason why a company cannot use them creatively to fit their needs. So, if you need something new and original that will allow you to separate your content, you will need to create a subdomain.

Companies use subdomains for different reasons, such as to provide more focus on a specific product or service or to create separate niches that cater to unique audiences.

One of the most common reasons to create a subdomain is for testing new updates or plugins before applying them to the master site. Like an old business adage says, “Test before you launch”.

Subdomains can also be used to separate content that may not play well together. For example, a blog about gaming could have two different subdomains for reviews and for news.

In other cases, the use of a subdomain is needed to create a separate eCommerce store that will work within the main website. The reason for this is because an eCommerce website needs a whole different set-up since they need to handle money transactions and customer information.

There are sites that use subdomains only for the mobile versions of their website (m.examplewebsite.com). While this does not make the content different, it can ensure that the website works for all users. If the site is responsive-ready, then it will automatically scale to fit any screen size; however, if a mobile version is needed, then using subdomains gives the designer more control over how each page looks on a smaller screen.

Multiple subdomains could be assigned within the same website to separate different types of users accessing from that same site. Here the different subdomains could look like this: guest.examplewebsite.com, user.examplewebsite.com, subscriber.examplewebsite.com, etc.

Subdomains can also be used to better organize content that would otherwise overlap. For example, a subdomain could be created for each state or country of operation (us.examplesite.com, au.examplesite.com, etc.), which would help keep related material together on the page.

Subdomains can also help with navigation, by creating a structure for your website that is easier to understand for users.

Subdomains And SEO: What You Need To Know

Subdomains are handled by search engines independently from the main domain, meaning that each can be optimized individually. Therefore, a subdomain can be utilized to optimize user interaction with specific audiences.

In SEO terms, a subdomain is considered a different site than the primary domain, and in order to rank well on search engine results, it must be optimized independently.

The trick is in understanding how to use subdomains effectively.

In the end, this all depends on what you want to do with your subdomain, and whether it will benefit your main site in any way by having its own SEO and content management platform.

How do you create a subdomain?

It is not hard to create a subdomain with your WordPress hosting account, just follow these easy steps:

When logged into your hosting account, click on the menu, and in the dropdown select ‘Subdomains’. Then press the button that says ‘create subdomain’.

They are various WordPress hostings and the process of creating a subdomain will be different for each of them.

The next step is to enter a name for your new subdomain, only alphanumeric characters are allowed. Choose wisely because you will not be able to change it later.

After saving these changes, your new subdomain will be ready to use and it should appear in the menu on your dashboard.

What’s the Difference Between Subdomain and Subdirectory in Terms of SEO

That question is an important one because it can have a huge impact on your site rankings. In order to rank higher in Google, you need to know and understand these differences so that you are not wasting your time and effort!

For the search engines, there is a difference between subdomains and subdirectories. When you create your website, it may be worth considering which type of structure will suit your needs best. In some cases, even if the subdomain vs. subdirectory decision is based on SEO factors alone, it can have a considerable impact on traffic flow overall. The way that search engines behave around the two types of sites is be different.

A subdomain is a domain that exists within another domain; this means that the two domains share resources like storage space for files or databases. Yet search engines see them as separate websites.

Subdirectories, on the other hand, are folders of websites within the same domain.

The creation of both types was often done for reasons with SEO implications: while creating separate sites will allow them to be ranked separately in Google (if they meet their own criteria), keeping them together may give users the impression that they are part of the same website. So you’ll need to decide what’s best for your business: if you want a subdomain, it has to be its own top-level domain (TLD). If you go with a subdirectory instead, it should be on the same main domain as the rest of your website.

For example, let’s say you have two different careers: one in information technology and another as a web developer. You want to make sure that each career is targeted by potential customers looking for either field; meanwhile, you also don’t want them thinking they’re dealing with two different people. So you create two subdomains: one for the information technology career (it.websiteexamplesite.com) and another for the web developer career (webdev.examplesite.com). Because of their relationship to each other, it’s a smart idea to link them together.

When it comes to indexing pages and search results, though, subdomains are treated as separate websites.

This means that subdomains will not take any “link juice” or traffic prestige, from the main domain. So, ranking a page in a subdomain is as hard as ranking a page in the main domain.

Since subdirectories are treated as folders in the domains, they are indexed by search engines to get backlinks and traffic from the main domain. This means that you will get a lot of benefits for your SEO campaign if you opt to create subdirectories instead of subdomains.

Final Thoughts

In short, subdomains are treated as separate websites by search engines. That’s why they don’t take any “link juice” or traffic prestige from the domain either.

Subdirectories on the other hand are indexed and can get backlinks and traffic from the main domain.

You’ll need to decide what’s best for your business: if you want a subdomain, it has to be its own TLD. If you go with a subdirectory instead, it should be on the same main domain as the rest of your website.