When to use a sub-directory, sub-domain or simply a new page ??

9 replies
Hi guys,
Just a quick one about when best to use either a sub-domain/directory or just add a page.

If i have a site `best lcd televisions` and i want to add more products that are related but not nessarily televisions, Say i wanted to add these products..

tv stands
50inch televisions
3d televisions
blu-ray disk players
wall speakers

I have just made these up but i wondered if you guys would..

Just add a new pages and add all the products giving them a page each as they are all related to televisions

Put them all in sub-directory/domains (although i dont think i would use sub-domains as i hear they are hard to rank ?)

Add the 50inch telelvisions & TV stands as pages as they are exactly related to the main domain and the add the blu-ray player & wall speakers as sub-directorys as they are only losely related ?

Any advice would be great.

Jim
#page #simply #subdirectory #subdomain
  • Profile picture of the author IndigoJack
    Well, if your additional products & services are related to the original main product, I would just make new pages for each because your broadening out the scope of your website that way - more keywords & content.

    If the new content is going to go off at a complete tangent - say for example, instead of detailing the TV itself you might want to write about viewing habits & entertainment news, then a subdomain or new domain would probably be appropriate.

    Subdomains require ranking just like a new domain (so I've been told on this forum) and are actually a cheap way of diversifying your niche on the same parent domain.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2810550].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    For me, it depends on how big the site will grow.

    If you only plan to do a few items, make the pages and cross-link them appropriately. Unless there's a keyword you want to slip in via the sub-directory, there's no reason to add levels you don't have to.

    If you plan to grow the site, and all the items are at least somewhat related, go with a sub-directory for each general class of product.

    - Televisions
    - Stands
    - DVRs
    - Speakers
    - Etc.

    Again, cross-link appropriately. Think Amazon and their 'people who bought this item also bought...' section.

    You shouldn't have to go more than three levels deep, counting the home page, until you get to several hundred pages. If you use a platform like Wordpress, appropriate and thoughtful tagging can help your internal linking as well.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2810633].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jimkirk1943
    Thanks guys !

    John how do you interlink sub-directorys ? On the home page of the `best lcd televisions` would there be a link in the nav bar/footer or where ever the other pages for the site are shown ?

    Say on the home page theres a header nav bar with the sites pages. 50inch tvs, 40inch tvs 3d tvs. ect ect.. If i created a sub-domain `television stands` would there be a link to `television stands` on my `best lcd televisions` homepage ??
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2810891].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by jimkirk1943 View Post

      Thanks guys !

      John how do you interlink sub-directorys ? On the home page of the `best lcd televisions` would there be a link in the nav bar/footer or where ever the other pages for the site are shown ?

      Say on the home page theres a header nav bar with the sites pages. 50inch tvs, 40inch tvs 3d tvs. ect ect.. If i created a sub-domain `television stands` would there be a link to `television stands` on my `best lcd televisions` homepage ??
      I put the cross-links in the individual pages. For example:

      I put up a page about a 50" HDTV with the standard review stuff.

      At the end, I put something like:

      Here are some items I picked out that go well with this TV, and link to either one stand or a tag page for '50" TV stands'. Link to one set of speakers, or the tag page. Etc.

      Next, I'll look at the page for a single stand. I'll put a link at the bottom something like:

      "Now you need a nice 50" HDTV, or your new stand will be naked. Click here" and link to either the one TV you most want to promote, or a page listing 50" HDTVs.

      Does this help? Or did I make it clear as mud?
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2811119].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jimkirk1943
        No no john you made it very clear as to how and where to interlink thank you,

        Just one more as i asked before if i choose to add a sub-directory to my main site does this sub-directory show up as a link in the main sites homepage nav bar like a page would or is it a completely different entity ?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2812128].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by jimkirk1943 View Post

          No no john you made it very clear as to how and where to interlink thank you,

          Just one more as i asked before if i choose to add a sub-directory to my main site does this sub-directory show up as a link in the main sites homepage nav bar like a page would or is it a completely different entity ?
          You want to link from the domain home page to the sub-directory home page. You could put it in the nav bar, but I usually put it in the home page text. If you are using WP, you could make the corresponding category page the home page for each sub-directory.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2812144].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author CityCliq
    I think you should read a book about Information Architecture and design a sensible scheme for linking and navigating related products. Asking for quick tips in a forum won't provide you with the knowledge you need to do it properly.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2811031].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author NerdGary
    Subdomains are more powerful in general...

    But dont use subs if you have dozens and dozens of products.

    Use sub directories....but important in the subdirectory...use index.html (which wont showup on google search)

    It would look: www.mydomain.com/lcdtvs/
    and not: www.mydomain.com/lcdtvs/index.html
    Signature



    <><>-----------------------------------------<><>
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2816251].message }}

Trending Topics