Subdomains vs. Domains - Yes, again!

by khtm
13 replies
Sorry if this is a repost or if people are getting sick of this topic. :p

I've seen a lot of people talking about subdomain vs subfolder, but what about subdomain vs domain in terms of SEO?

Say I have a domain that's very generic, like "stuff.com". And I plan on building a bunch of affiliate marketing and product review sites on completely different topics.

Rather than registering 20 unique domains (I'm making these up of course):
- petfood.com
- kidsclothes.com
- loseweight.com
- halloweencostumes.com
- ...

Couldn't I just setup each separate site as a subdomain on "stuff.com"?

So...
- petfood.stuff.com
- kidsclothes.stuff.com
- loseweight.stuff.com
- halloweencostumes.stuff.com
- ...

In those cases, how would SEO be affected by using subdomains rather than domains?

I read somewhere that each domain gets a total PR limit and if you use a bunch of subdomains you're diluting the amount of PR each unique site can receive. Is this true???

It seems like everyone has a different opinion on this so I was hoping you WF gurus could clear it up for me
#domains #subdomains
  • Profile picture of the author melanied
    My approach to building niche sites is to buy a new domain for every site. yes, it's an additional expense - but the benefits in branding and seo outweigh that for me.

    Plus, the site should pay for its own registration within the month.
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  • Profile picture of the author megaresp
    Sub-domains have their uses. In particular, when I'm working for a client with a very general (i.e. unfocused) site it can be useful when chasing SEO performance for a particular topic.

    It's extremely useful if the client insists the homepage remain a solid graphic block because it looks good, and too bad Google can't read it (yes, this really happened).

    But my main use of sub-domains is to chase page one for a specific keyword. I can have that keyword be the subdomain, and focus the site entirely around it. Most businesses won't let me do that with their homepage, because of course they sell other things. These sites tend to be set up for lead generation, and I want to funnel everything into the lead gen system. Again, the client doesn't usually want me to do that with the main site.

    As for the idea that a domain has only so much pagerank, I suspect it's nonsense. I don't know for sure, but doubt pagerank operates that way. And will also point out that lack of pagerank isn't what keeps a site off page one of Google.
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    66 ways to get links (and traffic) to your site.

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  • Profile picture of the author launch3
    Hey Kane.

    I've tried both methods.
    Subdomains, for me, is the clear winner both for brand building & SEO.
    There is no PR limit. Quite the contrary. My subdomains are actually ranked better because they feed off the main domain's PR. But the bottom line is traffic. My subdomains perform much better now than when they were stand-alone sites.

    I'd go with
    - petfood.stuff.com
    - kidsclothes.stuff.com
    - loseweight.stuff.com
    - halloweencostumes.stuff.com

    and never second guess it.

    Build a brand. Stuff.com (as an example) would be your brand name. Expand upon that brand name.

    Jeff
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    • Profile picture of the author anth.elias
      Originally Posted by launch3 View Post


      Quite the contrary. My subdomains are actually ranked better because they feed off the main domain's PR.

      Jeff
      I disagree with that. Subdomains do not feed off of your main domain, in fact there is not real difference between a subdomain and your main domain other than it what is you use to login to your hosting account. Subdomains are treated equally as a regular domain I have never experienced any SEO negatives with having subdomains and I have five of them, they all rank very well and have their own PR which is not affected by the main domain.

      If you want to rank for those different niches you will need to purchase domains for them- putting them into subfolders is not going to do anything for the niches they well just sit there in a subfolder, do not do not confuse a subfolder with subdomain they are entirely different.
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      • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
        Originally Posted by anth.elias View Post

        Subdomains are treated equally as a regular domain
        No, they are not. With a few exceptions for authority sites like Blogger and WordPress.com they're treated as part of the top level domain by Google. Subdomains were treated as separate domains at one point by Google but, due to blackhat exploitation, they stopped doing it a while ago. Now they're essentially the same as folders on most domains. (You can find info on this on Matt Cutts' blog.)

        Originally Posted by anth.elias View Post

        I have never experienced any SEO negatives with having subdomains
        There aren't any unless you do something that's in the old blackhat pattern which was creating multiple subdomains with duplicate or generated content so that you had something like...

        cheapredwidgets.domain.com
        cheapgreenwidgets.domain.com
        cheapbluewidgets.domain.com

        ...each with duplicate or near-duplicate content. This is one place where concern over duplicate content is a valid concern.

        Originally Posted by anth.elias View Post

        have their own PR which is not affected by the main domain.
        Page rank is by page, not by domain. You can have a sub-domain, sub-folder or single page with higher PR than than the home page of the top level domain.
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        • Profile picture of the author anth.elias
          Originally Posted by bgmacaw View Post

          No, they are not. With a few exceptions for authority sites like Blogger and WordPress.com they're treated as part of the top level domain by Google. Subdomains were treated as separate domains at one point by Google but, due to blackhat exploitation, they stopped doing it a while ago. Now they're essentially the same as folders on most domains. (You can find info on this on Matt Cutts' blog.)



          There aren't any unless you do something that's in the old blackhat pattern which was creating multiple subdomains with duplicate or generated content so that you had something like...

          cheapredwidgets.domain.com
          cheapgreenwidgets.domain.com
          cheapbluewidgets.domain.com

          ...each with duplicate or near-duplicate content. This is one place where concern over duplicate content is a valid concern.



          Page rank is by page, not by domain. You can have a sub-domain, sub-folder or single page with higher PR than than the home page of the top level domain.
          Most of what you stated is incorrect check you facts again, (not at Matt Cutts blog) of course you are entitled to your opinion which just your little old opinion not fact.

          (By the way Matt Cutts is not god)

          So I choose to disagree with your opinions, and you just keep thinking that way that's just fine with me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ross Dalangin
    If they are related to each other then I rather make it a sub-domain but if not then I will buy another domain.

    Ross
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Garratt
    If Google decides to de-index your site it will remove everything from the index - The domain and ALL the subdomains.

    I started off doing this 4 years ago and it was building nicely I thought until everything dissappeared - Yes everything went out of Googles index. I carried on regardless and then suddenly, 2 and a half years later, they all popped back into the index again. Yes it was 2.5 years.

    Since then another domain I have and all it's subdomains have mysteriously dissappeared from Google. That was about 6 months ago and they remain gone sigh.

    I suppose I would now look at using subdomains like this as similar to putting all your eggs in one basket.

    Steve
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    Please visit my blog and if you have an interest in electronics then please join me at Home DIY Electronics
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    • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
      Originally Posted by howdo-i View Post

      I suppose I would now look at using subdomains like this as similar to putting all your eggs in one basket.
      Darn real world, interfering with the fabulous theory that subdomains are treated differently.
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    • Profile picture of the author khtm
      Originally Posted by howdo-i View Post

      If Google decides to de-index your site it will remove everything from the index - The domain and ALL the subdomains.

      I started off doing this 4 years ago and it was building nicely I thought until everything dissappeared - Yes everything went out of Googles index. I carried on regardless and then suddenly, 2 and a half years later, they all popped back into the index again. Yes it was 2.5 years.

      Since then another domain I have and all it's subdomains have mysteriously dissappeared from Google. That was about 6 months ago and they remain gone sigh.

      I suppose I would now look at using subdomains like this as similar to putting all your eggs in one basket.

      Steve
      See this is what really scares me. Imagine spending days of effort on 100 subdomain sites, all with unique content and completely separate topics, only to have them ALL sandboxed by Google.

      I'm starting to think my safest bet is to register completely separate domains.
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  • Profile picture of the author Flyingpig7
    Does this same argument apply to Addon domains?
    Am trying to not confuse the two....subdoman.....Add-on domain.


    Keren
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    Have a great day

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