A part of the main domain (e.g., blog.example.com).
I know building a great website takes a lot of smart decisions, and I am here to help you with the big ones. Getting your website structure right is key to getting noticed by Google. I promise to share simple, useful secrets today that will boost your website’s search performance.
The Simple Answer: What is Subdomain?
I like to explain a subdomain as a completely separate website that still connects to your main domain name. A subdomain looks like blog.yourwebsite.com or app.yourwebsite.com. Knowing What is Subdomain? helps us understand how search engines see your whole online presence.
How a Subdomain Works
Think of your main website as your primary house located at yourwebsite.com. A subdomain is like building a separate, new house right next door on the same plot of land. I consider this a technically separate entity that requires its own setup and maintenance.
The Pros: Why I Use Subdomains
I use subdomains when I need to keep a specific part of a site totally separate from the main site. This separation is great for security, like protecting a customer login portal from the public marketing site. It also helps manage huge websites by letting different teams work on separate systems.
The Cons: The SEO Challenge
The biggest challenge is that a subdomain sometimes has to build its own SEO power from scratch. Google often views it as a new, separate site, meaning it does not always share the authority of your main domain easily. This can make ranking new content harder and slower than you might like.
CMS Impact: Subdomains on Your Platform
WordPress & Webflow: Optional Choice
If you are using WordPress or Webflow, I tell my clients that a subfolder is usually the better SEO choice. You are able to use a subdomain, but it is typically only necessary for special technical reasons. These platforms give you the flexibility to choose the best option for your goals.
Shopify & Wix: Often Necessary
I know that if you use Shopify or Wix, you might be forced to use a subdomain for your blog or help center. These platforms often make it difficult to add extra sections directly inside the main site structure. I advise focusing on quality content creation to overcome this technical limitation.
Custom CMS: Technical Separation
When you have a custom CMS, you may use subdomains to handle huge or complex tasks efficiently. For instance, I use them to separate the main marketing site from complex backend tools. The technical freedom of a custom CMS lets you pick the best structure for specialized functions.
Industry Use Cases: When Subdomains Win
SaaS & Support Sites
A Software as a Service (SaaS) business often uses a subdomain for the main application, such as app.mycompany.com. I recommend this to keep user data and the secure login area separate from the public marketing site. Technical separation is more important than immediate SEO benefit in this case.
International & Multi-Purpose Blogs
If you manage a huge blog with content for different countries, I often use subdomains like fr.myblog.com or de.myblog.com. This helps Google target the correct content to the right global audience. I also use subdomains when a blog topic is too different from the main business, like having a gaming blog attached to a cooking site.
Ecommerce & Local Businesses
For most online stores and local service sites, I do not recommend a subdomain for content like a blog or service pages. I want all your SEO power to build up the main product and service pages. Only use a subdomain for technical needs, like a staging site (staging.myshop.com).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does a subdomain hurt my main website’s SEO?
No, a subdomain does not actively hurt your main site, but it can slow down your overall SEO growth. I view it as starting a new website that needs its own time and effort to rank well.
When is a subdomain a better choice than a subfolder?
A subdomain is the better choice when you need technical separation for security, managing different software systems, or targeting different countries. I use it when the function of the section is completely different from the main website.
Is it expensive to set up a new subdomain?
I find that setting up a subdomain itself is usually free, but it requires technical configuration in your domain registrar and hosting. You are also likely to pay for separate hosting or SSL certificates for the content on the subdomain.
