Issue with subdomains and changes in Google algorithms

[crick]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of subdomining. I currently have a broad site consisting of 4/5 major nieches (or you can call it categories) and have created pages that could fit lots more sub nieches within those broader nieches or categories. Since my server account allows unlimited subdomains, I was wondering whether it would be beneficial to break my site into lots of subdomains. I have already done a lot of work interms of promoting my site i.e. getting backlinks for the domain and beginning to see fairly good rankings in Google and MSN.

By changing some of my pages into subdomains would obvoiusly require change of file names. Will this affect the SEPRS?

Knowing that search engines treat subdomains as different sites, its beneficial from the standpoint of changes in Google algoritmhs. Will subdomaining not have less impact i.e. its not likley to totally wipe you out from the SERPS, when a change does occur.

Would having subdomains require promoting each subdomain or is it OK to promote the main domain as is currently the case. For example, can you expect PR to pass from main domain top sub domain pages if pages are linked?

If I do create subdomains, should I keep my current files online to risk avoid getting pages dropped and therefore the traffic?

Thanks in advance for all kind responses.

[crick]

Hi,
Can anyone point me to any recent discussions regarding this. I have searched in the library but could not find what I was lookig for. Thanks.

[annej]

I'm not sure if it makes much difference if you do subdomains or sub directories or what. Google still knows they are all related. They may even know if two separate domains are from the same person.

If you have already done a lot of work getting back links I wouldn't change the URLs. At least on pages that have several inbound links. It's not that easy to get people to change the URLs on the links they have set up to you.

The main reason you might add subdomains or subdirectories is for organization. I've had to do this and left the index page for each section in the original directory as they had most of the links. Each time I start a new section now I put it in a new subdirectory.

I have already done a lot of work in terms of promoting my site i.e. getting backlinks for the domain and beginning to see fairly good rankings in Google and MSN

Sounds like you are off to a good start.