Forum Moderators: open
Something like
http://keyword1.blue-widget.com
http://keyword2.blue-widget.com
As opposed to
http://www.blue-widget.com/keyword1/
http://www.blue-widget.com/keyword2/
Should I do it?
Do a Site Search [searchengineworld.com] for "canonicals" to find them.
We've had much more success in google with Subdirectories and different pages that any other method including subdomains.
ezGuy
Actually, no. To a search engine, a subdomain resolving to the same IP is no different than two different domains (virtual hosting)resolving to the same IP.
There are several advantages to using subdomains. If implemented properly, they will be far more productive than sub directories. (Especially with Google).
But they can also get you into trouble if you are not careful. So think long and hard about how you use them. Wildcard dns spam is on the top0 of most search engine's list of things they hate.
I have a Classifieds Site with huge amount of content. My keywords are too diluted as far as SE's are concerned. Am I better off registering some category specific sub-domains and then putting my category content in those (dynamically).. and add some editorial and links, etc.
Would this be favored by SE's. This is fairly easy to do. Much easier is to create sub-directories, which is the preferred approach.
Thanks,
ezGuy
Wildcard dns spam is on the top of most search engine's list of things they hate.
Yep. Unless you know what you are doing, I wouldn't use subdomains for seo purposes. If you are doing it as a legit extension of your site for the sake of your visitors or clients needs then I would go for it.
bigmac.mcdonalds.com
royal.mcdonalds.com
chips.mcdonalds.com
frieswiththat.mcdonalds.com
Would be good for promotional purposes in printed advertising, but I wouldn't do that for the se's unless you know the risks.
InternationalCargo.MyAirline.com
DomesticTravel.MyAirline.com
AircraftRefurbishing.MyAirline.com
HelecopterTraining.MyAirline.com
etc.
or with subdirectories as in
MyAirline.com/InternationalCargo
MyAirline.com/DomesticTravel
etc.
The only real reason to choose the first would be to acheive favorable ranking in the SERPs, including the benefit of saving one layer of depth in the subdirectory tree. We would not be duplicating any content, spamming, etc., though there would be some liked named subdirectories across the canonicals, such as InternationalCargo.MyAirline.com/Flight-Schedules and DomesticTravel.MyAirline.com/Flight-Schedules
Any comments on the risks/rewards in taking the canonical approach? Apologies if this is rehashing a subject that has been dealt with already. It's just that the opinions seem varied and I'm not sure I understand the risks, if any.
Any comments on the risks/rewards in taking the canonical approach?
My understanding is that for the most part subdomains are treated as separate domains by the search engines.
In this, you have all of the advantages and risks that go with an interlinked network of sites hosted on the same IP. The one distinct advantage is that of branding a single root domain as opposed to many.
Because SE's rank pages and not sites, I still don't think there's any advantage of either subdomains or folders.
I think SE's see subdomains as all the same site e.g. 1.me.com & 2.me.com because it is the same site (me.com).
One enormous clue that this is not the case is the fact that Google will generally only display two folder pages from any given site in the SERPs for a single search. One proper, and the other indented.
Meanwhile it is quite possible to have many more than two results returned in the SERPs when the pages are located in different subdomains.
For many hobby categories where hundreds of the most relevant pages are on free hosted subdomains, Google would only return 2 pages from any given root domain such as Geocities. This would dis-serve the end user, and a quick scan through their results will show that this is anything but the case.
Do you have extensive personal experience working with subdomains vs. folders in your site architecture?
Those that do, seem to have a different view based on their first hand experience. Paynt (one of our respected moderators) and many others here have used them extensively with excellent results.
subdomains is there any advantage? [webmasterworld.com]
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Google and subdomains [webmasterworld.com]
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subdomains [webmasterworld.com]
I've got a couple of sites that would lend themselves very well because there are a few related but distinct sub-topics. BUT within the same site it's a matter of figuring out the best navigation for Page Rank distribution and user convenience and interest, whereas I couldn't link nearly the same way if subdomains were used. Sometimes pages within sections can be linked to pages within other sections. I wouldn't as freely if not on the same site.
If you think of possible structures for sites selling gifts, there could be logical divisions for mens gifts, womens gifts, kids gifts, etc. Then there could be divisions for holidays or occupation - teachers, grandparents, new parents, graduations, weddings. A lot of items cross over and can be inter-linked sparingly. It's something that can be done within a site, but I'd personally think twice with separate sites.
I visited a web hosting site yesterday that used them very effectively, almost seamlessly, for separating distinct topical sections. But there was no cross-linking done, links only went back to the main level.
It's a different situation when it's one site or when they're separated. There have been sites that have gotten PR0 penalty using subdomains. I'm just not personally sure where the line is drawn with stepping over, I don't think it's possible to know 100% for sure. That's why one site isn't going up right now - pondering this very issue.
