When starting a new website, one of the first key decisions is whether to use a domain or subdomain. This choice can greatly impact branding, search engine optimisation, and long-term growth, so it's important to weigh the options carefully. With the right domain or subdomain strategy, you can drive greater brand awareness and better connect with your target audience.
Whether you're launching an e-commerce store, blog, service site, or any other online presence, understanding domains versus subdomains is crucial. In this post, we'll explore the core differences between domains and subdomains, dig into the unique pros and cons of each, and look at real-world examples of when to choose one over the other.
Understanding Domains and Subdomains
A domain is the main address for a website, essentially its name on the internet. For example, in the website address www.example.com, the domain is "example.com." This is considered the primary domain or root domain for that site.
Domains must be registered and unique, helping identify a site and brand on the web. They are used in website URLs and email addresses associated with that domain. The domain is the highest level in the website address hierarchy.
Subdomains are secondary domains that are part of the primary domain. For instance, in "blog.example.com," "blog" is the subdomain of the "example.com" domain. Subdomains allow you to divide sections of a website under the umbrella of the main domain.
Both domains and subdomains are key components of the Domain Name System (DNS) that structures website addresses and helps route traffic. At a technical level, they map to unique IP addresses that identify internet-connected devices.
Domains are also a factor in search engine optimisation (SEO). Established domains with high domain authority tend to rank better in search engines like Google. Domain authority is an SEO metric based on the number and quality of external links pointing to that domain. Subdomains can benefit from the main domain's authority while still ranking independently for targeted keywords.
The Pros and Cons of Using Separate Domains
Using distinct domains for different products, services, or brands under one company can provide advantages but also has drawbacks to consider:
Pros of Separate Domains
- Enhanced Brand Specificity: Separate domains allow you to craft focused brand identities optimised for each specific offering. Rather than housing everything under one domain, you can create branded domains like shoes.company.com and clothing.company.com. This makes it clear to customers what each sub-brand specialises in.
- Targeted SEO: With separate domains, you can target unique keyword groups for each site without internal competition. The shoe domain can rank for "buy shoes online" while the clothing domain targets "affordable women's clothing". To rank higher in search engines for their main keywords, web pages need to maintain focus on their core subject matter.
- Custom Marketing Strategies: Individual domains lend themselves to highly tailored marketing campaigns, positioning, and messaging for each audience. You can speak directly to shoe buyers in one way and to clothing shoppers differently. Separate sites allow custom content for each.
- Future Flexibility: Distinct domains future-proof your ability to sell or spin off sub-brands down the road. With separate domains already in place, dividing up or divesting products and services is more straightforward.
Cons of Separate Domains
- Increased Costs: Additional domains require greater registration expenditures, hosting fees, development work, and overall maintenance. Managing multiple websites can strain resources and budgets.
- SEO Difficulties: Managing technical SEO across multiple properties is more challenging compared to a unified site. Preventing keyword cannibalisation and cross-domain issues requires expertise.
- Siloed Experiences: It's worth considering that having multiple domains can sometimes result in a disjointed experience for customers, as they may need to relearn how to navigate each site. This can negatively impact the user experience by creating a lack of continuity.
When it comes to using distinct domains for branding, growth and visibility, it's important to consider the additional costs, complexity, and potential brand dilution that may arise. However, with smart coordination and planning, the benefits can be maximised while minimising any potential downsides.
The Pros and Cons of Using Subdomains
While separate domains have their trade-offs, utilising subdomains under one primary domain also comes with both advantages and potential disadvantages:
Pros of Using Subdomains:
Unified Branding: Subdomains maintain a clear connection to the core domain, strengthening brand recognition and awareness. For example, help.companyname.com is clearly linked to companyname.com.
Cost Savings: Subdomains are a cost-effective way to extend a brand without the added expenses of registering, hosting, and marketing additional domains.
SEO Leverage: Subdomains can boost niche ranking while gaining authority by association with the main domain.
Simpler Navigation: Site navigation remains more seamless with subdomains. Users don't have to re-learn a new site architecture when moving between sections.
Conversion Continuity: Customers stay within the same parent domain during their journey. This supports retargeting and reduces shopping cart abandonment.
Cons of Using Subdomains:
SEO Cannibalisation Risks: Subdomains may detract from or compete with the main domain for rankings if not carefully optimised for distinct keywords.
Brand Dilution Potential: Overly disconnected subdomains can confuse customers and weaken brand identity if the relationship to the core URL is unclear.
Technical Complexity: Managing loads of subdomains adds engineering complexity for site speed, indexing, redirects, and other technical SEO factors.
Limitations for Future Changes: Breaking subdomains into separate domains in the future requires re-platforming and SEO migrations.
Oversaturation Downsides: Packing too many subdomains onto one domain can negatively impact user experience and main domain authority.
Subdomains vs. Subfolders in SEO Strategy
When architecting a website, subdomains and subfolders each provide unique SEO benefits and potential risks that impact search engine visibility.
SEO with Subdomains
Subdomains operate as separate sites in the eyes of search engines like Google. Though associated with the parent domain, subdomains can independently build domain authority, rank for keywords, and earn search traffic. This makes subdomains ideal for creating distinct sections or brands with the autonomy to target niche terms.
However, subdomains also introduce risks of diluting the main domain’s authority and cannibalising its rankings if not properly optimised. Overlapping keyword targeting can divide authority and allow competitors to outrank. Still, managed well, subdomains balance independence with equity from the main domain.
SEO with Subfolders
Unlike subdomains, subfolders are viewed by search engines as part of the primary domain. The domain authority of the main site flows down through all associated subfolders. This inheritance makes subfolders ideal for housing categorised content that enhances the core site’s search rankings.
However, subfolders have limited ability to rank uniquely for niche keywords. Their power comes from supporting the main domain’s core focus through topically organised content. Subfolders prevent internal competition for keywords that a site wants to consolidate authority for.
Practical Considerations for Choosing Between a Subdomain and
a Separate Domain
Deciding between a subdomain or a separate domain is important for businesses with diverse offerings. This choice impacts brand awareness, user navigation, and SEO strategy significantly.
Brand Awareness: Consider using a separate domain if you offer different products or services that cater to distinct audiences. This will help create a unique brand identity for each offering. Alternatively, using subdomains under your main domain can help consolidate your brand presence and build on the reputation of your main brand. For instance, you can use a subdomain like "shop.mainbrand.com" to set up an e-commerce platform and benefit from the goodwill of your main brand.
Ease of Navigation: Subdomains can simplify website structure, making it easier for users to locate specific sections like "support.mainbrand.com." Separate domains might be better for services that differ significantly, ensuring users associate each domain with a distinct service, and enhancing user experience.
SEO Strategy: Subdomains have the potential to inherit some authority from the primary domain, which can aid SEO efforts. However, a careful strategy must be employed to avoid competition in rankings. On the other hand, separate domains require targeted strategies, which can increase complexity and costs.
In general, your decision should depend on how closely your services are related, your branding strategy, and how you intend to handle SEO. You should choose what aligns best with your business goals while considering the pros and cons of having a unified brand presence versus the flexibility of using separate domains.
Conclusion: Making the Right Choice for Your Website
Deciding between using a domain or a subdomain is crucial for your brand's online success, impacting everything from SEO to brand perception.
Need expert guidance on whether a domain or subdomain fits your goals? SpiderDigital is here to help. Contact us for bespoke digital marketing strategies that drive results. Let's elevate your online presence together.
