Blog - subdomain or folder
- Thread starter redchilli
- Start date
phpbuilt
Account compromised December 2025
- May 16, 2011
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A blog on /blog will acquire with it more of the authority of the root domain. This could be good or bad depending on the quality of the other content of the root domain.
A blog on a subdomain will be more isolated from the root domain. This is good if you're doing questionable things with your blog (like autoblogging). It is bad if your root domain is very popular and authoritative, because your blog won't automatically acquire as much of the positive aspects of the root domain and have to almost "start from scratch" on its own SEO and authority.
Recently hubpages switched to subdomains because its quality of some pages on its root domain written by bad authors were affecting the ranking of good pages by good authors. They wanted to move everyone to their own subdomains so that good authors won't be punished for bad content by bad authors. This would allow good authors to prosper and bad ones to be isolated to themselves. They did this on recommendation from a google representative and thus far it has been great for them (their rankings are improving).
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/hubpages.com/
If your root website is quality, and the posts you are making on your blog are quality, put it on the root domain. If you're dabbling in autoblogs or something, put it on a subdomain.
A blog on a subdomain will be more isolated from the root domain. This is good if you're doing questionable things with your blog (like autoblogging). It is bad if your root domain is very popular and authoritative, because your blog won't automatically acquire as much of the positive aspects of the root domain and have to almost "start from scratch" on its own SEO and authority.
Recently hubpages switched to subdomains because its quality of some pages on its root domain written by bad authors were affecting the ranking of good pages by good authors. They wanted to move everyone to their own subdomains so that good authors won't be punished for bad content by bad authors. This would allow good authors to prosper and bad ones to be isolated to themselves. They did this on recommendation from a google representative and thus far it has been great for them (their rankings are improving).
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/hubpages.com/
If your root website is quality, and the posts you are making on your blog are quality, put it on the root domain. If you're dabbling in autoblogs or something, put it on a subdomain.
I would say it depends on the purpose of the blog. If it is just a blog that goes along with your site then sure put it in subdomain. If the blog is your main site then go ahead an put it there. This will save you alot of headaches.
Why? Because if you want your blog to display updated posts on your home page, then install into main directory. If not it's the equivilant of having your blog on another domain. Then if you want to update homepage with data from com/blog/index.php you will have trouble doing this unless you are experienced coder.
If you don't want to update your main page with blog then use sub and then it will still help the domain in serps.
Hope this helps peace.
Why? Because if you want your blog to display updated posts on your home page, then install into main directory. If not it's the equivilant of having your blog on another domain. Then if you want to update homepage with data from com/blog/index.php you will have trouble doing this unless you are experienced coder.
If you don't want to update your main page with blog then use sub and then it will still help the domain in serps.
Hope this helps peace.
becauseimhot
Junior Member
- Aug 18, 2008
- 121
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A sub domain is like having a new domain and requires SEO attention as if its a separate website. The only good thing is that I have had a root domain sandboxed by G and the subdomain was untouched.
frappertank
Junior Member
- Jun 19, 2011
- 119
- 24
I think phpbuilt gave you some great advice.
Generally, subdomains are regarded by search engines almost as if they were totally separate domains.
This means it takes much longer for you to see good results when you build content on subdomains.
Almost always (except for phpbuilt's hubpages example), you're better off building on subdirectories!
Generally, subdomains are regarded by search engines almost as if they were totally separate domains.
This means it takes much longer for you to see good results when you build content on subdomains.
Almost always (except for phpbuilt's hubpages example), you're better off building on subdirectories!
So if this is true which I am not refuting, but as you say this is true then if you were doing any sort of activity that could get you sandboxed then it would be better to use subdomain? Thanks.
phpbuilt
Account compromised December 2025
- May 16, 2011
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http://www.bluehatseo.com/seo-empire-part-1/
Skip down the page to "One Way Street Theory". In summary ...
So in other words, a root domain gets penalized, its subdomain could be penalized. However, if a subdomain gets penalized, the root domain won't get penalized unless the root domain links to the subdomain directly.
It's only common sense. Wordpress.com isn't penalized for bad spammy subdomains, but on the other hand wordpress.com isn't directly linking to its bad spammy subdomains.