Posted June 25, 2025  |   Updated August 12, 2025  |     |   

Header Text - Understand How Subdomains Affect
Summarize with:
ChatGPT
Claude
Perplexity

A subdomain is a part of your main website address that comes before your primary domain name. For example, in the web address blog.example.com, the word blog is the subdomain. It is a separate section of your site but still connects to your primary domain. Many people use subdomains to organize their websites. However, you first need to register a domain name. Once you have one, subdomains can help you organize your website into clear sections. You may see them used for blogs, online stores, or help centers. This guide explains what they are, how they work, and how subdomains affect SEO. We also cover when to use them, how they compare to subdirectories, and tips to get value from SEO if you decide to use one.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Subdomains are treated as individual sites by search engines, which split your SEO power between your root domain and the subdomain.
  • SEO performance can drop if you don’t link your subdomain and main site properly. Here, internal links help connect them.
  • Each subdomain needs its own SEO setup, including title tags, meta descriptions, and sitemap submissions.
  • Google Search Console treats subdomains as separate properties, so you’ll need to track them individually.
  • Duplicate content across your primary site and subdomain can confuse search engines and lower website rankings.
  • Strong branding across your domain and subdomain improves user trust and makes navigation seamless.
  • A subdomain can perform well in search if it has high-quality, unique content and follows standard SEO practices.
  • Before creating a subdomain, ensure it aligns with your content goals and won’t weaken your main website’s SEO.
  • Regularly monitor your subdomain’s traffic and performance to fix SEO issues early.

What is a Subdomain?

When it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), how you set up and manage your site structure matters, as subdomains affect SEO and directly impact your search rankings. That’s why it’s important to understand their impact.

Strip Banner Text - Subdomains affect SEO & directly impact your search rankings.

As we mentioned, Domain vs Subdomain: What’s the Difference?. For example, in tutorials.example.com, the word tutorials is the subdomain. It creates a separate space on your website that can run its specific content, settings, or even a different layout.

Now compare that to a subdirectory, which looks like this: example.com/tutorials. This is a folder inside your main website. It shares the same system and often the same SEO strength.

Websites often use subdomains to split different areas of their site. For instance, a company may use:

EXAMPLES:
store.example.com for shopping
support.example.com for help articles
blog.example.com for publishing content

This setup helps manage large websites or different teams more easily.

Subdomain SEO vs Subdirectory SEO

When it comes to subdomains and SEO, the way you organize your site makes a difference, depending on whether it’s through a subdomain or a subdirectory.

A subdomain creates a new branch of your site. Search engines, including Google, usually treat a subdomain as a separate website from the root domain. That means your main site and subdomain won’t always share ranking power, authority, and backlinks. This can slow down your SEO growth unless you build up each subdomain with strong content and links.

This setup can impact how quickly and effectively your content is indexed. If you’re starting fresh with a subdomain, it may take longer to build trust and A Complete Hosting and WordPress SEO Checklist for Beginners. On the other hand, if the subdomain has strong content and backlinks, it can rank well alone.

However, a subdirectory is part of your primary website. It shares the same domain authority, meaning that any SEO value from links or traffic remains within the same system. That’s why subdirectories often perform better in search results, especially for smaller sites or new blogs.

Still, there are times when a subdomain makes sense. If your content is significantly different from the rest of your site, uses a different content management system (CMS), or targets a distinct audience, then a subdomain can help keep things separate and easy to manage. The key is knowing what fits best with your goals and site structure.

When to Use a Subdomain

A subdomain can be a smart choice in certain situations. You might use one if you’re:

  • Running an international website.
  • Managing a separate niche or department.
  • Using a different platform or CMS (Content Management System) than your parent site.

Subdomains also work well for How To Set Up A WordPress Staging Site, where you test changes before going live.

Big companies use subdomains for specific reasons. For example, Apple uses tv.apple.com for its TV service, and Google has maps.google.com and support.google.com to separate its services. These subdomains serve unique audiences and need their specific setup and content.

However, not every website needs a subdomain. Only create one if it supports your business goals. If the content fits well under your main site and doesn’t need to be kept separate, a subdirectory is usually the better option for SEO.

Some companies started with blogs on subdomains, then later moved them into subdirectories to gain more SEO benefits. That’s because blogs often attract many backlinks.

If the blog is located on a subdomain, the main website may not receive full value from those links. In this case, moving the blog to a subdirectory (e.g., example.com/blog) helps keep all that link power under one domain, since subdomains affect SEO separately, which can boost overall rankings.

Several case studies reveal that brands improve their traffic and rankings once they move content from subdomains to subdirectories. These changes help strengthen websites by combining their SEO efforts in one place.

So, while subdomains can work well, especially for large or unique services, it’s important to remember that subdomains affect SEO in ways that may not always help your main domain.

Strip Banner Text - Search engines often treat a subdomain as a separate site from the root domain.

How Subdomains Affect SEO

Many people worry that using subdomains might damage their SEO, but that’s not necessarily true. In a SEOs Fight With Google Over How Google Treats Subdomains vs Subdirectories, John Mueller made it clear that both subdomains and subdirectories are acceptable for SEO. However, they’re treated as separate sites by Google’s system.

What does that mean for you? It means that SEO strengths, such as backlinks and domain authority, don’t automatically pass from your main domain to a subdomain. If your root domain has strong SEO, your subdomain won’t benefit from it unless you work on its SEO separately. You will need to build links, publish quality content, and ensure it is optimized just like your parent site.

That said, subdomains can still work well when you’re covering a very different topic or offering a different service. For example, a company might run a blog on its main site but How To Create A Subdomain In cPanel for:

  • Developer Tools.
  • International Versions.
  • Partner Portals.

These areas each serve a different purpose and may require a specific structure, tone, or SEO plan.

In short, subdomains affect SEO in unique ways. It’s not bad, it just needs more care and effort to perform well. When used for the right reason, a subdomain can support your goals without hurting your rankings.

Why are Subdomains Bad for SEO for Blogs?

A blog is one of the best ways to attract backlinks and build authority in your area of expertise. However, if you place your blog on a subdomain, such as blog.mywebsite.com, those links do not always help your main site. That’s because subdomains affect SEO separately, and search engines don’t always connect the two unless you work hard to build that link.

This means you could lose valuable SEO power. When your blog is in a subdirectory, such as mywebsite.com/blog, the backlinks and traffic it earns directly support your main domain name. That’s better for website rankings and long-term growth.

Unless your blog covers a completely different topic or targets a separate audience, it’s best to keep it under your main domain. This way, all the SEO value stays in one place and helps your whole website grow.

User Experience & Subdomains

Using subdomains can change how visitors perceive your site. One major issue is brand separation. When someone clicks from your core site to a subdomain, it may feel like they’ve landed on a completely different website. If the branding, such as logos, colors, or layout, doesn’t match, it can weaken trust. People may think they’ve left your site, even if they haven’t.

Another problem is disrupted navigation. If your core website and subdomain don’t share the same menus or design, users may get confused. They may have to relearn how to navigate or even struggle to return to the primary site. This can lead to frustration and lost visitors.

There are also mobile usability concerns. Subdomains sometimes may not have the same level of mobile optimization as the main site. They may load more slowly or not display correctly on phones. If that happens, visitors may leave the page quickly, which increases bounce rates and damages user experience.

To avoid these issues, ensure your subdomain matches your main website’s design, runs correctly on all devices, and provides a smooth, familiar experience for users. That way, you can use subdomains without hurting your brand or SEO on subdomains.

Subdomains and SEO: Best Practices

If you’re considering using a subdomain, ensure it fits your content goals. A subdomain works best when the content differs enough from your main site to need its own space. But for SEO to work well on subdomains, you’ve got to do things the right way.

  • Use a Subdomain Only When Needed: A subdomain works best when the content differs enough from your main website that it requires its own space. If the content doesn’t serve a unique purpose, a subdirectory may be a better option.
  • Maintain Brand Consistency: Use the same logo, colors, fonts, and layout across your main site and subdomains. This helps visitors believe they’re still on the same website and builds trust.
  • Link Between Your Domain & Subdomain: Internal links tell search engines that your main domain and subdomain are connected. This can improve visibility and help both sections support each other’s SEO.
  • Submit to Google Search Console: Treat the subdomain as its specific property by How Do I Index My Website On Google & Bing?. This allows you to monitor performance, identify issues, and gain a better understanding of how search engines perceive it.
  • Use Unique, High-quality Content: Ensure the content on your subdomain isn’t copied from your main site. Why? Duplicate content on subdomains will negatively affect SEO. Focus on offering real value that’s not found elsewhere on your site.
  • Track Performance Separately: How To Add Google Analytics To WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide to track your subdomain’s progress. Monitor website traffic, bounce rates, and keyword rankings to improve SEO over time.
Domain Registration

* Ts & Cs apply.

Free Domain Registration depends on the selected hosting plan and only applies on 12, 24, and 36 month billing cycles. Free Domain Registration and all Special or Promo and Listed Domain Prices exclude Premium domain names.

Free Domain Registration applies to the following domain name extensions: .com, .online, and is only applicable at time of purchase.

FAQS

u003cstrongu003eDo subdomains harm small sites’ SEO?u003c/strongu003e

Not always, it depends on how the subdomains affect SEO for your specific setup. For small sites with limited content, a subdomain may split SEO strength that would be better concentrated on the main domain. It’s often better to keep everything under one domain unless the content is very different.

u003cstrongu003eShould you move your blog from a subdomain to a directory?u003c/strongu003e

Yes, in most cases. Moving a blog from a subdomain to a directory helps strengthen your main domain’s SEO. Search engines treat it as part of the same site, which can boost rankings and make link-building more effective.

u003cstrongu003eCan subdomains rank independently on Google?u003c/strongu003e

Yes. Google treats subdomains as separate websites, so they rank separately. However, that also means they won’t automatically benefit from your primary domain’s SEO strength unless you build up their authority and link them together properly.

u003cstrongu003eIs there a limit to how many subdomains you should use?u003c/strongu003e

There is no official limit, but having too many subdomains can confuse users and search engines. It’s best to keep things simple. Only create subdomains when there’s a clear need to separate content that’s very different from the rest of your site.

u003cstrongu003eShould you choose a subdomain or a new domain?u003c/strongu003e

It depends on your goals. If the new content is still related to your main brand, a subdomain is fine. But if you’re launching a completely different project or brand, it may be better to use a new domain to build a separate authority and identity.

Other Blogs of Interest

– Essential Website SEO Tools to Boost Your Online Presence

– Changing Domain Name & SEO: 7 Steps To Keep Your Rankings

– What Is A Custom Domain & Why You Should Use One For Your Next Campaign

– Free Domain Registration: How To Get Started

– 8 Best SEO Plugins For WordPress