1st Level Dirs or Subdomains?

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by fcmisc, Jul 24, 2005.

  1. #1
    Hi,

    In terms of SEO, which is better for dividing up a website into it's various categories:

    - use a subdomain for each category e.g. category.domain.com/

    - use a 1st level directory e.g. www.domain.com/category

    Thanks,

    fcmisc.
     
    fcmisc, Jul 24, 2005 IP
  2. minstrel

    minstrel Illustrious Member

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    #2
    All you ever wanted to know:

    Folders vs. Subdomains
    Highrankings.com article by Catherine Parker, Quirk Marketing
     
    minstrel, Jul 24, 2005 IP
  3. Agent47

    Agent47 Well-Known Member

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    #3
    This is from Jill Whalen's website and don't forget to check Compar's website about her: http://www.the-seo-bitch.info/ :p
     
    Agent47, Jul 24, 2005 IP
  4. minstrel

    minstrel Illustrious Member

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    #4
    I know all about compar's opinion of her. As with many other things, I disagree with compar on that one. And in any case, Jill didn't write the article -- Catherine Parker did.

    Instead of worrying about what compar thinks (or what I think for that matter), why not read the article and actually (*gasp*) make up your own mind? i.e., think for yourself?
     
    minstrel, Jul 24, 2005 IP
  5. Agent47

    Agent47 Well-Known Member

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    #5
    Well I am kind of new to SEO and I will have to believe whatever you say or what compar did in past but for us it's important to know that the article we are reading is giving us the right direction or we are like blinds following blinds?
    Am sorry mate; I didn’t mean to say that your statement or post is wrong but that is what I heard about her.

    Cheers,
     
    Agent47, Jul 24, 2005 IP
  6. Hodgedup

    Hodgedup Notable Member

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    #6
    I agree with Minstrel, just read the article and make up your own mind.

    I'm going to make a website called seo-cool-guy about Minstrel.
     
    Hodgedup, Jul 25, 2005 IP
  7. minstrel

    minstrel Illustrious Member

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    #7
    Aw, thanks, HodgedUp! :D

    And I'll make one for you called seo-hodged-up.com :D
     
    minstrel, Jul 25, 2005 IP
  8. jlawrence

    jlawrence Peon

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    #8
    It's actually not that difficult to read an article and spot if the person is talking absolute tosh, and the more you read SEO articles, the more tosh you read :(.
    The article in question covers a good few points (imho) but misses a major advantage of the subdomain route - it is much easier to put a subdomain on a separate IP address than it is a folder. To say that having a subdomain is better for IBL's isn't necessarily the case (I know the article says that it's not always better). If a subdomain and a primary domain are very tightly linked then at least one search engine will consider them the same site (and no I don't care to say where that info came from, before anyone asks), whether this leads to any degradation of IBL PR transfer between the sites I don't know nor do I care :).
    Whether or not to use a subdomain, comes down to what you're thinking of putting on it. If you've got a nice generic domain name, then you can theme a subdomain well (ie shopping.website.com, computers.shooping.com etc). Alternatively, if the content fits well with your main domains' content, then I'd have thought you'd be better off using a subfolder. At the end of the day, it comes down to what is the content, and what is your own personal preference. As far as SEO goes, I don't think it makes much difference.
     
    jlawrence, Jul 25, 2005 IP