Directory or SubDomain? Redirect or root?

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by Helping, Sep 8, 2006.

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  1. #1
    Hello I searched the forum about these questions but I didn't found a specific solution:

    From a SEO point of view:

    It is better to install your favorite cms in the root or in a directory and use a 301 redirect like:

    Redirect 301 /index.html http://www.site.com/directory/index.php
    ?

    It is better to use a subdomain for a forum or just a directory?

    forum.site.com VS site.com/directory ?

    And if it's better to use a subdomain and the forum is physically located
    in a directory of site.com domain how I can create the subdomain and avoid duplicate content penality?

    I hope this questions are not too noobish :)

    Thank you in advance :)
     
    Helping, Sep 8, 2006 IP
  2. zokiii

    zokiii Peon

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    #2
    For forum and some other "tools" it is better to use directory.
    If you use subdomain you must promote it like new domain, because google see that subdomain as new domain .
     
    zokiii, Sep 9, 2006 IP
  3. Jean-Luc

    Jean-Luc Peon

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    #3
    Hi,

    I do not recommend to redirect the home page to a subdirectory. Sometimes search engines get lost in these kinds of redirects. So I would install the cms in the root.

    Regarding the question about subdomain vs. subdirectory, there are some technical differences, but from a practical point of view, it does not really matter. Also keep in mind that it must be convenient to the visitors of your site.

    Jean-Luc
     
    Jean-Luc, Sep 9, 2006 IP
  4. zokiii

    zokiii Peon

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    #4
    How doesn't really matter.
    When you got subdomain you most promote it like different domain and when you have subdirectory, it has some effects of domain - you don't have to promote it as subdomain
     
    zokiii, Sep 9, 2006 IP
  5. Jean-Luc

    Jean-Luc Peon

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    #5
    Hi zokiii,

    Google indexes pages more than sites.

    The ranking of the forum will depend on the content of the forum pages and of the quantity and the quality of the links pointing to it. This is basically independent of the subdomain-subdirectory choice.

    On top of that, if you decide to separately promote the forum, then it might be easier to submit forum.example.com/ than www.example.com/forum/ to directories.

    Jean-Luc
     
    Jean-Luc, Sep 9, 2006 IP
  6. Helping

    Helping Peon

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    #6
    At the end I opted for subdirectory. As someone pointed out it's better I don't have to create links also for the subdomain.
    Can someone please reply to my last question?

    Is this the best way to make a redirect of root to /cms directory?

    Redirect 301 /index.html http://www.site.com/cms/index.php

    Better explanation:

    I have wordpress on /cms directory and i want to redirect correctly from a seo point of view / to /cms

    The redirect reported before is working but I think I can do it better :p

    Thank you:)
     
    Helping, Oct 2, 2006 IP