Sub-Folder vs Sub-Domain ?

Hi All,
Can you please advise whether it's good to install a forum software in a sub-folder or a sub-domain ? (From SEO point of view and any other factors to be considered...)

www.samplesite.com/forum

or

forum.samplesite.com

??

Which one to prefer ?

 

You can use both you know. However, i think I like the forums.domain.com better.

 

Having a sub domain would be good if your website and forums are large. That way you could host them on seperate hosting accounts. However I have come to like the /forums/ extension.

Also if you have it all on one domain. Advertising, SEO, and PR, can be gained easier if you was to ask me.

 

Agree with what he says. I prefer /forum myself unless the site is incredibly large.

 

I don't expect my forum to be incredibly large...
Also I am thinking of integrating a blog and vBulletin forum so that they use same login (members table).

So looks like /forum is better for this ?

Thank You for the reply...

 

I tell you something that I find annoying.

This: www.somethingforums.xyz/forums/

What is the point in that.

www.somethingforums.xyz is good for the forum index. I like them domains. However when people buy a domain like that add the forums in another /forums/ I don't see the point.

 

Yeah ! Right !

My site is not an exclusive forum. I am trying to install a CMS (hope fully that integrates with vBulletin) in the root folder and just give a link to the forum (vBulletin) installed in /forum folder. Forum is just one part of my site.

 

That's like me. That is why I use /forums/.

 

sub domain for sure

 

Any specific reason why you prefer sub-domain ?

 

I would also like to know why.

Also I once planned to have mine on a sub-domain. I thought it would look better and make the network easier to manage.

However I let my community vote on it.

 

Subdomain has its own ranking while a subfolder's ranking will be carried over by the main domain. It all depends on your taste.

 

That's the reason I didn't go with sub domains.

 

I'm not sure if the bots still treat sites this way, but at one point a sub domain was considered a different site from the root URL.
This way I could build up more then one URL using subdomains
This is what I did on one of my sites.
vbulletinsetup
forum.vbulletinsetup
directory.vbulletinsetup

and I have some others on that URL, but those are the strongest.. you can see each url has strong back links, and good activity.

so.. that's why

 

That still applies now. However all your sites are togeather correct. They are all about eachother. Why have the sub domains?

 

Subdomains = different sites for google = different PR

if you promote your forum then your forum could have a higher PR then your main domain.
I am going with folders and not subdomains cause then all PageRank is where it needs to be.