Deciding whether to go with a subdomain or a subfolder seems to be a puzzling question to several newcomers. The main difference lies in the SEO capabilities of both of them since Google seems to rank them both. This debate has been ongoing for a long time, and there are pros and cons for both of them. However, with newer and updated SEO guidelines, there are several disadvantages of using a subdomain to host a webpage. Let’s read on to find out the reasons why using a subdomain is harmful to your webpage!

Subdomains do not count the total pages:

When a webpage is hosted in a subdomain, the content is not considered to be the main A higher score in SEO is obtained with a higher number of indexed pages. Google ranks websites with larger and rich content which is unavailable if there is a subdomain involved. Thus, to get a higher score in SEO and a better rank in the search engine, using an integrated webpage is a good idea.

Subdomains as separate sites:

If a subdomain is used to host a webpage, it is considered as a separate Though Google ranks and indexes both the main and the subdomain, they will not be ranked together as an integrated site. The SEO capability of both the main and the subdomains act separately and thus, limit their power. The subdomain will ultimately reduce the traffic to the main site and obtain a lower rank in the search results. Thus, an integrated domain will enable Google to crawl through the entire domain as a single unit and assign better ranks to it.

The benefit of the main domain:

Using a subdomain will undermine the main domain since most of the users will spend time on the subdomain rather than on the main domain. Thus, the traffic will be redirected to the subdomain while it will not be counted among the total traffic generated to the entire domain. Any backlinks and sharing on media sites will be redirected to the subdomain, and the main domain will not be able to reap any benefits from them. This results in lower authority and ranking. In an integrated domain, all the backlinks are directed to it, and thus, it scores higher in terms of SEO and search results. Any subdomain will dilute the effects of the external links. Thus, opting for integrated domains is better.

Internal linking:

Subdomains rarely help in interlinking since when a subdomain is linked to the main domain, it is considered as an external link. The subdomains are considered different from the root domain, and thus, the links are considered being redirected to an external site. This may cause more harm than good since the links will be redirecting to a quality site from a low-quality extension of the domain. Thus, in an integrated domain, all the links are considered as internal links and are considered as interrelated, which increases the authority of the domain.

Apart from SEO:

Using a subdomain will hurt the main domain in other areas too, apart from SEO. Viewers expect a complete website with all the details and information they are looking for. In case of a subdomain, the information is distributed. Getting redirected several times often results in poor customer review and ease of use. Thus, having an integrated domain offers the complete website in a single location to the users.

These are a few reasons why opting for an integrated domain is good for the business. Using a subdomain for a business can be better in certain aspects but the disadvantages are numerous, and when compared to an integrated domain, it loses out due to a number of factors. Thus, a single domain with all the blogs is best suited for business.