How does PageRank pass through a backlink on a subdomain vs. subdirectory?
-
Scenario 1: I earn a link on exampleblog.root.com/example-page/. The DA is 90, but it's a brand new page so PA is 0. Subdomain is also new, zero backlinks.
Scenario 2: I earn a link on root.com/example-page/. The DA is 90, PA is still new so 0 for now.
My assumption is that PR will flow from the homepage through the subdirectory then ultimately to my domain. If the subdomain doesn't inherit any of the root-level metrics, then should I even be worried about the DA in scenario 1? What are the seo implications between the 2 scenarios?
-
Subdomains are considered separate sites and so normally you would consider all the link metrics separate. That is why the most common advice is to use subdirectories for content sections vs subdomains. That way any link equity/page rank you acquire for links into the subdirectory flow up to the main domain.
You also need to be careful not to run into duplicate issues with a www vs non www versions of your site as those two subdomains are seen as separate entities by google.
If you want to consolidate link equity, 301 redirect all the pages in the blog subdomain (i.e. blog.root.com) to the equivalent subdirectory (root.com/blog) then you can have a unified single set of pages/URLs to focus on.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Backlinks from The Sun, New Yor Post, etc...
Hello there, Some of my competitors have backlinks from very well-known newspaper websites like New York Post or The Sun. And it is really obvious that their backlinks are paid ones. On these news websites, they don't talk about ghost writing stuff or "partnership" for backlinks. They only write about banner advertising. So I was wondering how they can get a backlink from them.
Link Building | | Veptune
Do some writers sell those backlinks somewhere else, under the table? Are they in contact with SEO agencies who paid them and if this is the case, does their "manager" know it? or does the company directly have partnerships with SEO agencies? Basically, how to get a backlink from the NY Post or The Sun ? Thanks0 -
Need Help Related To Backlinks ?
I have a question from SEO expert that I have shared a Sheet name ( Backlinks Sheet below ) in which there are some types of links. I have to ask that these links are Okay to use? and if they are well to use then how I can use them. If they are not fine to use then what are the disadvantages of using them. Kindly explain it to me, Thanks. edit
Link Building | | leonardlyman0 -
PR1 and PR2 backlinks
We're doing some content marketing. I've heard that it is a good idea to target even PR1 and PR2 sites (small DA sites). I'm concerned about these sites disappearing after a few months, as we've found that losing a backlink can sting a bit and be worse than never having it. Though this isn't as big a deal any more. Anyways, can somebody say when a PR1/PR2 backlink would be appropriate to go after? Some of them would be easy and if it's appropriate I'd like to include them. So far they would only pass our standards if they are Above PR0 Look like a white hat, quality site from the outside Have a clean backlink profile Look like they're going to stick around Successful Social Media Accounts a plus What are you guys' criteria for including these sites? Do you gain value from them?
Link Building | | BobGW0 -
Backlinks From Scraper Sites - Should I Disavow Them?
I'm going through all the links (hopefully) to my website and I've found so many links from site scrapers. For instance: http://www.fzccg.com/cmsteam/dvbbs/boke.asp?zkhod76681.showtopic.148760.html ... which links to my site with anchor text "abercrombie uk How To Change Your Wiper Blades" It is surely not realistic to think that I can contact all the scraper site owners. So what should I do with this kind of links?
Link Building | | sbrault740 -
Free Classified Backlinks & Google
Is there a risk that Google will de-index your site or lower your ranking if you have too many backlinks from free classifed sites? I would just use 1 free ad per classified website. Thanks.
Link Building | | finalfrontier0 -
Unique Domains vs. Total Links?
At what point is there diminishing returns from getting multiple links from one website? Edit: To clarify, when doing competitor research I come across lots of sites that have say 500 linking domains with 5000 total links. When setting goals and calculating the types of links I should go after, I'm not certain which number is the one actually helping the site to rank.
Link Building | | ErikDster0 -
Wikipedia Backlinks
Does wikipedia nofollow backinks help your site to rank higher in google? I got a niche related backlink from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_(film) The page has pr 5... does this backlink count? (My backlink is in the bottom of the page anchored "Movies 2012")
Link Building | | prunarevic0 -
Can You Rank Without Backlinking?
With all the new emphasis on on-page metrics and social metrics, would it be possible to rank well without putting much emphasis on backlinking if your content is significantly better than the rest of the ranking pages? Say #1 to #5 are pages of 500 word generic content. We come in with 2,000 word specific, high-quality content. Can we get by without spending as much time/energy on backlinking? Would the on-page factors make up for it, or has the game not changed that much?
Link Building | | DerekP1
