Does a blog on a subdomain pass on SEO credit to the main domain?
-
When setting up a Hubspot blog you are asked to create a subdomain such as blog.website.com in order to have the blog hosted there.
Two questions:
1. Does a blog on a subdomain pass on SEO credit to the main domain?
My understanding is that a subdomain is treated like a unique site but I'm not finding current articles to confirm this is still true.2. If it does not pass on credit to the main domain and the subdomain is only building "SEO love" for itself but your posts are getting found and driving conversions... from a marketing perspective does this non-transfer of SEO credit really matter? Meaning if blog.website.com is linked to the navigation on website.com, your site has quality content, has relevant calls to action, and you are lead nurturing like a good marketer... does the passing of SEO credit matter if your posts are what's getting found and filling the top of the funnel?
Thank you in advance,
Christine -
Hi Nicole,
Just to mention first off my comment's more regarding sub domains more than Hubspot specifically. I'll try to answer your question directly:
Does one lose any credibility or get diluted by putting said blog on a subdomain rather than in a subdirectory folder?
You may loose credibility (or gain if you put it on a sub folder) by the fact a subdomain could look 'new' compared to an existing website but to be honest its nominal in the big picture. As for credibility that's more for the users point of view than Google's (unless you're planning on being very naughty with the site) but with good content and branding this shouldn't be a problem.
There are oodles of topics on subdomains vs. subfolders out there for you to research but try not to over think it too much as it really all boils down to what you want out of it. You can over come most of the problems you feel you may have. Link diluting etc. is only really a problem if you're planning on posting the same content on both domains as they would literally competing with one another but if its unique and useful info they it should rank on its own merit (with some basic SEO/SEM)
If you are unsure or feel inexperienced I'd recommend putting it on your site then you will get a boost from your blog (see Moz example above) without as much work, so unless you want to distance your main site from the blog this should cover you well.
if in doubt do more research, ask more people get all the info until you feel you're all covered.
Best of luck with your blog and I hope it all goes swimmingly.
-
Christine and I are working on this project together and my ongoing concern is not so much if they get credit passed on to them (logically I would think if domain owners could do this, it would be considered a no-no by google) yet more so if it detracts in any way from the main URL. i.e. diluting the value of the content on the main URL because it competes for the same keywords, etc. therefor 'siphoning' link credit.
This is my first time working with a tool like Hubspot and I feel strongly that it does more SEO harm than it does good. However, my lack of knowledge in the area of Hubspot could be why I feel that way.
So as a follow-up to Christine's question, does one lose any credibility or get diluted by putting said blog on a subdomain rather than in a subdirectory folder?
Thanks so much in advance!
-
Hi Cristine,
Hope you've got found your answer but I just wanted to also give my input.
Whilst they do pass some "link juice" its more akin to creating a separate site meaning double the work, this can be fine if that's what you want but for me its a lot easier to create e.g. www.yoursite.com/blog then any links created also benefit your site as well any users can also browse your site straight from your blog pretty easy etc. You can see what Matt Cutts said about a similar subject way back in 2007 here - https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/subdomains-and-subdirectories/
Regarding your second point if it's getting found and is working that fantastic but what is the likelihood of this? If you're running an email marketing campaign and relying on direct traffic this may not be an issue but I don't know of many sites that rank purely on their content alone from the start you can give yourself a bit of a boost from your main domain via a subfolder.
In Summary- If your site is getting found, getting exposure and all that jazz fantastic give your self a pat on the back, however if not there is nearly double the work on trying to get a subdomain to rank compared to having it on your main site, this is fine for some of the experts but if not I'd recommend you give this a try first and if you want you can move it onto its own subdomain at a later date. In terms of metric unfortunately they do matter if you're after exposure and organic exposure.
Finally you can also see (via Q&A) some example here - http://moz.com/community/q/moz-s-official-stance-on-subdomain-vs-subfolder-does-it-need-updating
Hope that helps and best of luck with your blog.
-
Thanks Ruben. Their blog is already set up on a subdomain. For my own site though I have our blog on WP and use the exact plugins you mentioned.
-
From Moz-
Since search engines keep different metrics for domains than they do subdomains, it is recommended that webmasters place link-worthy content like blogs in subfolders rather than subdomains. (i.e. www.example.com/blog/ rather than blog.example.com) The notable exceptions to this are language-specific websites. (i.e., en.example.com for the English version of the website).
For your second question-
As long as you are getting conversions that is all that really matters. It doesn't matter if it is coming from your domain or subdomain.
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
-
Is it reasonable to not give an SEO access to our CMS?
A client (we designed their website) recently employed an SEO who required FTP access or access to the CMS. We told the client they would need to take full responsibility for any updates the SEO carried out, otherwise, the SEO could send over the changes and we would put them in at no extra cost to the client. The client didn't want to take responsibility and denied the SEO access to the CMS, and told the SEO to send over the completed work for us to put into the site. The SEO was not happy with this arrangement, and didn't seem to understand that we needed to trust him before access was would be given at a future date. Other SEO's have never had a problem with this arrangement, but this SEO claimed what they do is secret and for no one else to see. SEO want's to proceed, client doesn't want to proceed, we are happy to update the website with the client's approval. This particular client has a reputation for backing out of things. Also from the initial client, SEO contact the SEO was ready to update the website within 24 hours. Are we being unreasonable?
Industry News | | ChristinaRadisic1 -
SEO Conferences - Which to start with!???
My SEO / Internet marketing business (I also have contractors that handle web design and development) is going well and growing and I am interested in attending one of the many conferences. (SEO is my passion but I am more of a marketing guy than super technical) I was hoping for a little bit of advice from somebody who has been to some of them where would be good to start. Where should I start? I am in Wichita, KS. which is in the middle of the US (bring on the yellow brick road and Dorothy jokes) and don't plan to leave the country for one. PUBCON, SES, SMX, SEARCHFEST, MOXCON, PUBCON...... Thank you very MUCH for any advice. Super appreciate it! Matthew
Industry News | | Mrupp440 -
PR Releases? Do they help your SEO?
Do PR releases help? Do links from PRweb.com carry no value? Was Matt Cutts being specific to the user's website in the Google Webmaster discussion, when Matt said "I wouldn't expect links from press release web sites to benefit your rankings, however." https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/webmasters/O178PwARnZw/discussion
Industry News | | Thos0032 -
Upcoming/Fall SEO Conferences (2012)
I have been attending Pubcon for almost a decade now. I have missed only 1 or 2 in the last 9 years. This year, I was considering to go to Mozcon and SMX Advanced, but the dates did not work out for me. Next year I am not missing either of these conferences. For this year, if I was to attend one of the following, which one do folks recommend (I would love to know the 1st hand experiences, comparisons): http://www.pubcon.com/
Industry News | | NakulGoyal
http://www.blueglass.com/conferences/x/
http://sesconference.com/chicago/
http://searchmarketingexpo.com/east/
http://na.ad-tech.com/ny/0 -
Does anybody know why my domain name is up to sale?
One of my domain names is not showing on Google's search results, when I type the URL in nothing appears. I notice something to do with blocked, but I couldn't find the message again. When I type in the actual URL in the search box it comes up with the message that the domain is up for sale for $32 the year, but the strange thing is it is still registered to me and it's definitely not up for sale? I find this very strange has anybody got any ideas whatbn could be happening? I sent in what they call a trouble ticket to the domain parking service, so I'll see what their replies is This is the doamin www.whitby-.uk.net
Industry News | | whitbycottages0 -
How do you determine the level of an SEO
I wanted to know how others classify an individual in the industry. i.e. What makes an SEO beginner, intermediate or advanced? What skill set separates a pro from a newbie?
Industry News | | MassivePrime0 -
How many small businesses use SEO?
I'm looking for data (not opinions) on how many small businesses use SEO, that is, either do it in-house, hire a firm, or hire a freelancer. I've poked around on SEMPO and eConsultancy but can't find what I'm looking for.
Industry News | | jsteimle0 -
New business acquisition for digital agencies from SEO and CRO
I have a nice simple question to ask all you mozzers out there, specifically if you work for a web design/digital agency. Does your agency get any new business clients through your SEO and CRO efforts? I'm asking this to try and build up a qualitative data set. I am responsible for all SEO and CRO at our agency for all clients along with our own website. Having increased traffic by over 200% in the last 12 months, and obtaining page one of Google for all our targeted keywords, we are still without any new business or ROI. We are fortunate enough to get a lot of great clients via word of mouth, a great sales team and client retention, I'd really like to know what the bigger picture is here? If I get enough data back, I'll make it into my first Youmoz post and share all the data with everyone :¬) I've now added a survey so you answer anonymously: There are only 5 questions in all, your time is greatly appreciated. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/New_business_acquisitions_for_digital_agencies Any feedback gladly welcomed. Regards Sean
Industry News | | Yozzer0