The Ultimate Guide to When to Use Subdomains

You should know when to use subdomains when building a website. Subdomains are separate entities off of your main websites, such as a blog or a store, that have your domain name but exist separately (e.g., blog. yoursite. com or shop. yoursite. com). This allows for the separation of a site, such as blog.example.com and example.com. But how do you know if it’s the right decision? The decision will have implications across everything from SEO to site management.

When implemented properly, subdomains lead businesses to a 30% increase in website traffic and a 25% conversion rate. Did you know? We’ll take you through the way of using subdomains so you’ll know when and if they work. As such, whether you’re managing a huge website or just need to enhance the readability of your content, these pointers will guide you in selecting the ideal path for your site.

What is a Subdomain?

A subdomain is a component of your main domain that organizes particular website content, such as blogs or online stores, all under a single domain. In the case of blog.example.com, “blog” serves as the subdomain. It enhances search engine optimization, user experience, and flexibility by separating content while preserving the structure and authority of the primary domain.

When to Use Subdomains

When setting up subdomains, following the right approach is essential to ensuring everything works well and you get the most out of them. Here are some essential tips for implementing subdomains effectively.

• Testing or Building a New Website

  Subdomains are ideal for testing your website’s or individual pages’ new version before they go live. They allow you to develop, test, and change in a controlled environment without affecting the live site. You can try out new features, fix bugs, and work on a project without disrupting the current site, making subdomains a great tool for staging and finalizing new websites before launching them on your main domain.

• Setting Up an E-commerce Store

  A subdomain makes adding an e-commerce store to your website easy while keeping it separate from your main content. For instance, if you started with a blog but want to sell products, a subdomain lets you create an online store without disrupting your original site. You can use platforms like Magento or WooCommerce to set up your store as a subdomain of your blog.

• Subdomains for Help Centers and Forums

  Using subdomains for a Help Center or forum can strategically enhance customer support and engagement. A dedicated subdomain, such as help.example.com, allows you to create a focused space for customer resources, FAQs, and community discussions, making it easier for users to find assistance without navigating through the main site.

  This separation improves user experience and provides scalability; as your business grows, you can expand your Help Center or forum without cluttering the primary website.

• International Targeting

  Subdomains provide a great way to adjust content and enhance the user experience for international audiences. . For instance, if your business operates in Australia, you could establish a subdomain like au.example.com for Australian users. This allows you to modify content and boost SEO specifically for the Australian market.

• Effective Content Strategy for SEO

  To avoid SEO issues, each subdomain should have unique content that sets it apart from the main domain. It’s important to conduct thorough keyword research to find new terms that the main domain doesn’t cover.

  Additionally, use interlinks to connect the subdomain and main site for better navigation. To prevent content duplication, especially for similar products in different regions, use “rel=canonical” tags to indicate the preferred page. Regular audits and on-page SEO checks will help maintain content quality and relevance.

• Separate Robots.txt and XML Sitemaps

  Every subdomain should have a separate robots.txt file specifying to the search engine crawler which pages it should index and not index. Maintain independent XML sitemaps for every subdomain to allow search engines to index them more easily.

• Canonical Tags

  Canonical tags (rel=”canonical”) will be used for the preferred version of a page where similar content exists across the main domain and subdomains. This helps reduce problems of duplicate content.

• Hreflang Tags

  If the audience is international, set hreflang tags to include language and regional targeting to your subdomains. This allows users to receive content relevant to their location.

• Create Backlinks for Every Subdomain

  Backlinks for your main website won’t impact your subdomain, as Google treats them as separate entities. Therefore, you’ll need to build unique link-building campaigns for each subdomain to improve its authority.

• Track the Analytics of Your Subdomain

  Tracking analytics for each subdomain is crucial to measuring the performance of your SEO efforts. Tools like Google Analytics can help you monitor progress and make adjustments as needed.

• Target Different Keywords with Subdomains

  To improve rankings, target specific keywords for each subdomain. For example, if you have an eCommerce subdomain, focus on keywords like “buy shoes” or “shoe store.” This helps increase traffic and visibility while standing out from the competition.

How to Create a Subdomain

Creating a subdomain is a straightforward process, but it varies depending on the control panel you are using. Below are step-by-step guides for the most commonly used control panels:

1. WebsitePanel (Version 2.1)

Steps:

1. Log in to your WebsitePanel account.
2. Navigate to the “Domains” section.
3. Click on “Add Subdomain” and fill in the required details.

For detailed instructions, visit our guide: How to Add a Subdomain in WebsitePanel 2.1.

2. SolidCP

Steps:

1. Log in to SolidCP.
2. Go to the “Domains” section and click on “Add Subdomain.”
3. Enter the subdomain name and configure the required settings.

Learn more in this guide: How to Add a Subdomain in SolidCP.

3. Plesk Control Panel

Steps:

1. Log in to Plesk.
2. Go to “Websites & Domains” and click “Add Subdomain.”
3. Provide the subdomain name and configure its settings.

Full guide available here: How to Add a Subdomain in Plesk Control Panel.

4. CentOS Web Panel

Steps:

1. Access the CentOS Web Panel dashboard.
2. Navigate to the “Domains” section and select “Add Subdomain.”
3. Enter the subdomain details and save.

For a detailed walkthrough, refer to How to Add a Subdomain in CentOS Web Panel.

5. Webuzo Control Panel

Steps:

1. Log in to Webuzo.
2. Go to the “Domain” menu and choose “Add Subdomain.”
3. Enter the desired subdomain name and configure it as needed.

Read the full instructions here: How to Add a Subdomain in Webuzo Control Panel.

6. cPanel

Steps:

1. Log in to your cPanel account.
2. Locate and click on the “Subdomains” option.
3. Enter the subdomain name, select the parent domain, and save.

See the complete guide here: How to Create a Subdomain in cPanel.

Benefits of Using Subdomains

Using subdomains can greatly improve your website’s organization and overall user experience. Here are some key benefits:

• Easier Website Organization

  Subdomains help you organize your website into clear, easy-to-navigate sections. By separating different parts of your website into subdomains, you make it simpler for both users and search engines to find what they’re looking for. This organization can improve user engagement and increase conversion rates.

• Targeting the Right Audience

  Subdomains help target different audiences as per their requirements. Subdomains allow you to create different spaces for different products, services, or geographic areas. By aiming for the most relevant content for each potential customer, visitors are presented with information that can lead to higher retention and conversion rates.

  From various goods, services, or distributions, subdomains allow you to establish specific space for every market section. This focus promotes the most relevant information to visitors, which establishes high conversion rates.

• Scalability and Flexibility

  Subdomains offer flexibility as your business grows. As you expand into new markets, products, or services, you can easily add new subdomains to fit your needs. This scalability allows you to adapt without changing your entire website structure. Plus, managing subdomains separately makes it easier to assign responsibilities and keep things running well.

• Technical Flexibility

  You can use various server configurations or different technologies for your respective web pages with the help of subdomains. You might, for instance, run a WordPress blog at blog. example. com, a web application at app. example. com.

Conclusion

This is why using subdomains is the most effective method to structure your site, target specific audiences, and enhance the UX. If you want to build an online store, target users in other countries, or build out a help center, subdomains let you keep things separate but still connect to your primary domain. After all, these tips walk you towards effective subdomain usage to enhance your SEO, aligning your content rightly, and ultimately making your website user-friendly and efficient.

(Visited 2 times, 2 visits today)