When deciding where to place a blog on your site to maximize SEO benefits and ensure proper Google indexing, the choice between using a subdomain or a subdirectory (page) is crucial. Here's an overview of each approach and which one tends to work better for organic search:
1. Subdomain (blog.mywebsite.com)
Pros:
- Can create a clear separation between your main site (mywebsitecom) and the blog.
- Useful if your blog serves a distinct purpose from the main site, like covering a wide range of topics.
- Helps with organizing content.
Cons:
- Subdomains are often treated as separate websites by search engines. This means SEO benefits from the blog may not directly contribute to the main site’s SEO.
- Requires more effort to build authority on both the main site and subdomain since they are treated separately.
2. Subdirectory/Page (mywebsite.com/blog)
- Pros:
- Search engines tend to treat subdirectories as part of the main website, meaning SEO value gained by the blog content directly supports the primary domain (mywebsite.com).
- Easier to rank because your domain's existing authority and backlinks will immediately benefit the blog.
- Better for consolidating SEO efforts on one domain.
- Cons:
- Less separation between the main site and blog, which may not be ideal if the blog is about vastly different content.
- Harder to isolate from the rest of the site in case of future changes or rebranding.
Best Option for SEO and Google Indexing: Use a Subdirectory (Page)
For most websites, especially for small to medium businesses, placing the blog in a subdirectory (mywebsite.com/blog) is the better option for SEO.
Why Subdirectories Are Better for Organic Search:
- Better SEO Consolidation: Google views subdirectories as part of your main site. All the traffic, authority, and content you build on your blog will benefit the SEO of your main website.
- Easier Indexing and Crawling: Google will crawl your blog content in the context of the entire domain, making it easier for your content to rank and benefit your site's overall authority.
- Backlink Strategy: Any backlinks to blog content (articles) will boost the domain authority of your root domain, benefiting all your pages.
Recommended URL Structure:
- mywebsite.com/blog for your blog homepage.
- mywebsite/blog/[article-name] for individual blog posts.
Final Recommendation:
To maximize SEO benefits, better Google indexing, and organic search traffic for your website place your blog under a subdirectory (yourwebsite.com/blog). This ensures all the traffic and authority generated by your blog directly benefits your main site and supports overall search rankings.