SEO and dividing part of website (e-shop, forum and website itself)

[rafnews]

Hi,

i'm facing an interesting challenge redeveloping a website that includes the website itself, a forum and an e-shop.
Basically i was thinking to develop those parts into 3 phases and thus to be independent of each other.

so the website itself will be stored under main domain (ex: www.example.com), while forums will be stored under a subdomain (forums.example.com) and e-shop as another subdomain (eshop.example.com)

i would like to know if this is a problem for a good SEO ?
or is it much more better to have everything under 1 "roof" www.example.com (main site), www.example.com/forums (forums) and www.example.com/eshop (eshop) ?

Please detail your answer in order to help me to understand.
thx a lot.

[Nizam18]

Sometimes it just doesn't make sense to fit certain keywords into your main URL. But, with subdomains you have another chance to insert hard-to-rank keywords into your domain. Which will never be a bad thing for your rankings.

[mariajonas]

From an SEO perspective, both approaches have their pros and cons. Let's analyze them to help you make an informed decision.

Option 1: Separate Subdomains
Using separate subdomains (e.g., forums.example.com and eshop.example.com) can provide functional independence and make it easier to maintain and update each component separately. It also allows for better scalability and potentially enhanced security measures.

However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Search engines may treat subdomains as separate entities, meaning that each subdomain will have its own ranking and authority. This could result in each component having a harder time building up domain authority compared to if they were part of the main domain. Additionally, link equity and user engagement metrics, such as time on site and bounce rate, may not be shared across subdomains, potentially impacting overall SEO performance.

Option 2: Single Domain with Subdirectories
Consolidating everything under one "roof" by using subdirectories (e.g., www.example.com/forums and www.example.com/eshop) can help consolidate domain authority and create a cohesive user experience. Any domain authority built up on the main site can benefit the subdirectories, potentially improving their SEO performance. Additionally, user engagement metrics can be combined, providing a more accurate picture of overall website performance.

However, managing all components within one codebase can be more complex, potentially making maintenance and updates more challenging. It may also limit scalability if you anticipate significant growth in any particular component.

Ultimately, the choice between these options depends on your priorities. If you prioritize functional independence and scalability, then separate subdomains may be the better choice. On the other hand, if maximizing SEO performance and creating a cohesive user experience are more important, consolidating everything under one domain with subdirectories might be the way to go.


To summarize, using separate subdomains can provide functional independence and easier maintenance but may result in each component having a harder time building up domain authority and may not share link equity and user engagement metrics.

On the other hand, consolidating everything under one domain with subdirectories can help consolidate domain authority and create a cohesive user experience. However, managing all components within one codebase may be more complex.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your priorities, such as functional independence, scalability, SEO performance, and user experience.