The Best Way to Set Up Your Blog: Subpage vs. Subdomain
In our previous series, Blogging 101, we talked extensively about many of the best practices associated with writing a blog. But what about the hierarchy of how your blog is set up?
In other words, is it set up as a subpage or a subdomain of your website?
If you’re not a web designer or copywriter, you might be wondering what the difference is between the two. Have no fear — Tingalls Graphic Design is here to explain each option and help you understand which one is the better choice when adding a blog to your website.
Your Blog as a Subdomain
In a nutshell, setting up your blog as a subdomain means the blog is perceived as a separate entity by Google and other search engines.
It may look the same and still appear in your website navigation, but search engines do not see it as part of your main website.
This means your website doesn’t get credit for the traffic that comes through your blog. Instead, your blog ends up competing with your website for visitors. Over time, this can actually reduce the authority of your main website as the blog’s authority increases.
No matter how you look at it, this is not ideal.
Here’s an example of what a URL with a subdomain might look like. Notice how the subdomain portion appears before the main domain name: www.subdomain.tingalls.com
Your Blog as a Subpage
This is the optimal way to set up your blog. When your blog is a subpage, it becomes part of your website and sits under your main domain (in our case, Tingalls.com). Because your blog contains fresh content, it’s beneficial for Google to see that content as part of your main website.
Every blog post helps strengthen your website’s authority and contributes to increased visibility in search engines.
When set up this way, your blog essentially helps lift your website in search rankings.
Here’s an example of how we set-up our URL for our “tips” blog. Notice how the page comes after the main domain name: www.tingalls.com/tips/
What Is “Authority”?
Authority is simply a way to describe the credibility of a website in the eyes of search engines.
The more authority a website has, the more trustworthy it appears. And with greater credibility typically comes better rankings in search results.
Your blog plays a huge role in building that authority, which is why Tingalls Graphic Design recommends setting up your blog as a subpage instead of a subdomain.
If you have any questions, or need assistance with your website or blog, feel free to contact Tingalls Graphic Design to schedule a complimentary blog set-up consultation.
