The Many Benefits of Sub-Domains
October 2, 2008 – 9:59 pm
Before we go into the benefits of sub-domains, we shall first go over the basics of primary domains. The average domain looks something like “www.mysite.com”. Every domain refers to a specific internet website and each is viewed as single site by the search engines. Although a single domain may consist of several pages, those pages are still considered an inclusion of the same site. While this is a good way to expand your site, there are more efficient ways to gain exposure.
Hence the name, a sub-domain is merely an extension of your primary domain. However, it is viewed as a separate domain and independent of the domain it is based on. This means that a search engine like Google would see a sub-domain as a separate entity of its own, allowing you to have more of your pages indexed into the database.
Creating a Sub-domain
Thanks to web hosting technology, many end-users create and manage domains directly from their control panel. Instead of creating an extra web page that would read something like “www.mysite.com/toys”, you would create your some domain as like “www.toys.mysite.com”. This simple variation can attract more search engine spiders and visitors to your website.
How You Can Benefit
In general, sub-domains are not as widely used as their counterparts, mainly because some still do not know how to create them or understand the benefits. The truth is that they are easy to set up and can act as powerful weapons in your SEO (search engine optimization) marketing scheme. Sub-domains offer numerous benefits including the following:
Cost-efficient: Primary domains have become very affordable as some companies offer them for $5 or less. However, if you have a desire to create more than one site, that $5 adds up quickly. You can easily find yourself paying hundreds more to maintain those additional sites. Even a web hosting provider that doesn’t offer multiple domains will typically allow you to create multiple sub-domains at no cost whether its 10 or 1,000. This essentially gives you the ability to create several websites all from a single account under your primary domain.
Search Engine Friendly: Perhaps the greatest benefit of sub-domains relates to SEO. When creating a sub-domain, Google or Yahoo will view “www.toys.mysite.com” and “www.mysite.com/toys” as two unique sites, doubling your chances of receiving higher rankings.
Easy to Create: Sub-domains are simple to create as they do not require much technical skill or any special programs. This process is especially easy when you only need a few of them to start with. If you need to create a large amount perhaps for yourself and affiliates, there are special software applications that allow you to accomplish this task with ease. As long as you are hosting with a good company, creating and managing your sub-domains should be a breeze.   Â
Sub-domains have recently become more popular as they are now a major feature in web hosting packages. They offer many opportunities for someone looking to expand their business without putting themselves in the hole.
