What is the Diiference Between Sub-Domain or Sub-Directory? How can we differentiate between the Two (2)

Major Issue: always got confused in thinking whether to choose a Sub-Domain or A Sub-Directory of adding more sites and blogs to my original site.

�Sorted Results: There can be two ways of adding blogs or sites to your main domain.

Either Use A Sub-Domain Or use a Sub-Directory, but, which one is to be used. let’s discuss when and why ?

First you can see the 2min small video provided by Matt Cutt’s (Google Employee), describing about the impact of the two ways with SEO results and Ranking.

there are many other things which are more important than URL settings like SEO, Search Results, Linking, Etc. so before my advices are final for use either of the two ways, we must understand about the two things carefully. After that we will come to the conclusion at last of this very article.

What is A Sub-Domain? (Vs) What is A Sub-Directory? In URL

A Sub-Domain is a part of your domain name like “sub.domain.com” or “Buy.Reliable4you.com“. well, this is in terms of URL,where as a Sub-Directory is also a part of a main domain like “domain.com/sub/” or “Reliable4you.com/services“. well, one more important thing is when we start our internal linking (linked to page or media content) and we starts it just with ‘/‘ than in case of Sub-Domain it Will Work for Sub-Domains URL. eg. “Services.reliable4you.com/Contact-Us” this can used as “/Contact-Us” for internal site linking when creating the site or blog. Buy, in case of Sub-Directory using ‘/’ refers to the Main Domains URL.

eg. “http://reliable4you.com/services/wp-content/uploads/Contact-R4Y.in_.jpg” where services is a sub-directory and using in this case “/wp-content/uploads/Contact-R4Y.in_.jpg” will word for “Reliable4you.com/wp-content/uploads/Contact-R4Y.in_.jpg” instead the actual URL so it will still required to add Sub-Directory name in URL like this: “/Services/wp-content/uploads/Contact-R4Y.in_.jpg” to get it work.

>> Or you can use a URL Shortner Services (See How)

What is A Sub-Domain? (Vs) What is A Sub-Directory? In Existance

When we Consider their hosting part with the same Hosting service Provider, for both, the folders containing their files (Sub-Domain or Sub-Directory) seems under the main Domain panel only, and used as a sub-folder to main Directory.

eg. In case of� “services.reliable4you.com” or “Reliable4you.com/services” their files containing folder will be under Reliable4you.com only.

What is A Sub-Domain? (Vs) What is A Sub-Directory? In Ability & Accessibility

when considering to access files stored in a folder under main Domain, if a Sub-Domain is installed the files can be accesses in both the ways either using folder/directory name using prefix or post-fix, but in case of sub-Directory install accessibility gets with post-fix URL only.

eg. services (folder/directory) is installed as a sub-domain, files can be accessed as “http://services.reliable4you.com/wp-content/uploads/Contact-R4Y.in_.jpg” or as “http://reliable4you.com/services/wp-content/uploads/Contact-R4Y.in_.jpg” but, in case of Sub-Directory file can be accessed only “http://reliable4you.com/services/wp-content/uploads/Contact-R4Y.in_.jpg” this way.

What is A Sub-Domain? (Vs) What is A Sub-Directory? In Function

If A Sub-domain is a Dynamic Site and has a Custom Error 404 page, then, in case of Sub-Domain (services.reliable4you.com) the path of Sub-Directory (Reliable4you.com/services) will lead you to�Error 404 page Page of Sub-Domain Installation, but in case of Sub-Directory (Reliable4you.com/Pages/Tours/) Installation a path of Sub-Domain (tours.pages.reliable4you.com) will not work. proving a sub-domain as a different Site.

note: in case of sub-domain Doesn’t support Custom Error 404 page, the result with a Sub-Directory search will return to Custom Error 404 page of Main Domain Site or Default Error.

What is A Sub-Domain? (Vs) What is A Sub-Directory? In Hosting

A Sub-Domain being a part of a Domain Name, Acts as a Different Domain. it can even be hosted on a different server or Hosting Service Provider through Records (extra Technical).

A Sub-Domain has its all records separated from the main Domain Name. eg. we can have (.in) Domain & (.net.in) Domain – though they are different, but if we see practically it seems something like (.net.in) is a part of (.in) Domain.

More Over A Sub-Domain Allows you to install Additional Sub-Directory or Sub-Domains in it whereas, a Sub-Directory allows you to only add a Sub-Directory only.

eg. In-case of Sub-Domain – “services.reliable4you.com” allows to add “services.reliable4you.com/sub” & “sub.services.reliable4you.com” but in-case of Sub-Directory – “Reliable4you.com/Pages/” you can Add “Reliable4you.com/Pages/Tours” but you cannot add “tours.Reliable4you.com/Pages/” because if you see it properly, it will act like – Pages a Sub-Directory to a Sub-Domain “tours.reliable4you.com/”

What is A Sub-Domain? What is A Sub-Directory?� In Action

As we discussed till now that a Sub-Domain is a part of�domain name but is acts actually as a different domain name. well, it is actually a different domain name in terms of use and search results. A Sub-Domain has to build its own search value differently and gain some more attention to work search engine friendly.

So, what I feel is if you are expanding your same site or blog you must use a Sub-Directory instead of switching to a Sub-Domain, but, if you are adding something different than your blog or site you must go for Sub-Domain Instead of Sub-Directory.

Note: Once a visitor reached to any of the following kind of sites it doesn’t matter’s to him, so it is you who have to decide what to choose a easier way or deeper way.

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