Did you know that a subdomain can help you have higher SEO rankings? If you ever wondered what is a subdomain, we’ve got you covered.
Take a look at our guide below to learn all you need to know about subdomains.
What are Subdomains?
A subdomain is used to split a website up into various sections. You can use it to launch different sections on your website, such as careers (careers.yoursite.com), a forum (forum.yoursite.com), or a blog (blog.yoursite.com).
Subdomains are a good way for you to show your visitors what your website has to offer. You can set up a network of unrelated sites through them, without impacting or confusing your SEO campaign goals.
Many people use subdomains to self-test or to sell internationally. They are also used for optimising sites for different devices or launching eCommerce sites. Either way, one thing is for certain – subdomains are a great tool if you want to increase your targeting efforts.
How do you Create a Subdomain?
Creating a subdomain is actually very easy to do. The guide below will outline the steps you need to take when learning how to create subdomain sites.
First of all, you need to work out why you are creating your domain, and what audience you intend to target. Determining the type of content you want to post will also help, so make sure you keep that in mind if you want to get the best result out of your efforts.
Creating a subdomain without clear direction will only complicate your strategy. Choosing the right domain name is also imperative to your success.
2. Login to cPanel
The first thing you need to do is log in to the cPanel dashboard. Log in to your account and then click on the website host. You can then click on the cPanel login button, and this will take you to your homepage.
3. Add the Domain
Scroll down to the domains section and then enter whatever string you need. Once you’ve done that, you may find that the Domain Root has filled the information in for you. If you keep the section as it is, anything you add to your root folder will load up on the subdomain. Click on Create to launch your domain.
- Adding DNS
You will never be able to resolve your subdomain properly if you don’t add the right DNS records. Go back to your name account and then choose website hosting from your menu. You then need to go under DNS management so you can see that your subdomain has been selected.
- Wait for it to Resolve
It could be up to 24 hours before your subdomain resolves properly. If you see that it is not working immediately, don’t worry; this is normal when trying to create subdomain sites.
- When should I Use a Subdomain?
You should use a subdomain if you intend on posting things to your site that don’t directly relate to your website’s purpose. You should also use a subdomain if you intend on setting up a forum, or a specific arc of your site.
Subdomains VS Subdirectories For SEO
Subdomains are a distinct branch of your website (like blog.yoursite.com), and they are different from your root domain. On the other hand, subdirectories are tied to your root domain and represent a pathway within your website (like yoursite.com/blog).
It’s important to know that Google has to crawl subdomains separately, but this is a formality and it only takes place over the first few days. After this point, they are both as good as each other in terms of SEO.
Bottom Line
If you want to make sure your site is getting the best result out of its SEO, subdomains are an excellent solution. They’re also a great way to ensure you are splitting off the different parts of your site into suitable subcategories. If you were wondering “what is a subdomain?”, we hope our guide has helped you learn more about it and understand how you can create it.
FAQs:
1. What is an example of a subdomain?
Some examples of subdomains are the forum sections of a website, such as forum.yoursite.com, or careers sections, like careers.yoursite.com.
2. Do I need to buy a subdomain?
No, subdomain rights are included with the domain.
3. Is it easy to create a subdomain?
Yes, it is very easy to create a subdomain if you follow this guide. The steps are clearly outlined so you can add your own with ease.
