Blog.mysite.com or mysite.com/blog?

[truckguy77]

Hi, I'm just curious what the majority think of what's the best way to start a blog on your website for SEO benefits. Is it better to have it under a sub domain or a directory? Or does it even matter?

[Adam.Whittles]

Hi Tim,

I generally prefer to go with the subfolder option (mysite.com/blog) rather than the subdomain (blog.mysite.com). The reason I prefer this option is because having the blog in a subfolder means that it will benefit from the value of the root domain. In other words, links that are obtained by the root domain will pass that value to the subfolders. However, a subdomain is treated as a separate site and therefore not much value is passed via the root.

Rand provides an excellent answer in a previous Q&A of a similar topic:

subdomains vs. subfolders

Hope that helps,

Adam.

[ChrisHolgate]

I think Adam has hit the nail on the head.  We recently moved our blog site from a subdomain to a subfolder and 301'd all the old URL’s with the intention that any entries that users find genuinely useful or interesting will be potentially linked to, thereby providing a benefit to the root domain.

As long as your blog is tightly related to your core business activity then I would go down the subfolder root although, in all honesty, I think subdomains potentially look a little more professional.

[NakulGoyal]

I agree with Tim and Adam and that said, sub-folders are better as a general rule of thumb for sure.

You might also want to refer to other similar questions here on SEOMOZ.

• http://www.seomoz.org/q/blogs-are-best-when-hosted-on-domain-subdomain-or* http://www.seomoz.org/q/setting-up-a-company-blog-subdomain-or-new-url* http://www.seomoz.org/q/blog-vs-blog

  and the post from Matt Cutts as well as the article from Rand that Adam mentioned.

  • http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/subdomains-and-subdirectories/* http://www.seomoz.org/q/subdomains-vs-subfolders

[creybot]

From everything I've read, I agree that your safest bet is to go with the subfolder.