Is there any benefit in using a subdomain redirected to a single page?

[techdesign]

For example if we have a domain www.bobshardware.com.au and we setup a subdomain sydneysupplies.bobshardware.com.au and then brisbanescrewdrivers.bobshardware.com.au and used those in ad campaigns. Each subdomain being redirected back to a single page such as bobshardware.com.au/brisbane-screw-drivers  etc.

Is there a benefit ?

Cheers

[donford]

There would not be a direct SEO benefit for doing this. There maybe however a benefit in tracking. If you only used that sub-domain for X ad campaign than you would know all traffic from referral sub-domain would be coming from that ad campaign.

There may be some slight non-optimization for doing it this way. Sub-domains are treated as their own domains to a degree, so you are in affect giving the ad-campaign's link to juice to a new domain entirely. Then forwarding that to a specific page. Opposed to just directly giving the link juice an ad campaign can generate to the actual page.

A couple things here depending on the type of ad campaign there may not be any link juice to worry about, like Google's ad words don't pass link juice. However, if you purchased direct advertisement on certain sites you may get some link juice from those ads running.

The second thing is actually a question. What is the purpose of creating a sub-domain to point to a sub directory? Is it just for tracking? Or were you wondering if you could benefit from a sub-domain being treated as a new domain linking to you? If for tracking; I would think there are other tracking methods that could handle referring traffic.  If it were in hopes of gaining a new backlink from a different domain than I would say it isn't helpful this way. First because it is simply forwarding to the sub-directory and secondly even it weren't forwarding the link would be considered from the same server and not very helpful anyway.

So in short, no benefit other than a potential way to help with tracking.

Hope that makes sense and helps,

Don

edit some grammar

[RyanPurkey]

Hi David. The benefits associated with 301 redirection come from either relocating your site, combining sites, cleaning up 404 pages, aligning page names within your site architecture, things of that nature. If you have links or visits to those third level pages and want to house all pages on your root domain instead of third levels, then 301 redirection would be the way to go. Cheers!

[techdesign]

The main reasoning behind wishing to use a subdomain is more organisational.

Simply looking at having the subdomain house information on a particular topic or item, for instance screwdrivers in Brisbane. Any deals, latest arrivals etc could be found on that particular subdomain. And further to that thinking being able to redirect to a different page for 2 weeks and then bring the original page back with out changing or adding a new url on which it can be found.

Possibly just me and the way I like things organisationally but the idea appealed and I was wondering if there were any benefits or for that matter negatives to running a particular section that way.

[donford]

Hi David,

Rand covered this very topic in a white board friday. Perhaps you may find it helpful and provide insight on what can happen and why he thinks the way he does.

Here is a link for you.

Hope it helps,

Don

[techdesign]

Having looked at that white board Friday I did find it helpful.

I did just go look at wotif.com.au and lastminute.com.au one of which I do recall using subdomains to divide their sites with. Neither appear to be using it any more. Which would be another indication that subdomains are in fact bad.

Seems to be subdomains are not really the way to go which from my point of view is a shame. It makes more sense to work that way.

[LinkWheelOldSchool]

There will be only a single benefit, which is tracking. Separate subdomains will allow you track visitors properly. No positive or negative result - unless links are involved.

[techdesign]

Thanks Rick. When you say unless links are involved what do you mean?