Is there a problems with putting encoding into the subdomain of a URL?

[RoxBrock]

We are looking at changing our URL structure for tracking various affiliates from:

https://sub.domain.com/quote/?affiliate_id=xxx

to  https://aff_xxx_affname.domain.com/quote/

Both would allow us to track affiliates, but the second would allow us to use cookies to track. Does anyone know if this could possibly cause SEO concerns?

Also, For the site we want to rank for, we will use a reverse proxy to change the URL from https://aff_xxx.maindomain.com/quote/ to https://www.maindomain.com/quote/

would that cause any SEO issues.

Thank you.

[DmitriiK]

Hi there.

So, are those affiliates domains gonna actually exist and be empty and be redirected from with proxy or it's gonna be simple htaccess rewrite rule?

In first case i can see lots of trouble with UX (do you like when after clicking on a link it takes you to a page, which refreshes several times before giving you end page result? - feels very spammy and unsettling, doesn't it?!)

In second case - there won't be any problems.

P.S. Why parameter URL structure doesn't let you use cookies? You can assign specific cookie based on parameter with simple php get. Or am i missing something?

[RoxBrock]

The sub-domain would not be redirected.  It would be forwarded on to an application server to parse the sub-domains and continue with displaying a page customized for that affiliate (HTML, CSS, and verbiage all can change).

As for why the URL structure won't work, the site must throw an error if no affiliate ID is specified.  It cannot simply assume the one in the cookie is correct.

[Everett]

All of those subdomains should have a robots.txt file that disallows the search engine from accessing them in the first place. In that sense, it doesn't matter which you choose for SEO. Or am I missing something?

[MattRoney]

Hi RoxBrock! Did Everett and Dmitrii answer your question? If so, make sure to mark one or both of their responses "Good Answers."

[RoxBrock]

Isn't it good to let google see that our site does something as opposed to just being a glorified blog?

[Everett]

Not if that something has to do with affiliate landing pages.

[RoxBrock]

I don't feel this question is understood and I'm not sure how to explain it any further so I would like to close it, without marking any answers good or bad. I'm not sure how I would close it so am posting this response. Thank you.

[Everett]

Hello Rox,

I hate the idea of you going away unsatisfied with unanswered questions. Let's try to work through this. Let me approach it from a different way, as I may have misunderstood what you were asking.

https://sub.domain.com/quote/?affiliate_id=xxx

https://aff_xxx_affname.domain.com/quote/

The first URL is the one I'd go with because it's easy to rel canonical back to the base URL and you're keeping it all on one subdomain. The second version creates a new subdomain for every affiliate, which I don't think would be a good thing.

Please let me know if I have understood your question this time.

Thanks!