Manufacturer, New Direct-to-Consumer Site (Separate Site, or Sub-Domain?)

[fiberglass]

Hi All!

Working with an established manufacturer, been around for many years, it's an internationally known brand, and their products are sold by thousands on distributors.  They recently started a new website (separate from their old established B2B manufacturer site) which will be used to sell direct to customer.  The new site is great, with a nice responsive design, clean look, flexible, etc.  The problem is, it's a new site with low Domain Authority.

The manufacturer's B2B site has been around a while, very high Domain Authority.  So, I'd like to be able to harness all the link equity they've build instead of trying to optimize a brand new site.  The problem with this old established site is that it IS in fact old.  The design is terrible, it's not responsive, old code, bad look and feel, etc.

We could incorporate the new B2C site (which has its own CMS) into a sub-domain, like store.site.com.  But, I'd worry that site.com's crapiness will limit growth potential for the new pages at store.site.com.  Same issue were we to add the new site into a sub-folder, like site.com/store/.

On the other side, we could just keep the new site, with it's own domain, sitestore.com, and have product pages and/or category pages from the manufacturer's B2B site link to the relevant pages on the new B2C site.

Thanks!

[paints-n-design]

A: Subdomain: I think to take the subdomain is pretty useless - it is just like a new domain. May be worther (internal links b2b-b2c)

B: Subfolder: Of course you have a bonus in that case, the growth potential shouldn't be limited that much, as long as you won't chose the old CMS (you wrote that you wont).

A new site: I would try that way (but that is my liking). I would Link both sites to each other where ever (natural and relevant) possible. The way for the B2C site is long, in both ways B or C, but in case C, you can link back to the B2B site, so the old site can benefit. There are so many opportunities. I think it should be also possible to link them sitewide, I guess Google wouldn't see that as a manipulative linkbuilding. To much fear? Ask John Mueller in a webmaster hangout for his best practice tipps.

ok, that would be my choice. But one thing is clear, A is not really an option wich brings you in a better position from start up.

[MattRoney]

Andreas is right—the subdomain will be considered a new site by the search engines, so you won't get any SEO benefit from the existing domain. I'm not aware of any benefit you'd have a a totally new domain over a new subdomain, either, but Andreas may be able to give more information on that.

[paints-n-design]

You don't have a benefit with a new domain or subdomain at the start (without some myth I never saw) - but in future: a link of a former new domain to the old B2B site would be worth more, than a link from a subdomain or folder. Its a benefit for the old B2B site (when u link to it and that will happen several times) - the new B2C site is hard work

[fiberglass]

Thanks for the responses.  Yes, we are worried about too much interlinking and that being seen as manipulative.

I do think we're leaning towards a completely separate domain.  I'll just have to be careful with the links.