Flat vs. subdomain web structure

[uwaim2012]

I am building a site which sells a product in 50 states and in each state we will have independt partners. From an SEO perspective, what are the tradeoffs in using a single domain vs. having each state a subdomain? Each state also has varying regulatory issues that are specific to that state.

[Francisco_Meza]

Use craigslist.org as an example. Every city has it's own subdomain. It's not in a subfolder where link juice is passed. Using a subdomain is almost like having a different domain.

Your choices will be state.example.com or example.com/state.  I personally would use subfolders instead of subdomains to keep link juice. No "if" I was going to GeoTarget each state and I did NOT want to be in other states, then I would use subdomains the way Craigslist is set up.

A better question is this. You state you want to sell "a" product in 50 states. The way I read that is you are going to have 50 pages of duplicate content (whether it's one product or 1,000 products). How do you mean independent partners? You have to explain that a little further. Do you mean affiliates? Do you mean independent contractors like MLMs (network marketing). Your website should be structured around your business objectives. What if you have two partners within one state?

[AlanMosley]

This is  an old argument, subdomains v subfolders,

Matt cutts said there is no difference. see comments
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/subdomains-and-subdirectories/

google web master blog said there is no differnece.
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/01/feeling-lucky-at-pubcon.html

Rand recomends sub folders, but said it was his personal choice.

I have seen SERPS with sitelinks, and in theh site links are links in subdomains, so i would say that google sees them as the same site.

If you register a root domain in wmt, the links from subdomains are seen as internal links. If somone verifies the subdomain under another account, then you will no longer see stats for the subdomain.

i have never seen any evidence that they are any different.

[Francisco_Meza]

I agree. When I use subdomains, I start thinking about FTP. I also think about the user having the best user experience. If he wants to make one site that markets 50 states, then using a CMS would be the answer. But creating 50 subdomains would be repetitive. I his case I would use folders and if the independent partner needs access to the site, then add them as a user with limited site access.

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/understanding-root-domains-subdomains-vs-subfolders-microsites

[AlanMosley]

I agree that with 50 subdomains i cant see you having enouth content, i was speakng in general.

i was refereing to that link, Rand said it is his personal belief that most of the time it is better to keep to one subdomain.