Want to make the most of subdomains for SEO? It’s all about getting them structured, indexed, and working seamlessly with your digital strategy!
A subdomain is a distinct subdivision of your main domain that acts as an independent entity, often used to separate content such as blogs, stores, or regional versions of a website. But, just having them isn’t enough. To truly make them shine in search rankings, you’ve got to optimize them.
Our experts at GetFound will walk you through the best practices to boost your subdomain’s SEO performance and help your website get the visibility it deserves!
Why Optimize Subdomain for SEO?
Before diving into the steps, it’s important to understand why subdomains need optimization.
Search engines treat subdomains as separate entities, meaning they require their own SEO efforts, including keyword targeting, content strategy, and technical optimization.
When you optimize subdomain, you improve its chances of ranking well while ensuring it complements the main domain rather than competing with it.
Proper optimization enhances user experience, improves crawlability for search engines, and boosts the relevance and authority of the subdomain. Whether it’s a blog, an online store, or a regional site, optimizing subdomains ensures they contribute to your overall SEO strategy effectively.
Step-by-Step Guide to Optimize Subdomain
1. Perform Keyword Research for the Subdomain
To optimize subdomain, start with a clear understanding of the keywords it should target. Since subdomains are treated separately by search engines, each subdomain needs its own keyword strategy. Identify high-volume, relevant keywords specific to the subdomain’s purpose.
For instance, if your subdomain hosts an e-commerce store, focus on product-related keywords. Similarly, if it’s a blog, identify informational or long-tail keywords related to the blog’s content.
Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find keywords that align with the subdomain’s goals and audience.
2. Create Unique, High-Quality Content
Content is a critical factor in subdomain optimization. To ensure your subdomain ranks well, provide unique, valuable, and SEO-friendly content.
Avoid duplicating content from the main domain, as this can confuse search engines and dilute rankings. Instead, what you can do is:
- Develop original articles, product descriptions, or resources tailored to the subdomain’s audience.
- Use targeted keywords naturally in headings, meta descriptions, and body content.
- Update the subdomain regularly to keep the content fresh and relevant.
High-quality content not only helps to optimize subdomain rankings but also enhances user engagement and trust.
3. Implement an SEO-Friendly URL Structure
The URL structure of a subdomain plays a crucial role in its optimization. Use clear, descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords to improve both user experience and search engine readability.
Well-structured URLs make it easier for search engines to crawl the subdomain and understand its content, helping to optimize subdomain rankings.
4. Ensure Proper Indexing and Crawlability
To ensure your subdomain is discoverable by search engines, you must optimize its crawlability and indexing.
Here’s how:
- Create and submit an XML sitemap specific to the subdomain in tools like Google Search Console. This helps search engines understand the structure of the subdomain and prioritize its content.
- Use robots.txt files wisely. Avoid blocking search engine crawlers from accessing important pages on the subdomain.
- Check for crawl errors using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs and fix them promptly.
Proper indexing ensures that your efforts to optimize subdomain translate into improved search engine visibility.
Also Read: Wondering How to Implement Vertical Search for Big SEO Gains? Here are the Secrets!
5. Leverage Internal and External Linking
Link building is a key part of any SEO strategy, and it’s especially important when working to optimize a subdomain. For internal linking, make sure to link to the subdomain from the main domain strategically, directing users to relevant content. Also, use anchor text that includes keywords related to the subdomain’s content.
For external linking, focus on building backlinks to the subdomain from authoritative sources. This will help establish the subdomain’s credibility and improve its rankings. Additionally, encourage cross-promotion between subdomains and the main domain to ensure consistent traffic flow and effective link equity distribution.
6. Monitor Subdomain Performance Separately
To successfully optimize subdomain, track its performance independently from the main domain.
Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to measure:
- Traffic sources.
- Organic search performance.
- User behavior metrics like bounce rate and time on page.
By monitoring these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and adjust your optimization strategy accordingly.
7. Enhance Mobile-Friendliness
With mobile-first indexing now a priority for search engines, ensuring your subdomain is mobile-friendly is crucial.
Optimize for mobile by:
- Using responsive design to ensure the subdomain adapts to all screen sizes.
- Optimizing images and media files for faster load times on mobile devices.
- Testing the subdomain with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to identify and fix issues.
Mobile optimization is an integral part of the process to optimize subdomain, as it directly affects both user experience and rankings.
8. Secure the Subdomain with HTTPS
Search engines prioritize secure websites, and subdomains are no exception.
To optimize subdomain for SEO, ensure it uses HTTPS:
- Install an SSL certificate for the subdomain.
- Redirect HTTP versions of the subdomain to the HTTPS version.
- Update internal links and sitemaps to reflect the secure URLs.
A secure subdomain not only improves search engine rankings but also builds trust with users.
Best Practices for Subdomain Optimization
When you optimize subdomain, it’s essential to follow these best practices:
- Keep the subdomain’s purpose clear and aligned with your overall SEO strategy.
- Avoid cannibalization by ensuring the subdomain’s content does not compete with the main domain.
- Regularly audit the subdomain to identify and resolve any technical or content issues.
Don’t Go In Blindly! If You Have Any Questions, Just Ask GetFound!
To achieve the best SEO results, optimizing your subdomain is a must! This means diving into keyword research, creating unique content, ensuring proper indexing, and maintaining a secure, mobile-friendly site.
With careful planning and execution, the process to optimize subdomain ensures that it not only ranks well on its own but also complements the main domain, providing a seamless and engaging experience for users.
Hungry to learn more SEO tips from GetFound? You’re in luck, our Instagram page is packed with helpful tricks like this!
