Proper Domain, Sub-domain and Folder URL Structure Management in SEO - Subdirectory/Folder Structure for Best SEO Results
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For simple websites, sometimes a subdomain is inappropriate, because you do not need to drastically separate content within your root domain. In this case, something as simple as implementing a subdirectory or folder is enough.
But again, even something as easy as setting up a sub-directory can lead to some SEO-related issues. Below you'll find the recommendations for setting up sub-directories that can provide the best SEO results.
First, shorten and simplify the URL as much as possible. For example, in WordPress, it is much better to use shorter URLs, like this: http://www.rootdomainname.com/thisisyourposturl/ , rather than a longer one, such as http://www.rootdomainname.com/2010/02/01/thisisyourposturl/. The same concept applies to folder naming in a website.
This is best done during the web development stage, where you can do some URL rewrites and editing of permalink structure to get the shortest URL possible without affecting the website daily operation.
Second, you will need to prevent canonical issues from trailing slashes by either using 301 redirection or the link rel canonical tag.
For example, it is not optimal for SEO if both of these URLs return a 200 OK header status because they will split link juice between them:
If you use a trailing slash for sub-directories as your canonical URLs, then you should 301 redirect the second URL listed above (the one without the trailing slash) to the first URL.
In WordPress, this is implemented by default. And again, this type of issue can be prevented by using link rel canonical tags.
Third, do not exaggerate your vertical website structure by increasing folder depth. A deep URL structure is not recommended, as the URLs can become quite long.
For example, say you are creating a website that sells movie downloads. Of course, you need to categorize those movies in terms of genres (horror, action, animation, etc) using a subdirectory structure. But what about the directors, film studios, film rating, and so forth? Does that need to be included in the folder structure? Let's look at two possibilities.
Here is a link typical of a deep URL structure, with details. It is not recommended:
So how would potential customers search for detailed information like director’s name, rating, film studios, and so forth? The recommended approach is to design a search box that will let customers search for detailed information, and then arrange the results under the sub-directory logically in terms of alphabetical title releases, etc.
In this way, your folder structure can be kept very simple and short, while letting your customers search for detailed information.
Summary: Combining the Entire Structure
When all of the above structures are implemented in your website, it should look like this:
The gray, yellow and violet are the important SEO website structures that you need to consider. The yellow covers the root domain canonical URLs, while the gray and violet are the sub domains.
When you register a domain, the domain name is the one on the top level; it is above everything else. Then, as a web developer, you will develop plan to structure your website and group it according to the following parts:
1. Root domain URLs (selecting either www or the non-www version) 2. Folders and Subdirectories 3. Sub-domains.
You will create this plan while taking into consideration the different SEO elements that can affect the structuring of your website, as discussed in this article.
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