What’s the difference between a subdomain and a subdirectory?

A subdomain (aka add-on domain) would be new.mywebsite.com.  A subdirectory (aka subfolder) would be mywebsite.com/new. For purposes of SEO (search engine optimization), Google treats a subdomain as a separate entity.

So if mywebsite.com is just doing great – lots of page rank, backlinks, authority, etc., none of that will be of any help to new.mywebsite.com.

Subdirectories will benefit when other parts of the same domain are doing well; so that mywebsite.com can “pass through” some of its page rank and authority to mywebsite.com/new. This is one of those things that SEO types like to debate over – so be prepared for different opinions on this.

Related posts:

1. Subdomain vs. Subdirectory: What’s the Difference
2. What’s the difference between an add-on domain and a sub-domain?
3. GoDaddy Now Registers .ca Domain Names
4. What’s the difference between Wordpress.org, Wordpress.com and WordpressDirect.com?
5. Where Does Your Website Rank in Google?