BUSTED
Subdomains hurt SEO
TECHNICAL
MEDIUM Impact
INTERMEDIATE
The Myth
"Using subdomains instead of subdirectories hurts your SEO."
The Truth
Google treats subdomains and subdirectories similarly in most cases. The choice should be based on technical and organizational needs, not SEO fears. However, subdirectories are often recommended because they clearly consolidate authority under one domain and are simpler to manage. But blog.example.com can rank just as well as example.com/blog.
OFFICIAL
John Mueller, Google
We handle subdomains and subdirectories roughly the same.
EXPERIMENT
Various Case Studies
Both approaches shown to work well when implemented properly.
DInsight from @dejanseo
"The subdomain debate is overblown. Choose what makes sense for your organization. Google handles both fine. Just be consistent and set up proper tracking."