Where to install a Blog: Subdomain or Directory?

[Artashes]

I am planning on installing a blog on my forum (wordpress). However, I ran into an issue of deciding how to install the blog so that the forum (runs on vBulletin) gains the most benefit.

There are 2 choices really:

(as a subdomain) blog.domain.com
(as a directory) domain.com/blog/

What I don't know is what the pros/cons of each are!

[serg08]

I would choose the directory, in fact this is what I have right now
wagg.it/blog/

[Artashes]

I would choose the directory, in fact this is what I have right now
wagg.it/blog/

That is a fantastic looking integrated design of the blog in comparison to the main site.
While you are not running a forum in the root directory, may I ask why did you decide to go for a directory blog installation rather than a subdomain: blog.wagg.it

Traffic/adoption-wise, which is better?

Btw, I am NOT looking to integrate blog with VB membership database yet.

[Yankee85]

I would go with the domain

[felgall]

A lot of hosting put sub--domains in a directory of the main domain anyway. For those that don't you can set up a redirect of the subdomain so that all the pages get picked up from the directory. Then people can access the blog either way and see the same thing.

[ses5909]

I prefer the directory personally. It's just a preference thing for me.

[Artashes]

Guys, thank you for your input! Appreciate it. However, I am not worried about a technical execution.

I was told that for the site to get better PR, a subdomain will do a much better job than a directory, since the more links heading to a subdomain - the main domain gets better ranking.

Also traffic-wise, my guess is that both blog.domain.com and domain.com/blog/ will do relatively the same?

[serg08]

first of all thank you for your compliment about wagg.it blog. The reason why our blog looks much better than the main site is simple: we are in the middle of redesigning our main site. Why do I prefer directory? I have great experience with selling online and was running an online retail store for many years, until I got an offer from my competitors and sold it. This project is "social" and things are absolutely different when it comes to social projects. You have to think about users first and then about google's PR. I have realize that social bookmarking is just a tool, but what makes any social valuable is networking. And I wanted to bring together tools and networking and we are working on it right now

Guys, thank you for your input! Appreciate it. However, I am not worried about a technical execution.

I was told that for the site to get better PR, a subdomain will do a much better job than a directory, since the more links heading to a subdomain - the main domain gets better ranking.

Also traffic-wise, my guess is that both blog.domain.com and domain.com/blog/ will do relatively the same?

[websavy]

I prefer the directory personally. "/blog" is the best option.

[Artashes]

This project is "social" and things are absolutely different when it comes to social projects. You have to think about users first and then about google's PR.

serg, this is an interesting point. Everyone so far suggests the same, but what difference does it make for users whether the blog is isntalled as a subdomain (blog.domain.com) or a directory (domain.com/blog)?

[itseasyaspie]

the directory is by far the best option

[bkersten]

What if you don't want all of your regular site visitors to see your blog but you still want the link juice? How would you handle that?
Thanks

[serg08]

What if you don't want all of your regular site visitors to see your blog but you still want the link juice? How would you handle that?
Thanks

that is very interesting point of view...Why you wouldn't want your visitors to see your blog?!If your blog is unrelated to the main site and you don't want your visitors to see it, then linking this blog to your site is not gonna give you a "juicy" link

[bkersten]

It is a sales messaging issue.

[Kevin Boss]

I prefer directory

[maporsche]

I, too, go for the directory.

[serg08]

I prefer directory

Kevin, I like your avatar

[dexter007]

I prefer sub domain
Even google employs that..
ex: labs.google.com not google.com/labs

Though seo experts say that both are ok ...no harm in choosing one

Refer googlelady.com/106/folders-vs-subdomains/ for more info to decide whether to opt for folder or subdomain

[genetrix]

directory .

[spVince]

The best argument I can think of for going with a subdomain is that it will allow you to also host it on a different server if you ever needed to.

This is why most large dorporates - including Google - use this method.
Same goes for forums.

This reason alone could make it worthwhile.

- Vince

[Dan Grossman]

I prefer sub domain
Even google employs that..
ex: labs.google.com not google.com/labs

They use google.com/reader, google.com/adsense, google.com/calendar... for many of their apps. No consistency at all.

[ainmohd]

I have about 50 blogs. I observe that my blogs installed as a directory are being indexed fast (in less than 10 mins). Most of my blogs installed as a sub-domain are crawled slowly by the SEs.

[serg08]

I have about 50 blogs. I observe that my blogs installed as a directory are being indexed fast (in less than 10 mins). Most of my blogs installed as a sub-domain are crawled slowly by the SEs.

Wow! You are my hero! I am sure you've got people to manage all these blogs, but anyway...50 blogs!

[Keanwoo]

I more prefer to use sub-Domain than directory, Because is domain is creditable in search engine bot and algorithm.

[water2filter]

both of them should be fine.