This is How You Create a Subdomain Step by Step
Carolin Puls9/29/2023
How an addition to your URL becomes added value for your clientele
Table of contents
- What is a subdomain?
- This is how a subdomain is used
- This is how you create and set up a subdomain
- This relevance has a subdomain for SEO
- These tools support you in creating a subdomain
- Small addition, big benefit
Do you want to learn what a subdomain is and how you can use it for your website? Then this article is exactly the right one for you.
You've undoubtedly put a lot of thought into the domain name under which searchers can find you on the Internet. After all, it should be easy to remember and contribute to your offer. It is just as important that you reconsider the structure of your site. A subdomain can support you in structuring your website content.
That's why in this post, you'll learn what a subdomain is and how it's structured, how you can use it, and how you can set it up step by step. In addition, you'll know after reading how you can delete a subdomain, the relevance for your SEO, and which tools you should use for creation and management.
What is a subdomain?
The main task of a subdomain is to meaningfully separate and structure various contents of your website. It can be helped by, for example, Wix or Jimdo. The different areas, however, remain connected through the same domain name, so website visitors know that they are still on your page with your content and have not clicked on an external link. This creates confidence in your content and has a positive effect on your expert status. For example, your blog, your online shop, and your career page can be found under the same domain, but are clearly delineated from each other. This way, you support website visitors in finding the content they are looking for even faster.
This is how a subdomain is used
As a website owner, you know that the domain refers to the address in your browser under which interested parties and potential customers can reach your website.
The subdomain supplements and structures this domain. The relation between a subdomain and the rest of the URL becomes clearer when you look at a website's URL. It consists of the transfer protocol "http" or "https" as well as a second-level and a top-level domain.
For example of our website https://omr.com/, the part "omr" is the second-level domain and "com" is the top-level domain. In addition, a URL can also contain a subdomain. A subdomain, also referred to as a third-level domain, precedes the top-level domain and is separated by a period. For example, OMR's subdomains are https://education.omr.com/ or https://5050.omr.com/.
This is how you build a subdomain
The use of subdomains can be practical for different languages of a website or the use of responsive layouts. You can incorporate precisely the content that is sensible for this type of use, regardless of your domain content. If you want to sell a special offer for a landing page, the use of a subdomain is also recommended.
Whether and if so, how much setting up a subdomain costs depends on the hosting package you have chosen. A certain number of subdomains are automatically included with most providers.
This is how you create and set up a subdomain
Now that you know what a subdomain can do, you probably want to know how you can quickly and easily set up one. So, to the computer, get ready, go!
- If you don't already have a main domain, in other words, you don't have an existing website, you must first set one up with a hosting provider of your choice.
- Then, in your customer account under the heading "Domains", create a new subdomain using the "Create new subdomain" button.
- Now, decide on the name of your subdomain. Make sure that the name is both meaningful and memorable, so your customers can reach the subdomain, even without clicking on your main domain.
- Enter the address to which the search request should be redirected in the "Redirect target" field.
Caution: Even if your subdomain is https://test.example.de, you must enter https://www.example.de/test as the redirect target because this refers to the page structure in your CMS. - In the last step, decide on the type of forwarding and click on "Save".
- Your subdomain is now ready and can be filled with content and life.
- Note that it can take a few hours before your subdomain can be accessed from outside.
You don't want to keep operating your subdomain and therefore want to delete it? This can be done with a few clicks. First, navigate in the backend of your hosting service provider to the place where you manage your subdomains. After clicking on "Edit", you can request the deletion of the page. After confirming a security query, you can delete the subdomain. Remember to set up a redirect, so customers who have used your subdomain continue to land on your website – ideally even on the new path under which you publish this content.
This relevance has a subdomain for SEO
Let's get to an important question for you: What impact does a subdomain have on search engine optimisation?
To find out what relevance subdomains have for SEO, you need to know that a subdomain is an independent domain. From an SEO point of view, they have no connection to the root domain. Therefore, your main domain does not automatically transfer its link power to the subdomain you created. Therefore, you must optimise it individually for suitable keywords and develop a separate link marketing strategy so your subdomain lands on the top ranks on Google. The great advantage of using subdomains in search engine marketing, however, is that both your main domain and subdomains are protected from an algorithmic penalty by Google. Furthermore, you increase the probability of being found because you can achieve several ad results and therefore a higher click-rate through subdomains.
These tools support you in creating a subdomain
Whether you're setting up your individual website anew or configuring a subdomain for better structuring – a website builder will become your best friend. It allows you to build a website according to your ideas in easy steps and without programming knowledge. With these website builders (like Wix or Jimdo) and SEO tools , setting up and designing your subdomain becomes child's play:
STRATO SmartWebsite
Wix
Webflow
Squarespace
Jimdo - Der Websitebaukasten für Selbstständige
Seobility
Google Search Console
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Sistrix
AhrefsYou have something completely different in mind with your website? No problem, because these tools are real all-rounders and can also support you if you want to register a free domain or transfer a domain. Simply convince yourself and check out the user feedback.
Small addition, big benefit
The creation and management of a subdomain is quickly done but offers great value to your website visitors. With a sensible structure of your content, they can look at exactly the main topics that are currently relevant to them. Thus, a small addition to your URL can lead to more sales and satisfied customers.
Author
Carolin Puls
Carolin ist freie Texterin und Pressereferentin mit einer Leidenschaft für das geschriebene Wort. Als ehemalige Brand Managerin in der FMCG-Branche hat sie umfangreiche Marketing-Erfahrung gesammelt und währenddessen berufsbegleitend ihren Abschluss als Marketing-Betriebswirtin gemacht. Heute erstellt sie PR-Texte, Pressemitteilungen und Social-Media-Inhalte, immer mit viel Kreativität und Herzblut.
