Subfolder vs. Subdomain

[scottm]

I just started setting up my new HubSpot account and have a question. I'd like to run Hubspot blog in a folder on my domain instead of a subdomain. Is it possible to point Hubspot to a folder and not a subdomain? If not, this could be a deal breaker for me as I will be losing SEO relevance for my main domain quickly and overtime.

[relabidin · Accepted solution]

Hi @scottm,

If your main website is external (not hosted on HubSpot) then it is not possible to host your HubSpot blog on a subdirectory of your site. Instead, you'll need to connect a subdomain (e.g. blog.yourwebsite.com) to HubSpot and host your blog there. 

There have been many discussions on the SEO implications this, including this one here on inbound.org where both Dharmesh Shah and Rand Fishkin chimed in on the matter. I definitely encourage you to have a look at this thread.

In short, it is true that there is an SEO benefit of having your blog hosted in a subdirectory of your main domain as opposed to on a subdomain. However, it is even more important that you consistently create relevant content for your readers, as an active blog hosted on a subdomain will always outperform a stagnant blog that is hosted on a subdirectory.

Rami 

[Anthony-CIP]

@relabidin, I read the argument that Dharmesh and Rand Fiskin embattled and its interesting to read the biased view towards hubspot. You will understand that the concept of quality content is not easy and also not a copy and past agenda. Even if you start blogging at a slower pace as a beginner, you would like to reap all the benefits that come with SEO especially small businesses who pay so much to husbpot, we would love to get the best of the game. It means that aside struggling to dish out quality content to clients, we also have to bear the err of our content hosted on a subdomain. The argument is not about comparing a dead blog to a vibrant one but to compare two live blogs operating on subdomain and subdirectory. In the nutshell, aside from battling competitors for SERP, we also need to fight the fact that we are not reaping full SEO benefits for our hard work and we pay to go through this hassle. I have learned a lot from this argument and probably will inform our next round of contracts. @scottm your concern it very legitimate which unfortunately did not get any technical response 

[mharrington88]

While what you are saying is true, it's a bit misleading... yes, an active blog on a subdomain would perform better than a stagnant blog on a subdirectory, BUT an active blog in a subdirectory will outperform an active blog on a subdomain. 

Over 6 months we saw a 25% increase in organic traffic when we moved our blog into a subdirectory. This is a huge oversight on Hubspot's end to not allow this. We are possibly going to move away from Hubspot in large part because of this. 

[robert1]

Hi @relabidin ,

"If your main website is external (not hosted on HubSpot) then it is not possible to host your HubSpot blog on a subdirectory of your site."

Are you implying that if we do host the main website on HubSpot CMS then we CAN host the blog in a subdirectory? How can we we do that?

We too have been advised by SEO experts to run the blog in a subdir rather than a subdomain.

Best.

Robert

[Johanne]

Hey ! I'm wondering the same thing: if our main website is hosted on Hubspot, can we have a blog on a subdirectory instead of a subdomain? It's crucial for SEO. 

Thanks! 

[robert1]

Hi @Johanne - our blog is now running on www.digitalsamba.com/blog, so yes it's possible. Check out Settings > Website > Blog > Blog root URL

hth.

[MariaMilea]

Hi Robert @robert1 , did you have to redirect in order for that to work?

Thank you very much!

[robert1]

Hi @MariaMilea , sorry for the late reply. We only had redirects in order make sure users who were typing in the old url would land on the new blog. There's no redirect required (that I know of) to configure hubspot to run the blog in a subfolder.

[JDUnymira]

@robert1 

Can you provide some more details on how you did this.

I'm trying to move from blog.ourdomain.com to a subfolder for SEO reasons and the internal answer I get from our people is "hubspot doesn't allow it due to the DNS configuration options" 

But you seem to prove that isn't true.

[jimreaper05]

@relabidin 
Honestly, I believe HubSpot should give their users the right to connect their external web hosted blog directory for blogging instead of sub-domain.

On a side note: Few of my clients had blogs on HubSpot. Well let's be honest, they are stagnant most of the time. However, we decided to blog on the website subdirectory level and it improved their web traffic overall with better control over UX/UI designs and so on.

[CLWorking]

@relabidin Is this still true?

---

If your main website is external (not hosted on HubSpot) then it is not possible to host your HubSpot blog on a subdirectory of your site. Instead, you'll need to connect a subdomain (e.g. blog.yourwebsite.com) to HubSpot and host your blog there. 

[CLWorking]

@robert1 is it possible get more detail on how you were able to configure the subdirectory?

[robert1]

@CLWorking

It's a very simple setting on settings > blog > general tab

 

[CLWorking]

Yes. But https://www.digitalsamaba.com is hosted via hubspot, correct?

Is there a way with an externally hosted root url to have the blog be a subdirectory?

[robert1]

@CLWorking yes we host on hubspot, I don't know about external, sorry.

[CLWorking]

All good 

[creativedesign]

Hey ! I'm wondering same, if my main website for my web design dubai is hosted here, can I have a blog on a subdirectory instead of a subdomain?