Creating a multilingual website goes far beyond translation—it involves decisions that deeply impact SEO, usability, scalability, and website structure. One of the most critical choices involves how to organize the multilingual content: should you use subdomains, subdirectories, or another folder-based structure? Each option affects the SEO value, domain authority, and management of your main website differently.
Understanding the implications of each structure can help you choose the right path for your multilingual site, depending on your seo strategy, business goals, and long-term vision.
Subdomains for a Multilingual Website
Using subdomains (e.g., fr.example.com) means placing your multilingual pages on a separate domain path from your main domain. While still tied to your domain name, search engines treat subdomains as separate entities in many cases.
Subdomain vs Main Site
A subdomain is often seen as distinct from the main site, even if it’s part of the same domain name. For international SEO, this can be both a pro and a con.
On one hand, it allows for localized branding, dedicated content management, and a separate seo strategy per region or language version. On the other hand, it may not fully benefit from the domain authority of your main website, especially in terms of link equity.
For example, a WordPress site using fr.example.com may need separate content management system configurations, SEO plugins, and even hreflang tags tailored to that specific subdomain.
Subdomains are Useful for:
- Large teams with different webmaster roles per region
- Businesses that want separate sites with unique brand identities
- Organizations testing international seo markets
However, if you’re new to SEO, maintaining and optimizing different subdomains can become technically challenging. Additionally, as many experts on platforms like Moz or any SEO forum will agree, content from a subdomain may not always carry over seo value to the main domain.
Subdirectories for a Multilingual Website
A subdirectory (e.g., example.com/fr/) places the multilingual versions of your site inside a folder of the main domain. This structure is the preferred option for many SEO purposes, as it consolidates your domain authority and allows your main site to share its reputation and ranking signals across languages.
Subdirectory vs Subdomain: Which is Better?
The classic subdirectory vs subdomain debate has long been discussed in the seo forum world. Google has said it’s fine with using either subdomains or subdirectories, but in terms of SEO, many professionals still lean toward using a subdirectory.
Subdirectories are content under the main domain, meaning the seo value, traffic, and authority of your main site can be shared across all language versions. This makes it easier to rank new multilingual content.
In contrast to subdomains, which might act as separate sites, subdirectories help you maintain a unified website structure, allowing your seo goals to be more consistent across languages.
The Role of Subfolders in a Multilingual Structure
Technically, subfolders and subdirectories are the same. However, when discussing site structure, the term subfolder is often used more casually to describe how content is organized on a URL level.
Subfolder vs Subdomain in SEO
The subfolder vs subdomain comparison often comes down to SEO strategy and content management. Subfolders make it easier to localize and manage content under one roof, especially if you’re using a single WordPress installation.
By keeping all your multilingual pages part of the same site structure, you can easily implement a hreflang setup, optimize internal links, and ensure your search engine sees the content on your site as interconnected.
If you’re aiming for centralized website content management and stronger domain authority, subdirectories work well for most businesses.
Pros and Cons of Using Subdomains
Pro:
- Clear content separation
- Easier to assign to different teams
- Good for different brand identities
Con:
- Treated as a separate site by many search engines
- May not benefit from the authority of your main domain
- Requires more technical setup
Pros and Cons of Using Subdirectories
Pro:
- Shares domain authority with the main domain
- Easier to manage for seo purposes
- Consistent url structure and internal linking
Con:
- Harder to scale if every language version needs unique layout or features
- Less flexibility for localized domains or branding
Subdirectory vs Subdomain: Which One is Better for SEO?
When comparing subdirectory vs subdomain, SEO is the primary concern. Most SEO experts agree that subdirectories as part of the main domain are easier to rank and manage.
Content on a subdomain might not contribute as much to your main site’s SEO performance, especially in cases where backlinks point to different subdomains. In contrast, subdirectory content is always part of the main domain, which means all your SEO efforts stay concentrated.
URL Structure and International SEO
Having a clean and consistent url structure is crucial for multilingual seo. Whether you use subdomains or subdirectories, your site structure should allow both users and search engines to easily navigate between different language versions.
Using the hreflang attribute is a best practice that applies regardless of the url method chosen. But if you want to boost the seo value of your main website, using a subdirectory structure might give you an edge.
Subdirectories and Subdomains in Practice
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Some global brands use subdomains, others subdirectories, and some go with ccTLDs (e.g., .fr, .de) entirely. What matters most is aligning the structure for your multilingual website with your long-term SEO goals, brand strategy, and technical capabilities.
If you’re planning for longer-term plans when picking one, think about how you’ll manage your multilingual content, track analytics, and assign responsibilities across teams. A simple subdirectory structure might be best if you’re centralizing everything. If you aim to localize deeply or build separate sites, then subdomains are better.
Conclusion: Subdirectories or Subdomains?
Ultimately, whether you use subdirectories or subdomains, or even separate domains, depends on your goals and resources. For most websites, especially those just getting into international seo, the simplicity and seo value of subdirectories make them a smart starting point.
However, if your business model, branding, or regional strategy demands separation, using a subdomain can still succeed—with the right content management and seo strategy.
As with most things in SEO, what matters most is consistent optimization, technical precision, and delivering high-quality website content in every language version.
Your multilingual site is still only as strong as its structure. Choose wisely.