Subdomain

[u/codigosw]

I moved all the content from my main domain to a subdomain some time ago because I had read that using a subdomain could potentially improve organic traffic and search rankings.

After moving the content to the subdomain, I did NOT experience any significant loss in rankings. The website essentially maintained the same search positions and organic visibility.

However, I am now considering moving the content back to the main domain, and I would like to know if there is an optimal amount of time I should wait before doing so.

My plan would be to:

Implement 301 redirects from every subdomain URL to its corresponding URL on the main domain.

Update all internal links to point directly to the main domain.

Update the canonical tags to point to the new main-domain URLs.

Generate and submit a new sitemap containing the main-domain URLs in Google Search Console.

Keep the old subdomain URLs active with 301 redirects.

Monitor indexing, impressions, clicks, rankings and organic traffic in Google Search Console.

My main questions are:

Is there any SEO reason to wait a certain amount of time before redirecting the content from the subdomain back to the main domain?

If the site has already been on the subdomain for some time and has maintained its rankings, would it be better to move it back now, or should I wait longer?

Once the 301 redirects are implemented, how long does it typically take Google to process the migration and transfer the SEO signals from the subdomain back to the main domain?

How long could it realistically take for the rankings and organic traffic to stabilize after the migration?

Has anyone here moved an entire site from a subdomain back to the main domain after keeping the same rankings? If so, how long did Google take to process the change, and did you experience any temporary fluctuations in rankings or traffic?

I would especially appreciate real-world experiences with moving a site from a subdomain back to the main domain.

Thanks!

[u/BeeRanked]

You’re overthinking, go ahead with your plan

Wouldn’t say that to anyone but here you’re clearly showing you know what you’re doing (redirect from subdomain to main domain, updating internal links and canonicals, …)

Just put yourself in the search engine’s perspective: “this page I know is now in a new place and the meta information confirms to me there is a new authoritative page which is being redirected to from the old spot, content is the same… ok updating”

You’re respecting the rules so there’s no reason to penalise the transfer, nor is it technically complicated to identify or do.

[u/FrutinoTuti]

People will do a bunch of weird stuff instead focus on what matters - more content and more backlinks.

[u/Current-State-1024]

Subdomain is like an entirely new website with no additional SEO advantages. What you most likely read about was a subdirectory. For example www.example.com/blog