A subdirectory is a folder or directory located within the main directory of your website, often used to organize content into distinct sections. For example, if your main website is www.example.com, a subdirectory like www.example.com/blog/ contains all files related to the blog section. This structure helps in managing different parts of a website efficiently.

In web hosting, using subdirectories is a common practice for several reasons:

• Organization: Keeps your site's files neatly categorized (e.g., /images/ for pictures, /docs/ for documents).
• SEO Benefits: Search engines may treat subdirectories as part of the main domain, potentially boosting overall site authority.
• Ease of Management: Simplifies updates and maintenance by grouping related content together.

Compared to subdomains (e.g., blog.example.com), subdirectories are often preferred for smaller sites or when content is closely related to the main site. They are easy to set up through your hosting control panel, such as cPanel or Plesk, by creating new folders in the public directory. Remember to use clear, descriptive names for subdirectories to enhance user navigation and SEO. For instance, /products/ is better than /folder1/. Always ensure your internal links correctly point to these subdirectories to avoid broken paths.

In summary, subdirectories are a fundamental tool in web hosting for structuring your website logically, improving both user experience and search engine visibility. They are ideal for organizing content without creating separate domains.