The website was having issues on pages 5-6, so it was moved to a hosting provider in a more peaceful area during a period of unrest. As per your advice, irrelevant pages were removed and 50 links were purchased. The website has now reached 2 pages and is stable there.

It's unclear whether the transfer to another hosting provider, cleaning pages or purchasing links had an impact on the success of the website. However, the previous hosting provider had a spam-filled forum attached to the website on a subdomain. The spam was removed, but the question now is whether to reattach the forum to the site on the new hosting account or not. Would it lead to more spamming, or perhaps people will start discussing topics? Does a subdomain forum negatively affect the website's rankings if it gets spammed again?

If the website speed has improved due to better hardware from the new hosting provider, it can positively impact the website. Additionally, if traffic is coming from Google, then snares can also boost the website's rankings. However, cleaning pages that aren't relevant to the website's topic can have both positive and negative effects, depending on whether traffic was impacted by those pages.

Personally, I would avoid attaching a spammed forum to the website as it can affect the website's trustworthiness. It may be better to create a separate website for the forum and manage it meticulously.

If the website's position has significantly improved, then all the changes made to it have had a positive impact. So, there may not be any need to make further changes.

I am intrigued by the specifics of how this works. Let's consider one possible factor: if your domain uses the secure https protocol, this doesn't automatically apply to a subdomain. In Yandex search, clicking on the subdomain may not immediately take you to the intended page, and you'll need to make an exception. Many choose to skip this and simply log into the subdomain.

I'm curious about how links between a domain and subdomain work when they're entirely separate websites.

To begin with, it is essential to understand the role that a forum can play on your site. A forum can be a valuable asset for building community, facilitating user discussions, and allowing for user-generated content that can enrich the site's offerings. However, without proper management, it can also attract spam, which can dilute discussion quality and lead to potential penalties from search engines.

Given the previous experiences with spam on the forum, a key recommendation is to implement proactive moderation strategies if you decide to reattach it. Here are some specific measures you can take:

1. Implement pre-moderation where all posts need administrator approval before being published. This prevents spam from being visible but requires a significant commitment in terms of time and resources.

2. Post-moderation can be a more flexible approach where posts go live immediately but are monitored afterward. Users can flag anything inappropriate, ensuring a level of community oversight.

3. Use automated tools to filter spam. Various plugins can be installed that use algorithms to detect spammy language or links and automatically remove or flag these posts. Services like Akismet can be beneficial in this regard.

4. Require user registration, which adds a layer of accountability. You can establish a verification step, like confirming an email address, to discourage spamming from bots.

5. Develop a reputation system within the forum. By rewarding users for quality contributions with points or badges, you can encourage positive interaction and discourage spammy behavior.

Next, consider the implications of hosting the forum as a subdomain versus a subdirectory. A subdomain, like forum.yoursite.com, can separate the forum from the main site, potentially shielding it from direct penalties should the forum content degrade. However, users often perceive subdomains as less integrated, which might affect brand perception. Conversely, using a subdirectory (yoursite.com/forum) creates a stronger link between the forum and the main site, which can be advantageous for SEO if the content is managed well. However, spamming issues on the forum could negatively affect the main site's rankings.

Another factor to evaluate is resource allocation. Maintaining a forum requires ongoing commitment, and it's critical that your team has the capacity to manage it effectively. This includes moderating discussions, responding to user queries, and fostering a welcoming and constructive environment. If resources are limited, it may be more effective to engage users through alternative channels.

Consider leveraging social media platforms for engagement instead of reattaching a forum. Platforms like Facebook, Reddit, or Discord can provide a ready-made audience. These options often include built-in moderation tools and allow for dynamic interaction without the need for heavy oversight. Users tend to engage more naturally on these platforms, and the risk of spam is significantly lower.

Lastly, regardless of the direction you decide to take, solicit user feedback. Understanding your audience's preferences can guide your decision-making process. If users express a desire for a forum or another method of engagement, leaning into that feedback can create a more tailored and satisfying experience for your audience.
If you choose to reintegrate the forum, a well-thought-out strategy is crucial. Balancing user engagement with effective moderation practices, considering the technical implications of hosting decisions, and ensuring sufficient resources are in place will be key to fostering a thriving community while safeguarding the reputation of your main website. Alternatively, exploring social media and other platforms may provide less risky avenues for engagement.

To mitigate the risk of spam, I would recommend implementing a robust content management system (CMS) with built-in moderation tools, such as Akismet or Disqus. Additionally, using a subdomain for the forum can help to isolate it from the main website's content and prevent any potential negative SEO implications. However, it's also important to consider the potential impact on server resources and load times.
I would recommend conducting thorough testing and optimization to ensure that the forum does not compromise the website's performance.

Subdomains are treated as separate entities by search engines, so poor SEO practices or technical issues on subdomains can affect their own rankings. However, subdomains do not directly lower the position of the main website unless there are significant problems like poor content or broken links that harm your overall brand reputation. Using tools like Moz DA checker free can help you monitor the performance of both your main domain and subdomains to ensure they're properly optimized. In general, subdirectories (e.g., yourwebsite.com/blog) are more beneficial for SEO than subdomains.