Strategy: Domain Architecture

Guides domain structure decisions for multiple products or brands: subfolder (subdirectory), subdomain, or independent domain. Covers brand architecture (Branded House vs House of Brands) and Hub-Spoke principles when multiple domains coexist. See domain-selection for initial domain choice (Brand/PMD/EMD, TLD); website-structure for single-domain page planning; rebranding-strategy for domain change and migration; multi-domain-brand-seo for brand search optimization.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for product portfolio and growth goals.

Identify:

1. Product count: Single product vs multiple products/brands
2. Brand strategy: Unified brand vs distinct brands
3. Current state: Planning from scratch vs consolidating existing domains
4. Constraints: Tech stack, team, budget

Domain Structure Options

Structure	Example	SEO Authority	Brand Independence	Typical Use
Subfolder	company.com/product-a	Shared with main domain	Low	Products under one brand; SMB; content consolidation
Subdomain	product.company.com	Treated separately by Google	Medium	Separate product experience; tech isolation; support/docs
Independent domain	product.ai	None shared	High	Acquired brands; different markets; distinct brand identity

When to Use Each

Choose	When
Subfolder	Products share value proposition; want to strengthen main domain; SMB; blog, tools, features under one brand
Subdomain	Need separate tech stack (e.g., app vs marketing); support portal; docs; distinct UX but same brand
Independent domain	House of Brands; acquired company; different audience; different TLD (e.g., .ai for AI product)

SEO consensus: Subfolders typically outperform subdomains for most cases—authority flows to the main domain. Subdomains require separate SEO effort.

Brand Architecture

Model	Description	Domain Tendency	Examples
Branded House	One master brand; products use functional descriptors	Subfolder or subdomain	Google (google.com/search, google.com/maps), FedEx
House of Brands	Each brand independent; parent hidden	Independent domains	Unilever (dove.com, axe.com)
Sub-brands / Endorsed	Sub-brands with parent endorsement	Subdomain or independent	FedEx Express, Marriott Bonvoy

Decision factors: Business strategy, market positioning, product overlap, resource availability.

Hub-Spoke (Multiple Domains Coexist)

When company main site (company.com) and product site (product.ai) both exist:

Role	Domain	Focus
Hub	company.com	Brand, About, Research, product matrix; brand queries
Spoke	product.ai	Product features, pricing, signup; product queries

Principles:

• Hub links to Spoke (Products section); Spoke links back (About, Footer, "A [Company] product")
• Spoke avoids competing for brand queries in Title; Hub avoids competing for product keywords
• See multi-domain-brand-seo for brand search optimization.

Output Format

• Recommendation (subfolder / subdomain / independent) with rationale
• Brand architecture fit (Branded House / House of Brands / Sub-brands)
• Domain mapping (e.g., product A → company.com/product-a)
• Hub-Spoke guidance (if multiple domains)
• Related next steps (website-structure, rebranding-strategy)

Related Skills

• domain-selection: Initial domain choice (Brand/PMD/EMD, TLD); single-site use case
• website-structure: Plan pages within a domain; single-domain structure
• rebranding-strategy: Domain change, 301 redirects, migration
• multi-domain-brand-seo: Brand search control when Hub and Spoke coexist
• branding: Brand strategy, positioning; domain architecture implements brand structure