Apologies if this question seems trivial. I work in the education sector and our main website performs well in terms of ranking. We also have separate subdomains for various programs we offer. If it's still the case that search engines consider root domains and subdomains as distinct entities, is it acceptable to link from the root domain to the subdomain?
Yes, it is acceptable and beneficial to link from your root domain to your subdomains. Search engines do treat root domains and subdomains as distinct entities, meaning they are indexed and ranked separately. This separation doesn’t imply you cannot link between them. In fact, linking from your root domain to your subdomains can positively impact your subdomain’s ranking. It signals to search engines that the content on your subdomains is relevant and valuable, contributing to the overall authority of your website. Additionally, internal linking helps users navigate your website more easily, improving the user experience.