Blog Tipz

Although it is fairly easy to create shortened URLs for easier sharing with Bitly and other services, they fail in two aspects.

I want to make a brief disclaimer before I begin. URL shortening service scan certainly be handy when they are required and you aren’t writing on your site. In other words, for general purposes. When you are focused on using them to strengthen your brand, refrain from using them as often as possible.

Problems with URL Redirection Services

The first aspect that you should be aware of is how search engine traffic and your brand could suffer as a result of using URL shortening services. If you have a thousand links posted throughout your site and the web directing to your other posts, or even third-party articles, for that matter, you are essentially promoting the URL shortener, then the article being linked to. Why not consistently link to your site, even if it is an outside site? It certainly makes sense.

People will begin realizing that your brand is more diversified, with more links throughout the web. It’ll make the process easier of connecting your brand and content.

The second main point is that there is a greater chance that your site will remain in operation for a longer period of time than many of the URL shortening services. Of course, if your site goes down, other people will still be able to access your linked-to sites if you use the URL shortening services, but that is beyond the point. You will have full control over the URLs you create should you use your own service, and this is where the Synected Plugin comes into play.

Most people would think that this plugin is fairly basic, offering you the ability to create shorter URLs, but it prevents many of the common problems with traditional URL shorteners.

It was designed for the WordPress platform and is compatible with the latest version (at least it works for me). There are many options beyond what has been first stated. A traditional method of creating shortened, redirected URLs was through a manual process of editing the .htaccess file or using another, more complex redirection plugin.

Simply upload and activate the plugin and you have full control, as shown in the image below. I annotated the key features that most people take advantage of.

This settings page contains these features:

Main Settings/Configuration

• Base URL – The domain of your site, which shouldn’t be changed unless you are using an even shorter URL.
• Synected URL – The path for a custom page if you allow your blog visitors to create a shortened URL.
• Short URL Prefix – The prefix of the additional link you want to use. By default, it is set as “u/” and leaving it blank may conflict with the way WordPress handles URLs and redirections.
• Short URL Suffix – By default, this is left blank, and contains the terms that you want to use after the shortened URL, as in: http://blogtipz.com/u/shortened/blogging.
• Short URL Query Parameter – Used only when Pretty Permalinks are disabled. By default, this is set as “u.”
• Allowed URL Characters – These characters will be used when automatically creating shorter URLs.
• Enable Creation From Address Bar – This allows you to create shortened URLs, by typing in a line such as http://blogtipz.com/http://google.com/, which redirects to the Google website through the link http://blogtipz.com/u/a.
• Require Login – Restricts URL creation to users logged into the WordPress control panel.
• Require Permission – Restricts URL creation to users who have been given permission to use the plugin/tool.

It gets even easier to create and manage URLs through their tracking interface. This is contained within the sidebar, under “Short URLs.”

Additional Management

– Short URL Format History – This page contains a list of legacy formats, both prefixes and suffixes, that have been used on your site, allowing you to change your short URL prefix without breaking your existing links. You won’t have to worry about older links not working. However, it also means that when you switch to a new prefix, all your URLs will now work with that prefix, as well as any old ones.

– Create Shortened URL – Create shortened URLs through this page, if you don’t want to use their automatic method with the address bar. A specific shortcut key can be used for keywords.

– Shortened URLs – This page displays a list of all your shortened URLs, with the “short URL,” destination, number of clicks, and status. It makes it easy to find and copy shortened URLs. You can block their use and see when they were created. I haven’t used the plugin long enough to determine how the plugin manages for hundreds of links, as there is no sorting or search options.

Conclusion

The plugin is a great way to take advantage of shortened URLs. If you have a domain that is the same length as most URL shortening services (thirteen counting the prefix and suffix, and any additional characters), you can use the tool to save space and promote your brand throughout the web. The only negative part of the situation is that if you let your domain expire or you delete the plugin (there may be a back-end method to prevent this), your redirected links will return errors or stop working altogether.

Despite the small negative aspects, the plugin in its current state achieves what it was meant to do and more. You now have full control over redirected URLs with this plugin.