Ever clicked on a link like this?
https://example.com/campaign?ref=1234&utm_campaign=summer-sale&utm_source=email123&utm_medium=linktree
Yikes. Now imagine this instead:
brandname.link/summer-sale
Cleaner. Trustworthy. Memorable. Click-worthy. It is the power of a vanity URL.
A vanity URL is a shorter link meant to replace a long URL. These links are not only for the sake of looks—they can increase trust, drive better click-through rates, and help you better track performance across channels.
Whether you’re promoting a sale, driving users to a landing page, or working to improve SEO, a custom URL allows your brand to be at the forefront. And yes, even a spanking new vanity URL can take your campaigns to new heights in just a few clicks.
In this blog post, you’ll learn why every brand needs its own vanity URL, how to choose your own domain, and how to use branded links for better tracking, branding, and search engine optimization.
Let’s turn those long links into smart assets that actually drive results.
A vanity URL is a truncated branded URL that redirects to the original longer URL address. It’s used mainly for tracking and advertising. Consider it a handsome cover for an ugly link.
Rather than sending your viewers out to:
https://example.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_campaign=sale23
You send them to:
example.com/sale23
Same destination. Better first impression.
These are typically done with a custom domain name, so you can create a branded web address that fits your brand voice and is easy to remember and share across channels.
For example, let’s say you are running an Instagram and email-based product sale:
Branded URL:
shop.brandname.com/sale23
Redirect Target:
https://brandname.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=sale23”
This little URL is easier to share, track, and trust. It reads better in ads and is more clickable in SMS or social posts, and you can attribute traffic with pinpoint accuracy.
(Some also control multiple domains so they can create vanity URLs in other regions, partnerships , or product lines.) This is a simple but potent method for refining the marketing process, minus the long, cumbersome links that make consumers run for the hills.
In other words, a vanity URL is much more than a shortcut — it’s another weapon in your arsenal of branding and marketing efforts.
Let’s clear something up—terms like vanity URL, custom URL, short URL, and vanity domain often get tossed around like they’re the same thing. But they’re not. And knowing the difference can help you make smarter decisions in your marketing and branding strategy.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how they differ (with real-life examples and a comparison chart to keep it simple):
This one trips people up all the time.
Example:
neilpatel.com → This is the vanity domain
neilpatel.com/blog → This is a vanity URL that redirects users to a specific offer page.
The vanity URL uses the domain to create a clean, memorable link that still packs all the marketing power behind the scenes.
A display URL is what you see in an ad, even if it doesn’t actually reflect the real destination URL.
Example in a Google Ad:
Display URL: brandname.com/sale
Actual destination: https://brandname.com/landing?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=spring
A vanity URL, on the other hand, is real. It’s a working short URL that redirects users to a longer destination—but it still functions as an active link, and you can track it with analytics tools.
Bit.ly, TinyURL, and other shorteners are great for quickly trimming long URLs, but they’re generic and lack brand identity.
Key difference:
Vanity URLs are custom-branded, use your company name, and feel more trustworthy. Plus, you can still track them using UTM parameters and analytics tools. And unlike generic shorteners, they actually boost your credibility.
Here’s where things overlap. A vanity URL is actually a type of custom URL—but not all custom URLs are vanity URLs.
| Term | What It Is | Branded? | SEO Impact | Common Use | Redirects Users? |
| Vanity URL | Short, branded redirect | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Minimal, but helps track & trust | Marketing campaigns, social | ✅ Yes |
| Vanity Domain | The domain used to build vanity URLs | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Depends on usage | Supports branding | ✅ Yes |
| Display URL | Ad-only visual URL | 🚫 No | ⚠️ None | PPC ads | 🚫 No |
| Shortened URL | Generic short link (e.g., Bit.ly) | 🚫 No | ❌ None | Quick link sharing | ✅ Yes |
| Custom URL | Any user-created URL slug | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (SEO juice) | Blog posts, pages | 🚫 No (unless redirected) |
So the next time you’re building links for your next campaign or product launch or adding calls to action to your marketing materials, refer back to this cheat sheet.
If you prefer your brand to look fresh while also learning about your audience engagement through the links, vanity URLs are the way to go.
Let’s face it: When it comes to marketing, it’s entirely possible that links can be the afterthought. But once you get intentional in using vanity URLs, you’ll see the real force of a well-crafted link. Here’s a closer look at how those small connections can boost a brand’s visibility and performance, both on the internet and in the physical realm.
I mean, let’s be real: Any ugly-ass links look sus.
Is that what you want now? Did you click on bit.ly/3YkXHcQ or brandname.co/freeguide?
Exactly.
Choose a short URL and permit it to pronounce your company name or custom domain. A tidy, professional, and safe look. Moreover, branded links can raise click-through rates by as much as 39%, as this research by Rebrandly suggests.
“Branded short links aren’t just prettier—they help reinforce your brand identity with every share.” — Rebrandly, 2023
The URL domain is the clan that we want to trust, click, and remember better.
Do you want your links to get clicked or typed?
Vanity URLs are perfect for:
A link like get.brand.co/discount is way easier to recall (and say) than a messy string of special characters. It’s short, clean, and speaks directly to the call to action.
Let’s not underestimate how important simplicity is. A good vanity URL:
If your goal is to guide someone to a specific page, don’t make them work for it. Make the journey seamless. One branded, intuitive short URL can save clicks and even sales.
Even though vanity URLs typically use redirects and don’t pass full SEO juice, they still offer indirect benefits for search engine optimization:
Bonus tip: If you’re embedding vanity URLs in your marketing materials or emails, they look neater, inspire more trust, and still track effectively.
One of the best parts about using vanity URLs? They’re not just easy to look at—they’re powerful under the hood.
When you pair a vanity URL with UTM parameters, you unlock full tracking potential. That means you’ll know:
You can even use specific analytics tools or branded URL platforms (like Bitly Enterprise or Rebrandly) to retarget users based on their link activity—yes, just from a click.
It’s more innovative marketing in action.
Need help? Check out this support article for more on tracking branded links.
At the end of the day, using vanity URLs is about more than just looking clean—it’s about owning your brand’s story, from the first glance to the final click.
Let’s be real—your audience’s attention span is shorter than ever. Whether they’re scrolling through Instagram, flipping through a magazine, or tuning in to a podcast, you’ve got seconds to make your pitch. That’s where vanity URLs become your brand’s secret weapon.
A well-crafted short URL with your company or brand name not only looks better, but it performs better—driving more clicks, boosting engagement, and making your marketing materials more memorable.
Here are the top ways marketers and businesses are using vanity URLs to win across channels:
Print is far from dead—and when done right, it still delivers excellent ROI. But let’s be honest: no one wants to manually type in a 94-character URL they saw in a magazine ad.
Instead, imagine running a full-page ad that ends with:
shop.brandname.com/holidaydeal
That kind of specific page is easy to remember, type, and share. It looks professional and builds immediate brand recognition. Whether you’re promoting a seasonal sale, exclusive content, or a new free trial, short, branded links make your message stick.
💡 Pro tip: Match your vanity link to your print call-to-action (e.g. “Sign up today at brand.to/signup”) for consistency and conversion.
Billboards, bus stops, elevator ads—you name it. Outdoor marketing thrives on brevity.
You’re working with seconds of exposure. That’s not the time for www.companysite.com/store/products-deal-landingpage/index.html.
Instead:
go.brand.co/deal
or
brandpromo.co/NYC
These are memorable, punchy, and effective, especially when commuters see them while driving or walking. Vanity links are the bridge between old-school outdoor and modern online engagement.
Emails are one of the highest-performing digital channels, but that performance depends on clean, clickable links. Using a vanity URL in an email not only looks better but also boosts trust and avoids spam triggers caused by generic shorteners.
When combined with UTM parameters, these links help you dive deep into performance data using Google Analytics or other analytics tools. You can track opens, clicks, and conversions, and even retarget users based on what they clicked without overwhelming them with long URLs.
Example:
Instead of:
https://company.com/product?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=winterlaunch
Use:
get.company.com/winterlaunch
Cleaner, clearer, and still rich in tracking.
Text marketing has insane open rates—often above 90%. But you’ve only got about 160 characters to make it count, and bulky URLs just won’t cut it.
A branded short URL like txt.brand.co/claim fits perfectly in SMS and feels more legitimate than random bit.ly links that often look sketchy.
Plus, in mobile-heavy channels like this, vanity links offer a direct, frictionless bridge between text and web. They make your call to action feel smoother, not spammy.
Planning a product launch, a webinar, a pop-up store, or even an influencer meet-and-greet? A targeted vanity URL makes your event easier to promote and track.
Example:
event.brandname.com/summer2025
Use it in your speaker slides, Zoom background, social media posts, or even QR codes. It connects offline excitement to your online ecosystem.
Want to get super granular? Set up different vanity URLs for different promotion channels to see where your visitors are coming from.
Social media is where links live and die by how they look. A long, messy URL with slashes and symbols won’t inspire confidence. However, a polished vanity URL can seriously increase your brand’s click-through rates, especially on crowded platforms like Instagram or X (Twitter).
Whether you’re dropping links in Stories, bios, comments, or ads, branded links are more clickable and more aligned with your messaging.
Example:
brand.co/giveaway beats bit.ly/3X7eQZ5 every time.
Remember, searching for users on platforms like TikTok and Pinterest might involve even screenshotting or saving links. The simpler and cleaner the URL, the more likely it’ll stick.
Take a look at these real-life examples on:
Launching a new product or lead-gen landing page? Don’t bury it in a complicated URL structure. Use a short URL that screams exactly what it is.
Example:
try.brandname.com/ebook
or
brandsite.io/viplist
Vanity URLs drive traffic to campaign-specific pages without overwhelming your main website. They’re beneficial for A/B testing, influencer collaborations, or limited-time offers where every click counts.
So whether you’re printing brochures, sending texts, running TikTok ads, or promoting your business at a live event, vanity URLs meet people where they are, build brand trust, and move them toward action.
No more wasted impressions. No more ugly links. Just better branding and better results.
Ready to create a short, memorable link that actually works as hard as the content it points to? Setting up a vanity URL is easier than you think—and the payoff in branding, tracking, and conversions is huge.
Whether you’re running a service-based business, promoting a new product, or simply want to clean up the links on your homepage, here’s how to set up your vanity URL in just a few steps.
Start by picking a custom domain or subdomain that reflects your brand and is short enough to remember.
Examples:
You can use one of the new ccTLDs (such as .link, .to, .co) or build a sub-domain of your current site, like go to www.brandname.com. Either way, you’re cultivating a branded space just for your campaigns.
Pro tip: Keep it short, on-topic, and easy to spell. It’s a plus if it reinforces your product or campaign name.
You’ll want to set up redirection after you register your domain or create the subdomain. That is, every vanity URL will simply and automatically redirect a visitor to the longer, complex link in question.
Most URL shortening services or tools (such as Rebrandly, Bitly, TinyURL, or even HubSpot’s own URL tool) provide settings for how redirected links behave natively.
Make sure to employ a 301 redirect, which alerts search engines that your short link has moved permanently and which will facilitate preserving any SEO benefit from the traffic.
This is the fun part. You will be setting your custom link slug, and you will be showing people exactly where they’re being directed.
Say you have a free webinar you want to promote. Instead of:
https://www.brandname.com/events/july2025-webinar?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=freeclass
You create:
learn.brandname.co/webinar
Cleaner, right?
Keep the slug short, not too clever , and action-oriented. Stay away from numbers or special characters unless it’s absolutely necessary.
This step is optional—but highly recommended.
You can track how your link is doing across different platforms by including UTM parameters in your destination URL. You’ll learn how many people clicked, where they came from, and what they did, especially when combined with tools like Google Analytics or Meta’s Pixel.
Example:
https://brandname.com/webinar?utm_source=email&utm_medium=campaign&utm_campaign=launch2025
This URL may be unseemly, but behind its vanity link, it’s pulling a ton of weight to feed key data to your dashboards.
Test your new vanity URL before you unleash it to the world, e.g., in an email, on your website, or in a service brochure.
Test it by clicking it from your phone, desktop, and several different browsers to ensure it takes users to the appropriate place. A broken link in your marketing materials doesn’t just harm your conversions; it also hurts your brand credibility.
Testing builds trust — don’t bypass it.
Now that it’s live, add your vanity link to:
Like the trend of URL shortening services, most URL shorteners come with an analytics dashboard as part of the feature set. Track performance daily or weekly to understand which links are truly driving engagement.
And if something’s not working? But without actually duplicating the redirect link. And that is the beauty of having control of your vanity URL setup.
Vanity URLs can be a great tool when used correctly. But many other brands trip up on small things that sap performance, tracking, and trust. Not to worry—we’ve got your back.
Below are some of the most terrible blunders marketers make when using vanity URLs and some best practices for amending them.
A 100-character-or-plus vanity URL is the opposite of its point. Your link becomes a clunky slug of words—— or too many hyphens? —or other characters that only make your link harder to type, share, and remember.
Example of what not to do:
brand.to/best-service-ever-free-guide-2025-version-final-draft
Choose between 1 and 3 simple, easy-to-remember keywords. Focus on clarity, not keyword stuffing.
Better: brand.to/guide or go.brand.com/freebook
Use a lowercase (if it’s not a proper noun), lose any references to numbers, and drop the unnecessary adjectives.
A 302 redirect (temporary) — or none at all — will send mixed signals to search engines and could wreak havoc on your tracking and user experience.
Best Practice: Always use a 301 Redirect to redirect your home page to one or the other; you’ll need to use a 301 redirect.
What’s a 301 Redirect? A 301 redirect indicates to browsers and analytics systems that your vanity URL is a permanent redirect that points users to the URL you specify. It is suitable for SEO and will maintain your referral information from services such as Google.
Suppose one clicks on the brand.to/summerdeal above, and hits a skeletal homepage without reference to any summer deal. That is a one-way ticket to a bounce.”
A personalized vanity URL should carry users to a landing page, microsite, or offer page that more than fulfils the link’s promise. Think relevance, clarity, and conversion.
If your vanity domain is not “secure,” browsers could flash a warning, and users will click away. This is not only a pain to convert but a credibility killer.
Make sure your domain or subdomain has HTTPS enabled. This is a standard feature of most recent URL shortening services. Secure links not only gain trust, but they’ve become an expectation.
Launching with a broken vanity link is like printing business cards with the wrong phone number. We’ve all experienced it — and it hurts.
Before sharing your short URL, open it on mobile and desktop. See how it re-routes users, verify the final destination, and make sure it’s lightning fast to load the page.
For the duration, the links generated by expired offers, taken-down services, and last season’s marketing campaigns continue to point nowhere, void of any possible action.
Make a basic spreadsheet or dashboard listing your live vanity URLs. If a special offer expires, redirect the click to a new offer or your home page, or retire it. A redirect that still works will maintain your brand reputation.
By steering clear of these missteps and incorporating these best practices from the beginning, you’ll safeguard your brand’s reputation and create stronger, more innovative campaigns with better results.
OK – let me address the million-dollar question on every marketer’s lips:
Do vanity URLs help with SEO?
Short answer? Yes… But with some nuance.
Vanity URLs are not a magic missile that enables you to fly up the search engine results pages; however, they fit into your larger goal of thoughtful search engine optimization.
Let’s break it down.
If you’re using a vanity URL to direct to a different page on your site, make certain that it is configured to a 301 redirect, not a 302. A 301 redirect is more permanent; it tells search engines to transfer any ranking power (or link juice) from the vanity URL to the destination URL.
So, say someone on their blog post is linking to your vanity URL, and the redirect is in place, your main content is still getting the SEO value. That’s a quiet win.
Adding keywords to your vanity URL slug—e.g., /seo-guide or /landing-page-tips—can help search engines understand the content. It’s not going to improve your rank all on its own significantly, but it’s a brilliant little SEO move that requires minimal effort and builds out context.
Example:
go.brand.com/seo-checklist is more helpful than go.brand.com/123xyz
Google reads those slugs. Use them to your advantage.
I’ve seen it time and time again where shorter, cleaner URLs rank better than longer, messier ones, especially when you are comparing very similar pages. A concise short URL can:
Even if you’re using a vanity URL strictly for tracking or branding, the URL redirecting should be clean and SEO optimized.
Let’s be clear:
Vanity URLs aren’t going to rocket your page to the top of Google magically.
They create trust, clicks, and brand clarity. They boost SEO work, but they’re not a direct ranking factor on their own. Google still cares most about content quality, backlinks, mobile usability, and page speed.
So while your link will appear as so:
brand.to/guide
The SEO work still takes place on the page it redirects to.
Clean, branded link? We love ‘em. But there are times when a vanity URL isn’t the right tool for the job. As with any marketing asset, it’s simply a matter of wielding it with intention, not as a matter of course.
Here are some situations when the vanity treatment can be bypassed:
If you’re building a link to use once with no subsequent marketing campaigns or to generate data based on performance, a vanity URL is definitely going to be over the top. For example:
In such cases, it is fine to have a standard URL, especially in cases where no tracking of any traffic or engagement is required outside of the article.
For internal links to other pages on your website (especially blog posts or your navigation bar), it’s generally best to link directly to the page on your site.
Why?
Vanity URLs should not be used to build out internal SEO structures; they are best for public use—sharing on social media, in ads, etc.
If your homepage URL is already user-friendly (for example, company.com/about or company.com/blog), there is no need to fancy it up at all. You aren’t making much by turning out go.company.com/about-us unless you are testing traffic source splittings or tracking a campaign.
Remember: Simplicity wins. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Let’s not discuss theory further but move to practice. Vanity URLs aren’t just a fad feature—they’re the stealthy engine behind some of the most successful marketing campaigns, event promotions, and brand activations happening right now.
Here are some real-world examples of how innovative companies (and even non-profit organizations) are using the power of short links to drive significant success:
Bitly Enterprise gives companies everything they need to brand and track links—custom, recognizable short links, QR codes, and an analytics platform.
When big brands like ESPN, Disney, and BuzzFeed share content on social media, they are not just sharing random Bitly links. They’re also using the following branded domains:
Their company’s name or brand identity is attached to every vanity link, allowing them to maintain credibility while tracking click-through rates on millions of users. Ad products with built-in analytics and A/B testing, Bitly Enterprise demonstrates how vanity URLs increase both click-through rates and long-term brand recollection.
Learn more: bitly.com/enterprise
A national non-profit organization just launched a direct mail and transit station poster campaign to raise money. They didn’t use a generic donate link — they used:
give.charityname.org/hope2025
Featured on flyers, banners, and even receipts, this vanity URL redirected to a secure donation page that included recipient information (like this organization’s unique branding and a high perceived donation tier amount), all specific to the donor, offering defaults to giving amounts.
The result?
This is an excellent example of why vanity URLs work beyond the web, where you or others may have to remember or type the link later on.
Whether you’re running a pop-up shop, a virtual summit, or seasonal sales, using vanity URLs ensures your event pages don’t get lost in the weeds.
Here are a few example formats brands will use:
These event-specific vanity URLs don’t just look tidier in email invitations, flyers, or event listings on Instagram—they allow the people throwing events to track RSVP conversions by channel, device, timing, and so on.
Bonus? You can later convert the destination page to something else without altering its actual link. That’s massive in the event campaign information changes, or if you’re rolling from one campaign to another.
What thread connects those examples? Branded short links work. They feel professional. They’re easier to trust. They also offer marketers more leeway and insight than traditional URLs ever could.
In a digital world where attention spans are shorter than ever and first impressions are formed in a split second, your links are more important than you may have thought. A vanity URL is not just a shortened link; it’s a low-key branding tool that helps increase trust, clicks, and SEO while making all your marketing feel that much more intentional and well-put together.
For social media and print flyers, event pages, and podcasts, vanity URLs help your brand shine brighter and sharper at every touchpoint. In combination with analytics tools, 301 redirects, and a well-executed strategy, they don’t just work well; they look good.
The bottom line? If you’re investing time and money in crafting content or campaigns, a sloppy link shouldn’t slow you down.
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