How vanity URLs, branded domains & custom links boost your marketing performance

Important vanity URL facts:

• Brands using vanity URLs experience up to 34% higher click-through rates (CTR) than those using generic or unbranded URLs.
• Vanity URLs generate, on average, more social media shares, driven by greater trust and clearer branding.
• Vanity URLs deliver a lift in aided brand recall, helping audiences more easily remember and recognise the brand.

What’s the difference between vanity URLs, branded URLs & shortlinks?

What is a vanity URL and why should I use it?

A vanity URL is a strategically chosen, unique web address specifically branded for marketing purposes.

Vanity URLs work best for social media, print materials and anytime you want links that are concise, memorable and easy to say or type.

Example: urllo.com/BlackFriday

It’s meant to replace a long, clunky URL leading to a page on your website with something that’s short, snappy, memorable and associated with your brand or service. Keep in mind that the original URL may have appeared as follows.

Example: urllo.com/BlackFriday/campaign?ref=1234&utm_campaign=fall-sale&utm_source=email123&utm_medium=linktree

Another reason to use a vanity URL is to increase trust. If the link is branded, it provides greater transparency and increases user confidence that the link leads to a legitimate website.

What is a branded URL?

A branded link refers to it being hosted on a branded domain. See below for an example.

Example one: nytimes.com uses the branded shortened link nyti.ms

Example two: pepsi.com uses the branded shortened link pep.si

Not all links are branded; for example, Chicago Public Schools used the domain chooseyourfuture.org for post-secondary planning resources.

A brand could also purchase a custom domain for a new product and then redirect that domain.

What is a short link?

The most common examples of shortlinks are social media platforms that automatically shorten links such as on X. When pasting your link, it will automatically convert it to the format below.

Example: t.co/xxx

This is to reduce the size of the link as X has a strict character limit for posts. This short link is neither a branded URL nor a vanity URL.

Why marketers should use vanity URLs

To make a web page memorable in non-digital applications.

Since you can’t click a link on a billboard or tradeshow booth, in a radio spot, on a bathroom poster or in the print edition of a magazine ad, having a short URL can ensure your marketing doesn’t go to waste.

For example, myshorturl.com/offers is simple and easy to remember for commuters who hear it on the radio or see it on a passing billboard.

Once you have a vanity domain like myshorturl.com you can create as many unique URLs as you need for each new campaign, offer and so on.

To track campaign results.

Often, marketers will use one or more vanity URLs when running a large-scale advertising campaign. This makes it easier to track clicks, conversions and other performance metrics in a way that is directly attributable to the campaign vs. the general website. As long as you’re using a service that offers analytics, you’ll be able to track the results of your vanity URL with precision and ease. UTM tracking codes can also be of great use for detailed analytics on the URL.

To promote special events, promotions or offers.

A vanity URL can be tailored to an event or promotion to boost recognition and build connections. For example, set up www.MyBrandWinterSale.com so that it points to the winter sale offer page on your website. The full vanity URL path could resemble www.mybrand.com/WinterSale.

To get people to landing pages.

Speaking of offers, landing pages are key conversion tools because they are designed specifically to convert visitors, rather than providing general information like a homepage. Make sure they’re easy to find and don’t get lost in the shuffle.

For example, a domain like www.MyCampaignName.com is a lot easier to remember and type than www.mybrand.com/offers/2025/december-campaign-20-percent-off. The same can be said about a path such as www.mybrand.com/campaign.

To promote brand consistency.

Brands share links on many different platforms and in many different formats, but they want to present their links in a memorable and consistent way. For example, Facebook will shorten a link to fb.com and Twitter/X will shorten a link to t.co. With a vanity domain, you can use a short link like mybrand.com on both platforms and present a more consistent and memorable brand.

How to choose a vanity URL

Whether you’re client- or agency-side, use these tips on how to choose a vanity URL.

Keep it short and memorable.

It’s best to choose a vanity URL that’s approximately 8-10 characters. Ideally, the shorter the better. Alternatively, using a memorable phrase of 2-3 words can help with recall, especially if the person can’t visit your site immediately. The more memorable your vanity URL, the greater the results.

Make sure it’s relevant.

Ideally, your custom URL should make it clear what the page is about. It should be tied to your brand name, service, offer/promotion, content or business category. This will prevent people from having to do mental gymnastics to remember it and know what it's about.

Make sure your URL is action-oriented when possible. For example: “get-started” or “book-demo” slugs prompt the user to take action.

Ensure consistency and branding.

People searching want to easily recognise your brand and not be worried about illegitimate companies using your name. Make it easy for them by keeping your branding and naming consistent when possible. The whole point of vanity URLs is a unique URL, but if your usual brand is apple.com and you make a vanity domain such as thegreatestphoneever.com, people may have trouble connecting the two.

Capitalise the first letter of each word.

This makes the URL easier to read and recall. Domains are generally not case-sensitive, which means that a web browser doesn’t see a difference between www.google.com and www.Google.com or www.gOOgle.com. Using or not using capital letters in a domain won’t impact your SEO results, according to Google’s John Mueller, as long as you’re consistent. But for a human reading a vanity domain, www.SeeSpotRun.com is a lot easier to read than www.seespotrun.com.

It’s important to note that the path/slug itself IS case sensitive. So once you pick a slug, it’s important to stick to it.

Optimise vanity URLs for SEO.

Using current, well-researched keywords in a vanity URL is a perfect complement to your overall SEO strategy. A good keyword included in your slug can also help with understanding and intent.

Avoid confusing characters.

Stay away from hyphens and symbols. These can make it hard for customers to remember your vanity URL, especially if it’s one they’re not used to. Long, seemingly random slugs can cause confusion and make the searcher think twice before clicking your URL.

Remember to redirect to an active page after a campaign has finished.

It’s not uncommon for someone to put a promotional email or direct mail piece off to the side to review at a later date. Alternatively, an outdated QR code with an expired vanity/campaign URL could still be on a transit shelter, poster or digital ad that wasn’t taken down.

Redirecting these URLs at the end of a campaign ensures the visitor will still land on a current (and relevant) page – instead of running into a dead-end thanks to a page error.

How to create and set up vanity domains

The initial setup of a new vanity domain is quite easy – especially if you’re a little bit technical or have IT support. If you’re considering multiple different vanity URLs, purchasing a vanity domain might be the right long-term choice.

Following the guidelines above, choose your domain and purchase it through your preferred domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy). Most registrars provide the option of redirecting or forwarding traffic from your new domain to one target page. But if you need to manage multiple domains or links, you’ll want to use a custom link service.

But there are three important steps that can be easily overlooked and are vital to SEO and website security. And with the proper tools, you can do it yourself instead of involving your development or IT team.

3 Key tips for vanity domain implementation.

1. First, find the right tool for you!

As mentioned earlier, a vanity URL is a type of redirect where your ‘sexy’ new URL takes visitors to a page with a much longer, hard-to-remember URL. If you’re just pointing one vanity domain to one destination, you can set up URL forwarding with your registrar or DNS provider. If you’re a bit technical, you might be able to do this yourself. Or you can pull in someone from the development or IT team to set up the redirects for you.

But if you’re managing multiple vanity domains or many different URLs and destinations, you can do it yourself using a self-serve tool such as urllo.

With urllo, you (or IT) can set up your vanity domain in minutes. Once you’re set up, you can create as many new vanity URLs as you need right in the dashboard. It saves you from getting IT involved every time you need to add or change a vanity URL, and makes it faster to solve embarrassing (and costly) “Page Not Found Errors.”

Plus, with urllo, URL redirects can be updated over and over again – unlike other popular services where any vanity URLs that are created are subject to costly fees. If you need to change where a vanity URL points (say, after a campaign expires), you’d be restricted on the number of edits.

2. Remember the SSL certificate!!!

To make sure your target web page gets visitors, the vanity URL must have a proper SSL certificate (i.e., HTTPS, not HTTP). If not, your vanity URL will be blocked by most modern, secure web browsers and your important web pages won’t get much traffic.

Fortunately, with urllo, this function is also automated, ensuring it’s never overlooked. urllo offers enhanced security with HSTS and HTTPS upgrades. Advanced users can also bring their own user-managed SSL/TLS certificates.

3. Assess & evaluate.

The whole reason for setting up a vanity URL is to improve branding and click-through rates. Regularly explore your analytics to see if your new URL is doing its job. Consider A/B testing to see which URLs perform better than others. If you don’t have the right analytics, it might be hard to measure performance. With urllo, advanced analytics reporting is built in, allowing you to easily track performance, change and manage your vanity URL.

How to do analytics on vanity domains.

You may be asking yourself, “Can vanity URLs preserve UTM tracking?” The answer is yes. Vanity URLs don’t replace UTM tracking, they make it better. By redirecting to your full, UTM-tagged destination link, they keep all analytics intact while presenting a cleaner, more trustworthy branded link to your audience.

Vanity URLs help you:

• Track clicks before a user even reaches your site.
• Maintain consistent analytics even if target URLs change.
• Compare performance across campaigns and channels.
• Measure offline marketing.

Key takeaways

Vanity URLs boost performance across marketing channels.

Brands using vanity URLs see up to 34% higher click-through rates, more social media shares and a lift in aided brand recall, all driven by clarity, memorability and trust.

Use vanity URLs for campaigns and shareable links.

They’re ideal for social media, print, podcasts or any channel where users can’t click a link directly. Short, branded URLs make it easier for audiences to remember and visit your page.

Branded domains strengthen credibility and consistency.

A branded domain ensures your links reflect your business identity across every touchpoint, creating trust, professionalism and recognition no matter where your links appear.

Custom URLs improve tracking and insights.

With the right tool, vanity and custom URLs allow marketers to monitor clicks, conversions and campaign effectiveness with precision, tying traffic directly to marketing efforts.

Effective vanity URLs are short, relevant and on-brand.

Keep URLs around 8-10 characters when possible, use clear and action-oriented slugs (e.g., /GetStarted), avoid confusing characters and ensure capitalisation enhances readability.

Always redirect and maintain active destinations.

Even after a campaign ends, make sure vanity URLs redirect users to a current, relevant page to preserve engagement and prevent broken-link errors.

Tools like urllo make it easy and secure.

With urllo, you can quickly create, manage and track vanity URLs at scale, complete with built-in SSL certification and analytics to ensure every campaign performs at its best.

Frequently asked questions about vanity URLs:

When should I use a vanity URL vs a branded URL?

Use a vanity URL when you need short, memorable and campaign-specific links that clearly communicate the destination’s purpose. They’re ideal for marketing campaigns, social sharing or offline promotions where simplicity and recognizability drive engagement. Vanity URLs enhance user trust, improve click-through rates and make campaign performance easier to track and measure.

Use a branded URL when you want to strengthen your overall online identity and create a consistent, professional web presence. A branded domain builds credibility and gives you complete control over how your links appear across campaigns, microsites and promotional redirects, ensuring every touchpoint reinforces your brand.

What is the difference between a URL and a vanity URL?

A regular URL is a standard web address that identifies a page and includes your domain name and path information.

A vanity URL, on the other hand, is a customised, branded version of that address, giving you greater control over naming, structure and tracking for marketing and analytics purposes.

Sources:

“Branded short domains drive up to a 34% increase in CTR when compared to unbranded links.” Bitly.

"URL capitalization & SEO: does it really matter?" Search Engine Journal.

By Sean Pasemko

SEO & Growth Marketing Specialist

Sean is an SEO and growth marketer who’s passionate about helping businesses get found and grow faster. Sean blends search strategy, content planning and analytics to uncover opportunities that turn traffic into revenue.