Search engine optimization encompasses every single aspect of your website, if you not on par with that yet, it is back to school time. Generally it is common knowledge though and that means that your URL forms part of your optimization efforts.

It is only when you take the extent of SEO into consideration that you can admire its complexity. It’s then that you realize that you really have to build a website for SEO; you cannot simply fully optimize just any old website.

Even your domain name and URL affect your optimization efforts and that bring us to the next question; how compatible are URL shorteners and search engine optimization? This is an important question to have answers to as URL shortening tools are common these days. After all, the last thing you want to do is jeopardise your valuable optimization efforts in favour of a shorter URL.

The purpose and need for shortening

Everybody that surfs the net will have come across what is called a long tail URL. These URLs seem to go on and on for miles. These links are not only annoying for visitors to copy and paste; they are hazardous to your website reputation. When you have such a long URL, it is easy for it to break somewhere along the way. It is easy for a part of it to be cut or omitted.

This means that the resulting link is useless for anyone trying to get to your business website. Unfortunately, there are very few cyber surfers who will take the time to find your website by searching the name through the engines. So for every broken long tail URL you have, you are losing out on possible business and profits. This is why URL shorteners are so important. They help you shorten your URL so that it is less cumbersome to work with.

The ugly truth about shorteners and optimization

As wonderful as many people find URL shorteners to be, there is a downside for your optimization efforts. Nobody can ignore the fact that spam is rife and can be found in even the most innocent places. Spam is ruthless, has no conscience and only serves one purpose.

Therefore, it is well worth it to stay far away from being even remotely associated with spamming. Shortened URLS could appear as spam accounts on social media services, bookmarks and websites. This will mean that people will be far more cautious about following the link to your business website for fear of being spammed.

URL shortening is a wonderful idea where really necessary, but if you have a business website, rather stick to the plain and simple long tail URL your website was born with. There is absolutely nothing that is worth jeopardising your search engine optimization efforts. Not even the chance of increasing your rank is worth the risk. Good, solid SEO is the only way to climb to the top and if you have to do it without a shorter URL, then so be it.

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