Branded Short Link Best Practices: Maximize Trust and Click-Through Rates

Branded short links outperform generic ones, but not all branded link implementations are equal. Following branded short link best practices maximizes the trust, CTR, and brand equity benefits. This guide covers the strategies that experienced link managers use to get the most from their branded domains.

Domain Selection Best Practices

Choose a short domain that is easy to type and hard to misspell. Avoid ambiguous characters like 0 and O or 1 and l. Test your domain by saying it aloud to someone and asking them to type it. If they can type it correctly from hearing it once, the domain is good.

Register similar domains to protect your brand. If you own yourbrand.link, also register your-brand.link and redirect it to the main domain. This prevents typo-squatting and captures traffic from users who mistype your brand.

Alias Naming Conventions

• Use hyphens between words: yourbrand.link/summer-sale is more readable than yourbrand.link/summersale.
• Keep aliases under 20 characters: Short aliases are faster to type and easier to remember.
• Include campaign identifiers: yourbrand.link/q2-email-launch helps with internal organization.
• Avoid dates in aliases: yourbrand.link/summer-sale works for years. yourbrand.link/sale-2026 becomes outdated.
• Use lowercase consistently: Mixed-case aliases cause confusion when shared verbally.

Placement and Context Best Practices

Where you place your branded short link affects click-through rates. Links placed early in content, above the fold on web pages, and accompanied by clear calls-to-action outperform isolated links. A link accompanied by Scan to see our menu works better than a standalone QR code.

In email, place branded links in the body rather than the footer. Footer links receive significantly fewer clicks. In social media, include the link in the first comment or caption rather than burying it in a second comment.

Analytics and Measurement Best Practices

Create unique branded short links for each channel and campaign. Without unique links, you cannot compare performance across channels. Tag each link with campaign, channel, and content type for filtered analytics.

Set up regular reporting. Weekly link performance reports help you identify trends before they become problems. Monthly reports support strategic decisions about channel investment.

Security Best Practices for Branded Links

Enable link scanning to block malicious destinations from being shortened under your brand domain. Set up expiration dates for time-sensitive links to prevent outdated content access. Use password protection for sensitive links shared with specific recipients.

A branded short link best practices framework includes regular audits. Review your link inventory periodically and remove or update links that point to outdated content.

Team Management Best Practices

When multiple team members create branded links, establish naming conventions and folder structures. Use RELURLs team workspaces to separate links by department. Set permissions so marketing cannot accidentally modify sales links.

Document your branded link best practices in a team wiki. Include domain selection guidelines, alias conventions, and approval workflows for high-visibility links.

Long-Term Branded Domain Strategy

Your branded short domain is a long-term asset. Treat it as part of your brand portfolio alongside your website domain and email domain. Renew it without fail. Monitor its reputation. Expand to additional domains as your brand grows.

Consider your branded short domain in your brand guidelines. Specify the domain, the TLD, and acceptable uses. Include it in your style guide alongside logo usage and color palette.