Let’s talk about WP.me shortlinks.
These handy little guys are all about making your life easier when it comes to sharing your WordPress content.
Imagine you’ve just written the most captivating blog post ever chock-full of insightful information and engaging storytelling.
You’re ready to share it on social media but then you realize that the URL is a long unwieldy beast that’s going to take up valuable character space in your post.
It’s like trying to fit a full-sized sofa into a compact car – it just doesn’t work.
That’s where WP.me shortlinks come in.
They take those long complex URLs and transform them into short snappy links that are easy to share and remember.
Think of them as the mini-van version of your content’s URL – compact functional and perfect for fitting into tight spaces.
How WP.me Shortlinks Work
WP.me shortlinks are part of the Jetpack plugin a powerful tool that extends WordPress’ functionality with a suite of features including social sharing security and of course shortlinks.
To activate shortlinks you simply need to head over to your Jetpack settings navigate to the “Traffic” section and flick the switch for “Create short and simple links for all posts and pages” within the “Shortlinks” area.
Once activated you’ll be able to find the shortlink for your post or page right below the post title.
Why Use WP.me Shortlinks?
There are a few compelling reasons why you should embrace the power of WP.me shortlinks:
1. Saves Precious Character Space
We’ve already touched on this but it’s worth reiterating: shortlinks are like the “compact car” of URLs.
They take up less space giving you more room for engaging text hashtags and other crucial social media elements.
Imagine trying to fit a full-length URL into a tweet – it’s like trying to stuff a whole Thanksgiving turkey into a tiny bird feeder.
It just doesn’t work.
2. Makes Your Links More Shareable
Let’s face it people are more likely to click on a short easy-to-read link than a long confusing one.
Think about it – would you rather click on “wp.me/p1234” or “https://www.yoursite.com/blog/super-long-and-complicated-post-title-with-lots-of-keywords“?
I rest my case.
3. Improves Click-Through Rates
When your links are short and appealing people are more likely to click on them.
That means more eyeballs on your content more traffic to your website and potentially more conversions.
It’s a win-win situation.
How to Use WP.me Shortlinks
You can easily find the shortlink for a post or page by looking below the post title.
There’s usually a “Get Shortlink” button that will reveal the shortlink for you.
If you’re using the Classic Editor you can even grab the shortlink directly from a pop-up.
Just click on the “Get Shortlink” button and the shortlink will appear in a handy little window.
Customizing Your Shortlinks
While WP.me shortlinks are automatically generated you can actually customize them a bit to make them more user-friendly.
You can for example edit the path to create a shorter more personalized link.
1. Using the add_post_type_support() Function
You might want to expand the reach of your shortlinks beyond posts and pages.
You can actually add shortlink support to other post types using the add_post_type_support() function.
This is a function in the WordPress core that allows you to add or remove certain features for custom post types.
Let’s break down how this works in detail.
First you need to decide what post type you want to add shortlink support to.
Let’s say for example you have a custom post type called “Products”. You would add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file:
add_post_type_support( 'products' array( 'shortlink' ) );This code tells WordPress to enable shortlink support for the “Products” post type.
Now any posts created under the “Products” post type will automatically have their own unique shortlink.
However I need to emphasize that custom post types are a deeper level of development.
If you’re not comfortable editing the code consider using a plugin specifically designed for this.
There are a lot of great plugins out there and using one is often the easiest solution.
2. Shortlink Plugin Options
If you’re not comfortable directly editing code a shortlink plugin can give you more control and a user-friendly interface to customize your shortlinks.
There are a ton of plugins available in the WordPress repository each with its own features and benefits.
One of the most popular and feature-rich is the “Shortlinks” plugin.
With this plugin you can:
- Create custom shortlinks: You can manually create shortlinks for any URL not just your own WordPress content.
- Track link clicks: See how many times each shortlink is clicked giving you valuable insights into your audience engagement.
- Customize your shortlinks: Make your shortlinks even more unique by adding your own branding or customization options.
3. The Power of WordPress Shortcodes
You can also use WordPress shortcodes to customize your shortlinks.
Shortcodes are special codes that allow you to add dynamic content and features to your posts and pages.
For example the shortcode automatically displays the shortlink for the current post.
You can use this shortcode anywhere in your posts or pages and it will be automatically replaced with the correct shortlink.
You can even create custom shortcodes for specific URLs.
For instance let’s say you want to create a shortlink for a particular product page.
You can create a shortcode like this:
add_shortcode( 'product_link' function() {
return wp_get_shortlink( get_permalink( 123 ) );
});This shortcode will generate a shortlink for the post with an ID of 123. You can then use this shortcode in your posts and pages like this:
This will display the shortlink for the specified product page.
Using WP.me Shortlinks for SEO
While shortlinks themselves don’t directly impact your search engine optimization (SEO) there are indirect benefits to using them.
1. Keeping Your URLs Clean and Concise
When you use shortlinks on social media you’re essentially creating clean concise URLs that are more likely to be clicked.
This in turn can improve your click-through rate (CTR) and drive more traffic to your website.
2. Better Tracking and Analytics
Shortlinks can also help you track your social media campaigns more effectively.
When you use a shortlink to share a piece of content you can track how many times people click on it.
This data can be invaluable for understanding which social media platforms are driving the most traffic to your website and for optimizing your campaigns.
3. Building Brand Awareness
By creating custom shortlinks that incorporate your brand name or logo you can subtly promote your brand while still offering your audience a simple shareable link.
Common WP.me Shortlink Pitfalls to Avoid
While WP.me shortlinks are a fantastic tool there are a few potential pitfalls to be aware of:
1. Shortlink Length
Keep in mind that shortlinks by their nature are shorter than standard URLs.
While this is great for saving space and improving readability it can also make it harder for people to understand what the link actually leads to.
If you’re sharing a link on social media consider adding a short description of what the link is about.
2. Security Considerations
While WP.me shortlinks are secure by default you should still be mindful of the websites you share them on.
If you’re sharing a shortlink on a website that you don’t trust there’s always a risk that someone could intercept the link and redirect it to a malicious site.
3. Tracking Analytics
Make sure you’re tracking the performance of your shortlinks.
This way you can understand which links are driving the most traffic and which are falling flat.
You can use a tool like Google Analytics to track clicks on your shortlinks and understand their impact on your overall website traffic.
WP.me Shortlinks: A Powerful Tool for Engagement
Shortlinks are a small but mighty tool in the world of WordPress and social media.
By utilizing them you can create a seamless engaging experience for your audience driving traffic to your content and boosting your overall online presence.
Remember shortlinks are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to building a successful online presence.
Combine them with other strategies like engaging social media content and a well-optimized website to truly maximize your online reach.