Google Plus Rolls out Vanity URLs! Kind of…
October 11th, 2013 by
Google+ has rolled out new costume vanity URLs to select brands and users. This is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. The vanity URLs look cleaner and are easier to remember, so they are better associated with brands. Also, it looks so much better on your professional printed materials than, “Follow me on G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/111184837779438209699/posts.”
If you or your business are one of the lucky chosen ones, you will receive a message from Google via email and notification in your Places Dashboard (or LBC…not quite sure. Get it together, Google!). They will present you with the vanity URL of their choosing. You can request a different URL if you like, and after several business days, Google will contact you saying it has been approved or denied.
I am sure there is method to the madness. I just cannot tell what that method is. For example, if you are Lady Gaga (https://plus.google.com/+LadyGaga/posts), who has over 7.8 million people followers you get one. Or, if you are MTV UK (https://plus.google.com/u/0/+mtvuk/posts) who only has 240,000 followers, you get one as well.
One for you Lady Gaga. You go Lady Gaga!
But, if you’re Jimmy Kimmel (https://plus.google.com/u/0/107381356195126362734/posts), who has just over 1 million followers, you will not get one.
And none for Jimmy Kimmel!
The vanity URL does not come without concessions. The URL can be revoked at anytime. Google has even stated they may charge for it one day. I’m not sure why they would charge for it other than the fact that they can. Hopefully they roll these vanity URLs out to everyone for free. Let’s face it, we know the have the ability to do so. Facebook and Twitter do it!
