When you create short links, it’s not just about shortening a URL; it’s also about tracking performance to see how well your links are performing. Whether you’re using short links for marketing campaigns, promotions, or social media sharing, it’s important to monitor their click-through rates and engagement.
In this article, we’ll show you how to track the performance of your short links and interpret the analytics using the features available in URLShortly.
Step 1: Log in to Your URLShortly Account
To get started, log in to your URLShortly account and navigate to your dashboard. This is where all your links are stored, and where you can view detailed information about each link’s performance.
Step 2: Find the Short Link You Want to Track
Once logged in, go to the Short Links section of your dashboard. Here, you’ll see a list of all the short links you’ve created. To track the performance of a particular link, simply click on the link you want to monitor.
Step 3: Access Link Analytics
Once you’ve selected a link, you’ll be able to see detailed analytics related to that link’s performance. URLShortly provides various metrics to help you understand how your link is performing.
Here are the most common analytics data points available for each short link:
Total Clicks: The total number of times the short link has been clicked.
Unique Clicks: The number of unique visitors who have clicked on the short link.
Referrers: The websites or platforms where the clicks are coming from (e.g., social media platforms, blogs, or websites).
Geographical Location: The countries or regions where your clicks are originating.
Device Type: The type of device (mobile, desktop, tablet) used by people clicking the link.
Time of Clicks: The time and date when most of the clicks occurred, helping you identify peak engagement times.
Click Trends: A graph showing how clicks have varied over time.
This data can help you identify which platforms and locations are generating the most traffic, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.
Step 4: Understanding the Click Data
Here’s a closer look at how you can use the data from the analytics section:
Total vs. Unique Clicks:
Total Clicks shows how many times the link has been clicked, which could be inflated if multiple people click on the link repeatedly.
Unique Clicks is more important because it tells you how many individual people have clicked on the link. This is useful for measuring reach.
Referrers:
If you notice that most clicks are coming from social media, you might want to increase your efforts there.
If direct website traffic is high, it could indicate that people are sharing your link via email or text.
Geographical Location:
If your short link is getting clicks from unexpected regions, it might be an indicator to tailor your content for that audience.
Knowing where your audience is located allows you to localize your messaging and target the right demographic.
Device Type:
If most of your clicks are coming from mobile devices, consider optimizing your content for mobile users, such as making your landing page mobile-friendly.
If desktop clicks are higher, you might want to refine your desktop design and user experience.
Step 5: Monitor Click Trends Over Time
URLShortly also provides a graph of click trends, showing how the performance of your short link has changed over time. This is particularly useful for:
Campaign Analysis: If you’ve launched a campaign and created a specific short link, tracking the trends can tell you whether the campaign is successful or if it needs adjustments.
Long-Term Tracking: If you’re using short links for evergreen content, you can monitor how traffic increases or decreases over time.
Peak Times: Knowing when your audience is most active can help you time your content releases, ensuring maximum engagement.
Step 6: Set Up Link Expiry (Optional)
If you want to ensure that your short links don’t stay active indefinitely, URLShortly offers a link expiration feature. This allows you to set a specific expiry date for your short links, after which the link will no longer work.
This can be useful for:
Limited-time promotions: If you’re running a time-sensitive promotion, setting an expiry date helps ensure the link is only active for the desired period.
Event Links: If you create a short link for an event, you can set it to expire after the event date has passed.
Step 7: Export Your Data (Optional)
For detailed analysis or reporting, URLShortly allows you to export your link analytics data. This can be useful if you want to track the performance of multiple links over time, compare data, or share reports with your team or clients.
Simply click the Export button in your link’s analytics section to download a CSV file of your performance data.
Benefits of Tracking Clicks and Link Performance
Tracking the performance of your short links gives you several advantages:
Better Campaign Insights: You can measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, identify which channels are driving the most traffic, and make data-driven decisions for future campaigns.
Optimize User Engagement: By understanding your audience’s preferences, such as where they are clicking from or which device they are using, you can tailor your content to engage them better.
Measure ROI: Whether you’re using short links for business, affiliate marketing, or promotions, tracking the performance helps measure the return on investment (ROI) of your efforts.
Conclusion
By tracking the performance of your short links with URLShortly, you can gain valuable insights into your audience’s behavior and refine your strategies for better results. Whether you’re running a marketing campaign, promoting a product, or sharing content, knowing how your links are performing will help you optimize your approach.
Start tracking your short links today and use the data to make smarter decisions for your business!