Google’s own URL shortening service goo.gl is now available thru a dedicated website. In December 2009, Google announced goo.gl URL shortening service which will do exactly what bit.ly and tinyurl are doing. Few days ago, Twitter also launched t.co short URL to share links in 140 character space. goo.gl URL shortening was already available on News, Blogger, Maps, Picasa Web Albums and now thru the dedicated website, one can create short URL for a long URL by just pasting the long URL in input box.
There are already few browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox to create goo.gl short URLs. For example, goo.gl URL shortener is an awesome extension for Chrome, and I am using this extension on my Chrome browser since a long time. Firefox users can install goo.gl lite for this purpose.
Anyway, now Google has create a dedicated website for goo.gl short URL service.
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Important points and benefits of using goo.gl short URL service
1. Google is here to stay on web for long long time. So you can expect your short URLs to have that life as well.
2. URL redirects are 301, so you can use that URL for link building as well. Your original long URL will get all the back-links and link juices.
3. You can track clicks on goo.gl page only.
4. In coming days, they may integrate Google Analytics and goo.gl URL performance to have more stable data and information about performance
5. You can track shortened URLs created in various time frame like in last “two hours, day, week, month” or all time. This way you can track history of your usage of goo.gl URL shortener.
Enjoy this short URL service by goo.gl which is now available thru a dedicated website.