Tiny URLs, what are they?

Tiny URLs are a facility to take a long url, lets take this blog post for example http://www.surfthedream.com.au/blog/Archives/may-2009/tracking-tiny-url-analytics-using-tr.im, enter it into a text box and magically watch it transform into something smaller but albeit unreadable http://tr.im/luzK.

Why use Tiny URLs?

A lot of people are using twitter these days, I myself am running 2 accounts and contribute to a third when I can.

While it's a blessing to be able to get your message across quickly and informally, sometimes it can be tough to fit everything you need within the 140 characters, and especially if you're also providing a link for further reading or a tutorial you might be plugging.

So what is the solution?  That's right, Tiny URLs.

Why track my Tiny URLs?

There are many reasons you might want to track your links in a twitter post.  Any links that are coming back to your site you could identify by looking at the referral links in your analytics program like Google Analytics, but what happens when your readers are using twitterific, tweetdeck or the like?  The referrals could look like direct links instead of coming from Twitter (I am currently trialing this to see how analytics registers those clicks).

Enough chit chat, how do I track Tiny urls

Alright, okay, I was just making sure we were all on the same page.  Geez, patience!

I use tr.imfor my tiny urls.  It's not because they offer the best service, or have the shortest urls, or send me miniature miniatures in the post, it's because I saw a big "Sign up from tr.im account" logo on their site and followed along.

Once you've registered and logged in you use the site in the same way that you would use any tiny url type site, but with the added bonus that every link that you tr.im goes into a list of "your tr.immed urls".

At a glance the list contains the following information

• Original URL
• tr.im url
• # of visits
• link to more stats
• link to the url
• option to delete from the list
• date the url was tr.immed 

By clicking on the stats link for one of the urls you go to the summary page that includes

• Total visitors
• Break up between humans and bots
• Visitor location
• Last 15 visitors

There are also heading links for more information on

• Timelines (how many clicks on each day)
  
• Referrers (if you use the tr.im url across multiple sites like tublr, facebook, twitter, yammer etc)
  
• Agents (browsers, bots and platforms)
  
• Locations (by Country)

In the Account section there are more options to 

• View all tr.im URLs
• View Top tr.ims
• Authorise twitter accounts with your tr.im account (to submit directly from tr.im)
• Claim URLs
• Update Preferences
• Change Timezone
• Add/update Email Address
• Update Account Profile
  

 I haven't had a look through all of these options so feel free to check them out and post back some feedback.

Everything on the site is clear and simple to use.  There are a few extras that might come in handy, the firefox addon and dashboard widget are my favourites but there are a few more there with more to come.

There was no export function that I could see, but that's not a big deal for me at the moment.

For those that want to do a bit more fiddling and integration they have a nice simple tr.im API available as well.

Excuse me sir, there's a time and a place for that tiny url!

As with adjusting your nether region or picking your nose, there is a time and a place for tiny urls. 

You should never use them within your site and be reluctant to allow peole to link to you from their sites.  For one there is no need to make urls short in this case, and it will badly hurt your SEO (or at least not help it).  You should also never put them to printed material because although not damaging to SEO, it takes away from any brand that you're trying to build up.

All internal and outbound urls within your site should be tracked through an analytics program such as Google Analytics. 

Good Luck, and beware of the most dangerous of the tr.immed urls http://tr.im/luLH