What is the difference between Branded and Generic Links?
Links are something that we all use, especially when it comes to sharing websites on social media platforms. Links are helpful for us to learn about topics that are relevant to our business. They help us run the internet smoothly. Links can be viewed on any electronic device, be it a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet. You must have come across many types of links; some are long, some have many letters and numeric in them, some are suspicious, and more.
Turning a lengthy and confusing link into a short and pretty one is a common link-shortening practice. This enables you to create short and effective links that include your brand name for easy identification. There are several link shorteners in the market to choose from, and many of those tools can help you customize your links per your requirements.
Generic links vs. Branded links
One significant drawback of generic link shorteners is the inability to brand your link. Generic links are popular and easy to use, but sometimes they are not the best option for your requirements. On the other hand, branded links are crucial to expanding the reach of your business. Branded links also seem credible and reliable to your customers and internet users. This also helps in driving more traffic for your brand.
Generic links, such as ‘here,’ ‘link,’ and ‘more,’ are confusing for internet users because they do not tell much about where these links are taking you. On smaller screens, like a smartphone, they are even harder to select. Generic links are also tricky for those who rely on assistive technology like screen readers or refreshable Braille displays.
Branded links can be easily included in your social media profiles, where the viewers will have an idea about the page where the link is taking them. These links seem more reliable to the viewers and are shareable as well.
Another drawback of a generic link is that many of them are blacklisted or flagged by search engines as spam. This means that these links will not show on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs), which will negatively impact your website. This is one of the primary reasons why a business must avoid using generic links and switch to branded links.