Price tag on Vanity URLs on Google+

 

Last month I posted an article that Google+ were finally rolling out vanity URLs, meaning instead of your account being identified by a long string of numbers, it will be replaced by a short URL plus a username of your choice (e.g. plus.google.com/LukeStanley).

However these vanity URLs are only available for certain people and brands at this moment in time. Supposedly Google+ offers you a default vanity URL based on your username but you are free to ask for something different.  Of course Google must approve of the new vanity URL you have chosen.

These vanity URLs are free at the moment but it is uncertain whether this will be the case for much longer.

Deep into Google+’s policies and principles it states:

“Custom URLs are free for now, but we may start charging a fee for them,” the page reads.

“However, we will tell you before we start charging and give you the choice to stop participating first.”

Many are surprised by the possibility that Google+ could charge for custom URLs but either way if you get the opportunity to obtain a vanity URL, you should probably take it.

But be cautious, until more is known about Google+’s plans for vanity URLs, don’t put the URL on anything you can’t change overnight.

By Luke Stanley
Resource Techniques