The Link People Actually Want to Click
Picture this. You're scrolling through your feed and you see two links. One looks like xyz123.co/a8kd2f. The other reads gopetshop.link/summer-sale. Which one are you clicking?
It's not even close. The branded link wins every time — and the data backs it up. Branded short URLs consistently generate higher click-through rates than their generic counterparts. Some studies put the difference at nearly 40%.
But why? And more importantly, how do you get your own branded links up and running without turning it into a weekend project? Let's break it down.
What Makes a Link "Branded"
A branded link uses your own custom domain instead of a third-party shortener's domain. Instead of sharing a link on someone else's URL, you share one that clearly belongs to you.
The anatomy is simple:
- Your domain:
go.yourcompany.comoryourco.link - A readable slug:
/spring-launchor/demo-video - Put together:
go.yourcompany.com/spring-launch
That's it. Same redirect mechanics as any short link, but wrapped in your brand identity.
The Trust Factor — Why Branded Links Win
Let's be honest: the internet has a trust problem. People have been trained to be suspicious of links, and for good reason. Phishing, malware, rickrolls — everyone's been burned at least once.
Generic short links feed that suspicion. When someone sees a random domain followed by a jumble of characters, their guard goes up. They don't know where that link leads, and they're not sure they want to find out.
Branded links flip the script. Here's what happens psychologically:
Recognition kicks in. If someone already knows your brand, seeing your domain in the URL triggers familiarity. Familiarity breeds trust. Trust drives clicks.
The slug provides context. A slug like /winter-lookbook tells the person exactly what they're going to see. No mystery, no hesitation. Compare that to /x9kR2m — which could lead anywhere.
It signals professionalism. Using your own domain shows you've invested in your infrastructure. It's a subtle signal, but it matters. Would you trust a business that uses a free email address for customer support? Same principle applies to links.
Consistency builds over time. Every branded link you share reinforces your domain. After seeing go.yourcompany.com in emails, social posts, and print materials, your audience starts to recognize it instinctively. That recognition compounds.
Setting Up Your Custom Domain
Here's the part that scares people off — and it really shouldn't. Setting up a custom domain for branded links is a one-time task that takes about ten minutes.
Step 1: Pick your domain
You've got two options:
- A subdomain of your main domain. Something like
go.yourcompany.comorlinks.yourcompany.com. This is the easiest option because you already own the root domain. - A dedicated short domain. A separate domain like
yourco.linkoryourco.io. These look cleaner but require purchasing an additional domain.
Either works. The subdomain approach is faster to set up. The dedicated domain looks more polished. Pick whichever fits your brand.
Step 2: Configure DNS
You'll need to add a CNAME record pointing your chosen domain to Acturity's servers. This is the same type of DNS change you'd make for any web service — nothing exotic. Acturity's custom domain setup walks you through the exact records to add.
Step 3: Verify and provision SSL
Once the DNS propagates (usually a few minutes, sometimes up to 48 hours), Acturity verifies your domain and automatically provisions an SSL certificate. Every branded link you create will be served over HTTPS — no extra configuration needed.
Step 4: Start creating links
That's it. From this point forward, every short link you create uses your branded domain. Old links on the default domain still work, but new ones carry your brand.
Slug Naming Best Practices
Your domain is only half the equation. The slug — the part after the slash — matters just as much. Here's how to make it count.
Keep it readable. Use real words, not random characters. /spring-sale beats /sp26s every day of the week. People scan links before they click, and readable slugs reduce friction.
Keep it short. You're using a short link for a reason. Don't create slugs like /our-incredible-spring-2026-sale-event-details. Aim for one to three words.
Use hyphens, not underscores. Hyphens are easier to read in URLs and they're the web convention. /spring-sale not /spring_sale.
Be descriptive but not too specific. If the campaign changes slightly, you don't want to be stuck with a misleading slug. /spring-sale works even if you tweak the offer. /30-percent-off-shoes doesn't.
Stay consistent. Develop a naming convention and stick to it. Maybe it's /{campaign}-{channel} or /{product}-{asset-type}. Whatever you choose, consistency makes your links easier to manage as they pile up. Organize them with tags and campaigns in Acturity to keep things tidy.
Measuring the Difference
You don't have to take our word for it. One of the best things about switching to branded links is that you can measure the impact yourself.
Run a head-to-head test
Here's a straightforward experiment. Take your next email campaign and split it into two groups. Send one group a generic short link and the other group a branded link — same destination, same email copy, same subject line. Compare the click-through rates.
Acturity's A/B testing feature makes this even easier. You can set up split tests directly on a link, automatically distributing traffic between variants and tracking which one performs better.
Look at the bigger picture
Beyond individual campaigns, track these metrics over time in your analytics dashboard:
- Click-through rate by domain. Are branded links consistently outperforming? By how much?
- Geographic patterns. Do certain regions respond differently to branded vs. generic links?
- Device breakdown. Mobile users are often more suspicious of unfamiliar links — branded links may have an even bigger impact there.
- Referrer data. Which channels benefit most from branded links? Social media tends to show the biggest improvement because links are so visible in feeds.
Connect the dots
The click is only the beginning. What happens after someone arrives at your landing page? If branded links bring in higher-quality traffic — people who are more engaged, more likely to convert — that's a signal that trust carried through the entire journey.
Use webhooks to pipe click data into your CRM or analytics platform and close the loop between link clicks and actual conversions.
Common Objections (And Why They Don't Hold Up)
"It's too complicated to set up." It's a DNS record and a few clicks. If you've ever connected a custom domain to an email service or a website builder, you've done harder things.
"Our links work fine without branding." They work, sure. But "fine" leaves performance on the table. The difference between a 3% and a 4.2% click-through rate might not sound dramatic until you multiply it across thousands of emails.
"We don't want to manage another domain." A subdomain of your existing domain works perfectly. No additional registration or renewal to worry about.
"What if we switch tools later?" Your domain stays with you. DNS records are portable. If you ever move to a different platform, you repoint the CNAME and keep your branded links intact.
Getting Started
If you've been sharing generic short links, switching to branded links is one of the highest-impact, lowest-effort changes you can make to your marketing stack.
Start by setting up your custom domain in Acturity. It takes minutes, and once it's done, every link you create carries your brand automatically. Pair it with descriptive slugs and you've got a link strategy that builds trust, drives more clicks, and gives you the data to prove it.
Then read up on how branded links impact click-through rates to see the bigger picture, or explore A/B testing your links to start optimizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to buy a new domain for branded links?
Not necessarily. You can use a subdomain of your existing domain — something like go.yourcompany.com — which doesn't require purchasing anything new. If you want a dedicated short domain for a cleaner look, you can buy one, but it's entirely optional.
Will branded links slow down my redirects?
No. The redirect speed depends on the platform's infrastructure, not whether the link is branded. In Acturity, branded links use the same high-speed redirect engine as default links. There's no performance penalty.
Can I use multiple branded domains?
Yes. Many teams use different domains for different purposes — one for marketing campaigns, another for customer support links, and so on. Acturity supports multiple custom domains on a single account, and you can choose which domain to use each time you create a link.
What happens to my branded links if I stop using the service?
Your links will stop redirecting if the DNS records are no longer pointed to an active shortening service. That's why it's important to choose a platform you trust for the long term. Since you own the domain, you can always repoint it to a new service if needed — your links' structure stays the same.
How do branded links affect email deliverability?
Positively, in most cases. Email filters are more suspicious of generic shortener domains because spammers use them heavily. Links on your own branded domain are associated with your sender reputation, which is typically much better. That said, always warm up a new domain gradually and maintain good sending practices.
