Goo.gl: Google's URL Shortening Service

While reports of fb.me (a URL shortener service from Facebook) were just in, Google flashed the headlines with its new URL shortening service, Goo.gl. Though the reason for this sudden venture into URL shortening is still unclear, the search giant has made a perfect launch with Goo.gl. At this moment, Google offers this service for feedburner and Google toolbar.

How to use goo.gl?

Goo.gl service in Toolbar: When you share a website using toolbar, your twitter the link will be automatically shortened. This works similar to what other URL shorteners. But with a slight change –  http://goo.gl

Goo.gl in Feedburner: This is something different from sharing links. Visit feedburner website and navigate to ‘Publicize’ tab socialize service. Now add twitter account using ‘Add a Twitter account’ button to which you would like to share your feeds. You can also have an option of sharing all your feeds or customize which feed you want to share on twitter, by using ‘Keyword Filter’. Once you are done with the above procedure click ‘Activate’ to activate the service.

Here is a sample preview

Google opines that it will focus on three key points in its URL shortener service: Stability, Security and Speed. These, the giant believes, will keep Goo.gl ahead of competitors.

After the launch of Goo.gl, bit.ly responds in a unique way with bit.ly pro. Bit.ly pro offers bit.ly users to create short links with their own brand short domain name such as mee.bo, tcrn.ch. It includes publishers like AOL, Bing in their pro service. After the launch of Goo.gl, bit.ly responds in a unique way with bit.ly pro. Bit.ly pro offers bit.ly users to create short links with their own brand short domain name such as mee.bo, tcrn.ch. It includes publishers like AOL, Bing in their pro service.

So will bit.ly pose threat to Goo.gl? Certainly not, because currently Google offers their service only with feedburner and toolbar. But Google is planning to make it available as stand alone service. So perhaps in the future, Google will be a firm competitor for bit.ly.