SU.PR (pronounced “super”) is the new URL shortening service from StumbleUpon that is currently in private beta. I had been using bit.ly to shorten my URLs for the past few weeks and [Update: I'll be switching from bit.ly to su.pr] I won’t be switching. The biggest problem with SU.PR is that it appears to not 301 redirect to the actual link. Instead, it redirects to a StumbleUpon URL which robs the linked to site (my site in my tests) of a quality backlink. Update: StumbleUpon is releasing some JavaScript and WordPress plugin soon to initiate a 301 redirect, keeping the link juice integrity in tact. From StumbleUpon:
Publishers have the option to create Su.pr URLs that will deliver visitors directly to their site via a 301 redirect, preserving their search rank. Simply upload a configuration file in the website’s root directory and it will turn on the option for all the Su.pr URLs for that domain.
Some of the good aspects of SU.PR are:
- The in-depth analytics
- Develop based on recommendations of Tim Ferriss
- Doesn’t rob any search engine link juice
- Allows people to stumble the post thereby increasing traffic
- Use your own domain for branded redirects
- Displays the number of retweets and the number of followers the retweeter has
- Allows you to download statistical data – great if you have to make reports for the “higher ups” in your company
- Gives a “suggested posting time” and apparently, you’re link will be exposed to more people if it’s posted between 4 and 6 A.M. and between 5 and 8 P.M. than the other times
What could make it better:
- Auto-posting new RSS feed items (like blog posts) to Twitter and FaceBook
- Integration with Twitter desktop clients
- Auto-stumble and add post tags into StumbleUpon
