WordTwit offers custom short URLs for WordPress blogs

Twitter updating plugin for WordPress WordTwithas recently released a new version with a range of extra features including a short URL service.

The short URL service allows users to use their own URL when updating Twitter, for example http://inquisitr.com/OD, the OD being the shorter version of the actual post URL. The feature delivers full control over links, overcoming an inherent risk with third party services, that is that if they fold, all your links die. The better feature is built in link tracking, so from within WordPress you can track which links are being clicked on in Twitter.

The plugin also offers the ability to use a different URL for URL shortening. For example, if you have a long blog URL, like www.thisisaverylongblogname.com, you could use another URL you owned (say tiavlb.com) for the short URL’s. The only flaw here is that the instructions for the plugin are short to non-existent, and I wasn’t sure exactly how to set this feature up.

Two additional features make the plugin amazing, or evil, depending on your point of view. Users can check a box and have the plugin dynamically convert all content links into short URLs. This could be highly useful for external link tracking, but runs the risk of sites using it not passing link juice to linked sites. The final new feature enables a banner on external sites; I haven’t seen this in practice, but it sounds similar to the DiggBar, so it might not be a wise thing to turn on.

You can download WordTwit here.