In a matter of days, I will be able to changes my Facebook URL from www.facebook.com/people/Nicki-Hicks/172700110 to quite possibly www.facebook.com/nickihicks (Update: I snagged www.facebook.com/nickihicks) or even www.facebook.com/nicki if I get really lucky! My company will be able to change its URL from www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-ME/flyte-new-media/26696935640 to www.facebook.com/flytenewmedia.

So…what’s the big deal?

The biggest bonus: sharing your URL with friends and family. Up until now, a random number code has been a difficult and not-so-easy-way to remember profiles. With vanity URLs, Facebook simply says “people will have an easy-to-remember way to find you”; the official blog also says:

We expect to offer even more ways to use your Facebook username in the future.

Facebook, you tease us.

No, seriously. What’s the big deal? (Nerd Version)

I think it brings up a long-lived argument about the importance of keywords in URLs.

When clients ask if they should get a keyword rich domain, I always say yes. If you already have one, however, it isn’t worth porting and redirecting your current site over. However, if you’re picking a new one, then why not make it keyword rich?

As far as the URL goes, same story. If you’ve got a page with an old, not very keyword rich URL, stick with it. It’s probably built up enough equity that there’s really no reason to change it. But, if you’re working on a new page, make sure that one would make the keyword gods sing! What’s more, if you use a great CMS, your URLS are auto-generated and therefore auto-awesome.

The thing is…as a searcher, seeing a keyword rich URL (notice I did not say keyword stuffed) gives me a little more confidence in clicking than one full of random characters (!@#$%^&*).

For search engines, SEOs still go back and forth whether keyword rich domains do better than non-keyword rich domains. As far as I’m concerned, whatever difference there may be, it isn’t a significant one. So pick one if you can, but don’t worry if you can’t.

Bringing things full circle (or back to Facebook, at least)

Securing vanity URLs may not do more than be cool and help your family avoid carpal tunnel by typing less keystrokes, but then again…it will most definitely help search visibility for your name – or even better – your company’s. The clock is ticking, you’d better grab your username.

Nicki Hicks
And here, I thought we were friends!