Readability of URLs is important, so you should consider making a short URL. However, it is not just making the length as short as possible - it should be friendly.
If you use a unfriendly and long link people can't see what they are clicking through to. In fact, this is what most spammers rely on.
Link: blog2.northwind.com/archive/2022/10/25/now-available-visual-studio-2022-rtm-virtual-machine-with-sample-data-and-hands-on-labs.aspx
Bad example - The long URL makes it hard to clearly see what it will take you. People can’t easily type or remember it
Link: northwind.com/blog/visual-studio-2022-sample-data
Good example - The nice and clean URL makes it easy to see what the link is about
Sometimes even a nice URL can be improved by removing all the filler words and just keep the main keywords. This way your URL's are more friendly. Also, make sure your main keywords are relevant for searches.
northwind.com/how-do-i-find-the-version-of-the-word-document.html
Figure: Bad example - The filler words remain
northwind.com/find-word-document-version
Figure: Good example - The filler words removed and only 'juicy' words remain
Bit.ly
Sometimes you are not in control of the link. In those cases, use Bitly to transform any long URL into a shorter, more readable link.
Auto-shorten link: bit.ly/3zTHz8b
OK example - Auto-generated shorten URL - It's short but hard to remember
When have a Bitly account, you can customize links to a more readable option.
Custom shorten link: bit.ly/VS-2022-Sample
Good example - Short URL, and easier to remember
