If you are a Shopify store owner using Linktree or Linkpop for your Instagram Link in Bio, it’s hurting your brand! Today I’d like to talk about making the most of your Instagram Link in Bio – why 3rd party services like Linkpop may be harming your brand, and how to avoid the pitfalls of Linkpop / Linktree by creating a Link in Bio page that lives on your own website.
What is Linkpop?
Linkpop is a website that allows users to create a landing page with multiple clickable links. It’s similar to Linktree, but designed specifically for Shopify websites. Linkpop allows users to create a page with multiple links, usually grouped by category, that directs Instagram followers to different pages on the user’s website. Users add a variety of links to their Linkpop page, such as links to their website, blog, social media profiles, or e-commerce store, as well as links to relevant products, services, or resources. Linkpop pages can be customized to match the branding and aesthetic of the Instagram account. There’s also some additional features such as the ability to add an email opt-in form, split-test different versions of the page, retargeting pixel, and UTM tracking, which can be important for measuring the performance of the links.
Sounds pretty great, right? Well, not so fast. While Linkpop is easy to use and offers merchants a way to have a customized link in bio page, there are some pretty big drawbacks to consider.
What are the drawbacks to Linkpop?
Linkpop hurts your website’s SEO.
When a customer interacts with your Linkpop Link in Bio page, they are on Linkpop’s website, not yours. This presents a couple of different issues.
First, you are adding an extra step to the customer journey. With Linkpop, they start on Instagram, click through to Linkpop, and THEN they make their way to your site if they click one of the links in the Linkpop. This signals to Google and other search engines that Linkpop has the most value here, as a direct link from Instagram to Linkpop has been established.
Additionally, session duration is an important factor for SEO ranking, so if your customer is hanging out on your Linkpop page, instead of a page on your own site, you aren’t reaping the SEO rewards.
Fact: If a customer is spending time on your Linkpop, that’s less time they are spending on your actual site.
If your Link in Bio page lived on your own website, your brand would get all the credit for longer session duration and cut out the middleman between Instagram and your website. These are easy SEO wins that can be capitalized on!
On the SEO note, with Linkpop, search engines have difficulty crawling and indexing the individual links on the page, as they are not presented in the traditional HTML structure of a website. Additionally, the links are not as easily discoverable by search engines, which results in lower visibility in search results. Furthermore, it can be seen as a poor user experience as the user has to navigate through a single Linkpop page to get to the intended content, leading to higher bounce rates.
Linkpop hurts your Branding.
Linkpop, like other external link redirecting services, can potentially hurt branding in a few ways:
Limited Customization: Depending on the pricing plans and features, the customization options may be limited and the design of the page may not be consistent with the overall branding and aesthetic of the Instagram account. This can make the page look generic and unprofessional, which hurts the overall perception of the brand.
Lack of Control: By using an external service like Linkpop, brands lose control over the design and functionality of the page. This makes it difficult to ensure that the page is aligned with the overall branding and messaging of the brand.
External Redirect: Linkpop uses an external redirect to their domain, which affects the user experience and increases the load time. This can cause users to leave the site, which can hurt the overall perception of the brand.
Lack of ownership: By using an external service like Linkpop, brands don’t own the website, the data and analytics of the page, and the layout of it. This can make it difficult to ensure that the page is aligned with the overall branding and messaging of the brand, and it also makes it difficult to access the data and analytics of the page.
Lack of Integration: By using an external service like Linkpop, brands lose the ability to fully integrate the page with their website and other digital assets.
It’s worth noting that these drawbacks can be mitigated by using a paid plan that allows for more customization and functionality, but it’s still important for brands to consider the potential impact on branding before using an external service like Linkpop.
So what should you use instead of Linkpop?
Thankfully, there’s a great alternative to using an external service like Linkpop or Linktree for your Link in Bio. Build the link in bio page directly on your own website!
Creating your own link in bio page on your website has several advantages over using an external service like Linktree or Linkpop:
Branding and Design Control: By creating your own link in bio page on your website, you have complete control over the design and branding of the page. You can ensure that the page is consistent with your overall website aesthetic and messaging, which can help to strengthen your brand.
Better User Experience: By creating your own link in bio page on your website, users will not be redirected to an external domain, which can improve the overall user experience. This helps to keep users engaged and reduces bounce rates.
Better Analytics: By creating your own link in bio page on your website, you have access to your website analytics, which provide more detailed and accurate insights into how users interact with the page. This helps you to optimize the page and make data-driven decisions.
Better Integration: By creating your own link in bio page on your website, you can easily integrate the page with other elements of your website, such as your blog, email marketing, and e-commerce store. This can help to drive conversions and increase sales.
Better SEO: By creating your own link in bio page on your website, you can optimize the page for SEO and make it more discoverable by search engines. This helps to increase visibility, drive more traffic to your website and helps to establish your brand.
Shopping Feature: Instagram has a built-in shopping feature that allows users to tag products in posts and stories. Creating your own link in bio page on your website will allow you to use this feature which can be beneficial for e-commerce businesses.
Overall, creating your own link in bio page on your website can provide more control, better user experience, analytics and integration, and can help to strengthen your brand and increase conversions.
Are you interested in a custom Link in Bio page that lives on your own website, is fully on-brand, and easy to customize and update?
I offer this service as one of my Bite-Sized Shopify services. Together we will collaborate on the design and content, I will build your page, you will have one round of revisions if needed, and I will provide a detailed video tutorial showing you exactly how to make updates and changes so you can have full control.
Let’s work together to boost your SEO and branding with a custom Link in Bio page! Contact me or connect via email: kate@katesecondo.com
