Have Google+ but hate the horrible URL? Here's a solution

One of the silliest things about Google+ is that they are refusing to introduce custom URLs for organisation pages.

Google support techs call these "vanity URLs" like they are something bad.

The official line from Google's Toby is:

Our team will not be securing vanity URLs for pages. Instead, verification badges are the tool we're using to prove legitimacy. Verification badges are designed to help our users find what they're looking for by ensuring that people, brands and businesses that are subject to broad-based impersonation are protected. Since this is primarily a security mechanism, there’s no way to apply for a verification badge. If we think you or your page might benefit from a badge, we’ll reach out directly to verify you.

It seems they just don't get it. Businesses and organisations need to be able to quote an easy URL for their pages - not something that looks like this: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116684218922961448134

Fortunately, necessity is the mother of invention and a third party has leapt into the Google-sized void, with a bit.ly-style solution, tailored nicely just for Google+.

The site is http://gplus.to/ - just paste in that annoying really long number on one side, and your preferred custom URL nickname on the other and voilà! So the above horrible URL for my G+ page becomes:

gplus.to/kerlin

Just like my Facebook page is facebook.com/kerlin

Wake up Google - this is not a clever move.