Insights on Links, Marketing, and Tech

The Blrb Lab Notes

Stay updated with the latest in URL optimization, campaign tracking, and API development.

The 7 Best Bitly Alternatives for 2026 (Compared on Analytics, Pricing, and Features)
February 12, 2026 Insights

The 7 Best Bitly Alternatives for 2026 (Compared on Analytics, Pricing, and Features)

Bitly is the default URL shortener for most marketers, and for basic link shortening, it works fine. But the moment you need analytics beyond click counts and city-level geography, you hit a wall — and that wall costs $35 to $300 per month to climb. If you’ve been paying for Bitly and wondering whether the […]

blrb.ai vs Bitly: Feature-by-Feature Comparison for 2026
February 12, 2026 Insights

blrb.ai vs Bitly: Feature-by-Feature Comparison for 2026

Bitly is the most recognized URL shortener in the world. It’s been the default since 2008, and for a lot of marketers, “Bitly link” is synonymous with “short link.” But recognition isn’t the same as value — and when you compare what Bitly actually gives you at each price tier against what newer platforms deliver, […]

Link Click Heatmaps: Visualize Where Your Audience Is on an Interactive Map
February 11, 2026 Product

Link Click Heatmaps: Visualize Where Your Audience Is on an Interactive Map

When you hear “heatmap,” you probably think of website UX tools — Hotjar, Crazy Egg, Microsoft Clarity — showing where visitors click on a webpage. That’s one kind of heatmap. There’s another kind that marketers almost never see: a geographic heatmap showing where in the world people click your links. Not where they click on […]

Geographic Click Tracking: See Exactly Where Your Audience Engages (Down to the Zip Code)
February 11, 2026 Insights

Geographic Click Tracking: See Exactly Where Your Audience Engages (Down to the Zip Code)

You shared a link on LinkedIn, emailed it to your list, and posted it on Instagram. Three days later, you have 1,200 clicks. But here’s the question nobody’s tool is answering: where did those clicks come from? Not which platform — you already know that from UTM parameters. Where geographically. Which cities. Which neighborhoods. Which […]

Zip Code Level Click Analytics: The Marketing Data You Didn’t Know You Could Get
February 11, 2026 Product

Zip Code Level Click Analytics: The Marketing Data You Didn’t Know You Could Get

Every time someone clicks a link, they leave a trail. Not just “someone in the United States clicked” — but someone in zip code 30309, in a neighborhood where the median household income is $94,000, where 72% of residents hold college degrees, and where homeownership sits at 45%. That level of detail has always existed […]

Who Clicks Your Links? How to Get Demographics, Location & Device Data from Every Click
February 11, 2026 Insights

Who Clicks Your Links? How to Get Demographics, Location & Device Data from Every Click

Most URL shorteners tell you how many people clicked. That’s it. A number. But what if you could see who clicked — their zip code, neighborhood income level, education demographics, and whether they’re browsing from a phone in Miami or a laptop in Minneapolis? That’s the difference between click counting and click intelligence. And it’s […]

Best URL Shorteners for Marketing Campaigns
February 10, 2026 Insights

Best URL Shorteners for Marketing Campaigns

Every marketer knows the pain: a beautiful, complex URL that looks like a cryptography experiment, destroying click-through rates and tracking potential. What if you could transform those unwieldy links into sleek, trackable digital weapons? Why URL Shorteners Matter in Modern Marketing URL shorteners aren’t just about making links pretty—they’re strategic tools that can dramatically impact […]

How to Track Offline Campaigns with QR Codes
January 7, 2026 How-To

How to Track Offline Campaigns with QR Codes

That billboard is gorgeous. Those flyers look slick. But how do you actually know if anyone is engaging with your offline marketing materials? QR codes are your secret weapon for turning print into precise digital analytics. What Are QR Code Campaign Trackers? QR code campaign trackers transform traditional offline marketing from a black box of […]

Dynamic vs Static QR Codes: Key Differences
January 5, 2026 Insights

Dynamic vs Static QR Codes: Key Differences

Imagine tracking every single QR code click with military-grade precision—knowing exactly who scanned it, when, and from where—while spending a fraction of what your competitors pay. That’s the power of understanding dynamic vs static QR codes. What Are QR Codes and Why Do They Matter? Quick Response (QR) codes have transformed how businesses share information, […]