In a move that will enable brands to customize another part of the Google+ experience, Google is finally rolling out vanity URLs.

Custom URLs — which have been available on Facebook since 2009 — are short, easy to remember web addresses that link directly to your Google+ profile or page.

It has been more than a year since Google+ launched, and since then profiles and pages have been tagged with random numbers and letters, making sharing a slight inconvenience.

The new web address will replace the current string of random characters with a “+” and your name or the name of your brand. For example, Toyota’s Google+ Page can now be found at http://google.com/+Toyota.

For a service that struggles with engagement, it can’t really afford to fall behind other social networks. However, despite the fact that this should have been a standard option all along, Google is taking its time with the rollout. “At first, we’re introducing custom URLs to a limited number of verified profiles and pages,” explained the company.

Eventually, all brands and individuals will be able to take advantage of custom URLs, but Google hasn’t shared any information on when that will be. Until then, it’s likely that many members will continue using third-party services — such as Gplus.to — to create shorter and easily shareable URLs.

[Image credit: Mykl Roventine]