Link decay is the gradual decline in clicks or traffic that a published URL receives as time passes. Unlike link rot (where the destination disappears), the link itself remains valid, but fewer people click it.
The typical pattern is a sharp spike in clicks immediately after publication, followed by a rapid drop-off. For a shortened URL shared on social media, roughly 50% of all clicks occur within the first 3 hours, and click volume drops significantly after 24 hours. According to Bitly's public data, the average "half-life" of a shortened URL (the time for clicks to fall to half the peak) is about 3 hours.
Decay speed varies by platform. Twitter (X) decays fastest, with an average post lifespan of about 18 minutes. Facebook posts last several hours, blog articles several days to weeks, and search-engine-driven links can sustain traffic for months or years.
Visualizing link decay through a URL shortener's click analytics helps evaluate marketing effectiveness. Analyzing the decay curve of a campaign link reveals the optimal posting time, whether re-posting is needed, and the effective lifespan of the content.
Strategies to slow link decay include creating evergreen content (material whose value does not diminish over time), updating and re-sharing content periodically, securing search traffic through SEO, and redistributing links via email newsletters. You can find related books on Amazon.