What is Link Whisper? Who is it Suited For?
Link Whisper is a WordPress plugin that automates internal linking using natural language processing (NLP). It scans your content and provides relevant internal link suggestions to improve your site’s SEO. It’s ideal for content-heavy websites, SEO professionals, and niche site creators looking to streamline their internal linking strategy.
Link Whisper Feature Breakdown
Auto-Linking:
- Automatically links chosen keywords to specific URLs.
- Settings include avoiding duplicate links and adding only one link per post.
Internal Link Suggestions:
- Uses AI to suggest internal links as you write in WordPress.
- Speeds up the linking process by offering relevant suggestions during content creation.
Detailed Internal Link Reporting:
- Provides a dashboard showing outbound and inbound links, broken links, and orphan pages.
- Helps optimize site structure and improve link building efforts.
Seamless Integrations:
- Integrates with other SEO plugins and Google Search Console.
- Pulls target keywords and data to enhance link suggestions.
Link Whisper Pricing Breakdown
- Single Site License: $97/year
- 3 Site License: $137/year
- 10 Site License: $187/year
- 50 Site License: $347/year
Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What I Liked About Link Whisper
- Time-Saving: Automates internal link building, saving hours of manual work.
- Clean Code: Generates HTML links without JavaScript redirects, ensuring no SEO issues.
- Permanent Links: Links remain even if you stop using the plugin.
- No Impact on Page Speed: Efficient linking without slowing down your site.
What I Disliked About Link Whisper
- Irrelevant Suggestions: Some link suggestions are not always relevant, requiring manual quality checks.
- WordPress Only: Only works with WordPress, limiting use for other CMS platforms.
- Language Support: Limited support for languages beyond English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Popular Alternatives
- Internal Link Juicer: Automates internal linking with varied anchor text.
- Interlinks Manager: Calculates link juice to improve rankings.
- Internal Links Manager: Free plugin that automates internal linking.
Do I Recommend Link Whisper?
Yes, Link Whisper is highly recommended for automating internal linking, especially for solo site managers. Despite minor flaws, it saves time and boosts SEO, making it a valuable tool for improving site rankings and user experience.
What is Link Farming in SEO (and Why You Should Never Do It)
Link farming is a black hat SEO tactic that involves creating a network of websites solely to generate backlinks. These links are meant to manipulate search engine rankings rather than provide valuable content to users.
How to Identify a Link Farm
To spot a link farm, look for these characteristics:
- Low PageRank: The site has a low ranking, indicating poor quality.
- Poor Content: Content is shallow, poorly written, and lacks value.
- Random Topics: Topics are unrelated and seem random.
- Link Lists: Pages consist mainly of links with no context.
- Strange Domain Names: Domain names often don’t make sense or are random strings.
Is Link Farming Worth the Risk?
Engaging in link farming is not worth the risk due to several reasons:
- Quality Issues: Farmed links are usually low quality and won’t help your SEO.
- Longevity: Links from farms can disappear quickly, rendering your investment useless.
- Penalties: Google penalizes sites involved in link farming, which can be hard to recover from.
What Should You Do Instead of Link Farming?
For sustainable SEO success, focus on building high-quality, organic backlinks. Here are some tips:
- Vetting Links: Only link to reputable, relevant sites.
- Understanding Directories vs. Link Farms: Use curated directories, not random link farms.
- Earning Organic Links: Create valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks.