Have You Tried Link Whisper? Here’s What I Found After Testing Its Alternatives

Internal linking doesn’t get the attention it deserves. When it comes to WordPress sites Link Whisper is one of the most used/known Internal linking plugins, the free version of the plugin has over 40,000 active installation as of the time I am writing this post. Internal links are most often ignored or not utilized very well when it comes to the on-page optimization, hence it does not make headlines that much. But if you care about your WordPress website ranking in search engines or your brand visibility in AI engines, a great internal linking strategy can make a real difference.

I’ve used Link Whisper for years. It works. It’s fast, it’s smart, and it’s been the default for a lot of people. But lately… I’ve noticed some flaws, bugs, awkward anchor choices, etc. and as for link recommendations? It’s starting to feel like a repetition.

So I went ahead and tested a few alternatives. Some I’ve used before, and some I’m trying for the first time. Here’s my take and my list of top link whisper alternatives:

1. Twylu

If you frequently post new content to your site or has a site with many pages you want your internal link structure to be relevant rather than repetitive, Twylu is a good choice.

Twylu doesn’t rely solely on matching exact keywords. It reads your content like a human would (well, almost) and looks for semantically relevant text within your current topical connections. It does still provide traditional keyword match internal link suggestions but also provides a comprehensive site-wide semantic matching link suggestion too. Think of it as “related ideas” instead of just keyword overlap.

Twylu’s Features:

• Scans paragraphs of your page for meaning, not just keywords
• Shows plausibility of link suggestions (based on semantic ratings)
• Avoid common internal linking errors such as linking to the same destination page multiple times from the same source page, or internal link imbalances (pages with excessive or sub optimal internal links)
• Help you find and fix orphan pages

Twylu’s Pro:

• Suggestions are actionable and don’t feel robotic, with Twylu’s task management you will be in full control.
• Found some content I totally forgot we’d posted
• With smart semantic suggestions you’re not bombarded with all possible matches – it picks out the best ones for you.

What could be improved:

• You need to understand the concept of semantic similarity to get the full value
• It’s not a regular WordPress plugin – you need to manually add your site to Twylu as a project (but it’s super easy with easy to follow guides.)

2. Internal Link Juicer

If you want automation but still want to have some control, Internal Link Juicer might be your best bet. With 70,000 active installations on WordPress directory.

This tool has been around for a while, and for good reason. It’s simple: you set keywords for each post, and it automatically links when those keywords appear elsewhere. Set it and forget it – but set it up sensibly enough to make sure everything works.

Features:

• Automatically links your keywords to target pages
• Allows you to exclude certain content types or locations you don’t want to link
• Tracks link frequency for each keyword to avoid over-linking

What I like:

• Very simple to set up
• Feels like a lightweight backend tool – you don’t have to bother with it
• Using the cap feature helps prevent over-linking

What I don’t like:

• You can only use the keywords you set – no “smart” suggestions
• Can’t identify topic relevance, only text
• Make site slow and you will lose optimizations once you remove this plugin.

3. SEO Autolinker (Old, but still works)

For old-school users or developers who just want a lightweight autolinker. No fancy features here. It just matches text to URLs. That’s it. But sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

Features:

• Automatically links keywords to URLs based on your configuration
• Allows you to limit the number of links per article
• Runs fast and adds almost no load

What I like:

• No user manual required
• Great for small sites or static content

What could be better:

• No visual interface, no reports
• Completely manual – you’re operating blindly unless you monitor it yourself

4. Rank Math Internal Link Suggestions

If you’re already using Rank Math Pro, this is a free tool

If you use Rank Math, this tool already exists. It gives you link suggestions right in your editor. It’s simple, but no additional installation is required.

Features:

• Shows suggested linked posts/pages while writing
• Based on keywords (not actually relevance)
• Works within the post editor interface

What I like:

• If you’re already using Rank Math, this feature is handy, no need to install a new plugin
• Neat interface

Cons:

• No smart anchor text, just “hey, link to this?”
• You still have to think about the context yourself

So… is Link Whisper still worth using?

Maybe. If you’re used to it and don’t run into any limitations, you don’t need to switch just to use it. But for me, its suggestions start to feel a bit too cookie-cutter. I want more relevance, less random matches.

That’s where tools like Twylu come in. It goes beyond just recommending links, it finds meaningful links. Honestly, in an age where content needs to be better (not just more), even a slightly better interlinking really makes a good difference.