Taken from a real world example of undesirable results achieved with a hyperlink-closing quotation mark-colon combination, with some alternatives for comparison (HTML versions in the footnotes) – first, the object example and variants with the quotation mark outside the hyperlink:
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech“: … ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “<a href=”http://example.com”>put an end</a>” to “<a href=”http://example.com”>Hate Speech</a>”: …))
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech.” ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “<a href=”http://example.com”>put an end</a>” to “<a href=”http://example.com”>Hate Speech</a>.”))
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech“. … ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “<a href=”http://example.com”>put an end</a>” to “<a href=”http://example.com”>Hate Speech</a>”. …))
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech“; … ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “<a href=”http://example.com”>put an end</a>” to “<a href=”http://example.com”>Hate Speech</a>”; …))
Now, the same examples with the quotation marks inside the hyperlink:
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech”: … ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “<a href=”http://example.com”>put an end</a>” to “<a href=”http://example.com”>Hate Speech”</a>: …))
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech.” ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to <a href=”http://example.com”>”put an end”</a> to <a href=”http://example.com”>”Hate Speech.”</a>))
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech”. ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to <a href=”http://example.com”>”put an end”</a> to <a href=”http://example.com”>”Hate Speech”</a>.))
- Germany and Facebook are teaming up to “put an end” to “Hate Speech”; … ((Germany and Facebook are teaming up to <a href=”http://example.com”>”put an end”</a> to <a href=”http://example.com”>”Hate Speech”</a>; …))
The above should be all the evidence you need: Where “smart-quotes” (automatic differentiated opening and closing quote-marks) are, because considered more pleasing typographically, generally in use, as per WordPress default; and whether or not you are enclosing periods within them – enclosed still being the American style, outside still being the European style – quotation marks should be made part of the hyperlink. That the American style on periods renders acceptably with or without the inclusion of quotation marks within the hyperlink may be an argument in favor of the American style, though is irrelevant to the central question here. Whether or not you wish to do the American thing – include periods and commas, but not colons or semi-colons within quotation marks – or wish to swear orthographical allegiance to some other country, I repeat: Quotation marks should be included in your hyperlinks.
