Is it interlinking or intralinking?

[C A Perez]

Studying linking strategies , I am confused by the use interlinking.

Intuitively, I understand cross linking to be linking between or across domains. And, I understand interlinking to be synonymous with cross linking.

However, in many discussions around the internet it seems as if the term cross linking is defined as linking between domains and interlinking refers to linking within a domain. It is counter intuitive.

Intralinking is more appropriately related to linking within a domain. I have been told that Google has set the precedence by using interlinking to refer to internal links and thus the use of interlinking.

I have searched throughout Google's documentation and find no reference to interlinking as a definition for internal linking within a domain. I have been told that one exists. I have found repeated references to internal links, but the term is spelled out and is not referred to as an 'interlink'.

Which correctly defines linking within a domain, interlinking or intralinking? And, can anyone verify that Google uses the term interlinking to refer to internal links?

If indeed Google has set a precedence, then I say we squelch it. The use of interlinking to mean linking within a domain is counter intuitive. It confuses those know the definitions of 'inter' and 'intra' and it misleads those that are trying to learn.

C.A. Perez

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by C A Perez

interlinking refers to linking within a domain. It is counter intuitive.

Not if you're taking pages as your reference-point, rather than sites, though?

Which is (perhaps) an arguable perspective, with the web working (in so many regards) on a "page basis"?

In that case, it would make sense for "interlinking" to be within a site but between different pages of it, and for "intralinking" to refer to links within a page itself, of the type one does sometimes see (e.g. "back to top")?

That frame of reference also "makes sense" of cross-linking and interlinking being two distinct terms, perhaps, as they'd then have two distinct meanings, too?

I do take your point, though, of course ...

Changing people's perspectives on such matters is a forlorn task indeed, because it usually depends on changing the way people define terms and I'll say nothing about "duplicate content" in this thread.

[Chris Kent]

Intra means "within". Inter means "between". I agree.

But I've never heard the term "intralinking" used in IM until now. I think people prefer to use the term "cross-linking", maybe to avoid confusion.

[C A Perez]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Not if you're taking pages as your reference-point, rather than sites, though?

Which is (perhaps) an arguable perspective, with the web working (in so many regards) on a "page basis"?

In that case, it would make sense for "interlinking" to be within a site but between different pages of it, and for "intralinking" to refer to links within a page itself, of the type one does sometimes see (e.g. "back to top")?

That frame of reference also "makes sense" of cross-linking and interlinking being two distinct terms, perhaps, as they'd then have two distinct meanings, too?

I do take your point, though, of course ...

Changing people's perspectives on such matters is a forlorn task indeed, because it usually depends on changing the way people define terms and I'll say nothing about "duplicate content" in this thread.

I understand your explanation, but I do think that it is stretching the point. The boundary is the domain, not the pages. Links within a page and links between pages on the same site are within the domain, not outside of it.

An example, interstate highways are between states; an intrastate highway connects cities within the state and is bounded by the state lines. An intrastate highway can connect two or more communities that are geographically adjacent and have different names, as in a metropolis, but it is still an intrastate highway. That intrastate highway does not keep its name when and if crosses the state boundary and I will say nothing about duplicate highways.

C.A. Perez