Referring Domains vs Backlinks: What's the Difference?
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Referring Domains vs Backlinks: What's the Difference?
When analyzing your website's SEO performance, you'll often encounter two important metrics: referring domains and backlinks. While they may seem similar, they measure different aspects of your backlink profile.
Understanding the difference between referring domains vs backlinks is essential for evaluating your website's authority, tracking SEO progress, and planning an effective link-building strategy.
In this guide, we'll explain what is a referring domain, how backlinks differ from referring domains, why both matter, and which metric deserves more attention.
What Is a Referring Domain?
A referring domain is a unique website that links to your website.
For example:
- example.com links to your website five different times.
Although you receive five backlinks, they all come from one referring domain.
Another website, website2.com, links to your site once.
Now you have:
- 2 referring domains
- 6 backlinks
In simple terms:
A referring domain counts the number of unique websites linking to your website.
What Are Backlinks?
A backlink is an individual hyperlink from another webpage pointing to your website.
Every separate link counts as a backlink.
Using the previous example:
Website A links five times.
Website B links once.
You now have:
- 6 backlinks
- 2 referring domains
Each backlink contributes to your overall backlink profile, but search engines also evaluate where those backlinks come from.
Referring Domains vs Backlinks
The difference is straightforward.
| Referring Domains | Backlinks |
|---|---|
| Count unique websites linking to you | Count every individual link |
| Focus on diversity | Focus on total links |
| One website equals one referring domain | One website can create hundreds of backlinks |
| Often considered a stronger authority signal | Shows total link volume |
Think of it this way:
If ten different websites recommend your business, that's generally more valuable than one website recommending you ten times.
The same principle applies in SEO.
Backlink vs Referring Domain: An Example
Imagine three websites link to your content.
Website A
- Links 8 times
Website B
- Links 5 times
Website C
- Links once
Your backlink profile would look like this:
- Backlinks: 14
- Referring Domains: 3
Although you have 14 backlinks, they originate from only three unique websites.
This illustrates why SEO professionals monitor both metrics rather than focusing on backlink counts alone.
Why Referring Domains Matter for SEO
Search engines generally place greater value on backlink diversity than sheer volume.
Demonstrates Trust
When multiple independent websites link to your content, it signals that your website is valuable and trustworthy.
Builds Authority
A growing number of quality referring domains strengthens your website's authority over time.
Reduces Dependency
Receiving backlinks from many different websites creates a more natural backlink profile than relying heavily on one source.
Improves Rankings
Many high-ranking websites have thousands of high-quality referring domains pointing to them.
This diversity often correlates with stronger search visibility.
Why Backlinks Still Matter
Although referring domains are important, backlinks remain a critical SEO signal.
Each backlink can:
- Pass authority
- Drive referral traffic
- Help search engines discover pages
- Strengthen topical relevance
Multiple contextual backlinks from an authoritative website can still provide significant SEO value.
The goal isn't choosing one metric over the other—it's building a healthy balance.
Which Is More Important?
If you had to prioritize one metric, referring domains generally provide a better indication of your website's authority.
For example:
Website A
- 5,000 backlinks
- 35 referring domains
Website B
- 1,000 backlinks
- 450 referring domains
In many cases, Website B has the stronger backlink profile because its authority comes from hundreds of unique websites rather than repeated links from a small number of domains.
Quality and diversity typically outweigh raw backlink numbers.
What Are Referring Pages?
Many SEO tools also display referring pages.
A referring page is the specific webpage that links to your website.
For example:
Website:
- example.com
Article:
- example.com/seo-guide
This article is the referring page.
If another article on the same website also links to you, you now have:
- 1 referring domain
- 2 referring pages
- Multiple backlinks
Referring pages provide more detailed insight into where your backlinks originate.
How to Increase Referring Domains
Growing the number of quality referring domains requires earning backlinks from new websites.
Effective strategies include:
Guest Posting
Publish valuable content on reputable industry websites.
Digital PR
Share original research, expert insights, and newsworthy content that journalists and publishers naturally reference.
Linkable Assets
Create resources people want to cite, including:
- Industry statistics
- Free tools
- Templates
- Research reports
- Ultimate guides
Broken Link Building
Help website owners replace broken links with relevant content from your website.
Resource Pages
Reach out to websites that maintain curated resource lists within your industry.
Common Mistakes
Many beginners misunderstand backlink metrics.
Avoid these mistakes.
Chasing Backlink Quantity
Thousands of low-quality backlinks from the same website provide limited SEO value.
Ignoring Domain Diversity
Building links from a wider range of relevant websites usually strengthens your backlink profile.
Overlooking Link Quality
One backlink from an authoritative industry publication often carries more weight than dozens from unrelated websites.
Ignoring Relevance
Backlinks should come from websites that are topically related to your niche whenever possible.
How to Check Referring Domains
Several SEO tools allow you to monitor both backlinks and referring domains.
Popular options include:
- Google Search Console
- Ahrefs
- Semrush
- Moz
- Majestic
These tools can help you identify:
- New referring domains
- Lost backlinks
- Referring pages
- Anchor text
- Link growth over time
Regular monitoring helps maintain a healthy backlink profile and uncover new link-building opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Understanding referring domains vs backlinks is fundamental to building a successful SEO strategy.
While backlinks measure the total number of links pointing to your website, referring domains measure the number of unique websites providing those links.
Both metrics matter, but a diverse backlink profile built from relevant, authoritative referring domains is generally a stronger indicator of long-term SEO success.
Instead of chasing large backlink numbers, focus on earning links from trusted websites within your industry. A steady increase in high-quality referring domains will help improve your authority, rankings, and organic traffic over time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a referring domain?
A referring domain is a unique website that links to your website. Multiple backlinks from the same website count as one referring domain.
What is the difference between referring domains and backlinks?
Backlinks count every individual hyperlink pointing to your website, while referring domains count the number of unique websites providing those backlinks.
Which is more important: referring domains or backlinks?
Both are important, but referring domains are generally considered a stronger indicator of authority because they reflect link diversity across multiple websites.
What are referring pages?
Referring pages are the individual webpages that contain backlinks to your website. A single referring domain can have multiple referring pages.
How do I increase referring domains?
You can increase referring domains by earning backlinks from new websites through guest posting, digital PR, broken link building, resource page outreach, and creating high-quality content that attracts natural links.
How do I check referring domains?
You can check referring domains using SEO tools such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, or Majestic, all of which provide reports on unique linking websites and backlink profiles.