Referring Domains vs Backlinks: What’s the Difference (and Why It Matters for SEO)

Here’s something that confuses the heck out of most people: the difference between backlinks and referring domains.

Backlinks are individual links pointing to your site. Referring domains are the unique websites those links come from.

Why does this matter? Because Google cares way more about how many different websites link to you than how many total links you have.

Getting 100 backlinks from 100 different websites beats getting 1,000 backlinks from the same 5 websites every time. It’s about diversity, not just volume.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about these two critical SEO metrics, shows you how to track them properly, and explains which strategies actually move the needle.

What Are Backlinks?

A backlink is any individual hyperlink from another website that points to your site.

Simple example: If TechCrunch writes an article and links to your homepage, that’s one backlink. If they link to your homepage again in the same article, that’s two backlinks. If they link to your homepage and your about page, that’s two backlinks.

Every single link counts as a separate backlink, even if they all come from the same website.

Types of backlinks:

• Dofollow: Pass SEO authority to your site (most valuable)
• Nofollow: Don’t pass direct authority but still provide traffic and brand exposure
• UGC (User Generated Content): Links from user-generated content like comments
• Sponsored: Paid or sponsored links (should be marked appropriately)

What makes backlinks valuable:

• They come from relevant, authoritative websites
• They appear in contextual, editorial content
• They use natural anchor text that flows with the content
• They drive actual referral traffic to your site

Think of each backlink as a individual vote of confidence. The more votes you get from quality sources, the more Google trusts your content.

What Are Referring Domains?

A referring domain is a unique website that links to your site, regardless of how many individual links it gives you.

Same example: If TechCrunch links to you 5 times across different articles, you have 5 backlinks but only 1 referring domain.

Why this matters: Google knows that getting multiple links from the same website isn’t as valuable as getting links from multiple different websites. One site linking to you multiple times shows they like your content. Multiple sites linking to you shows industry-wide recognition.

Real-world analogy: It’s like job references. Having your current boss give you 10 glowing recommendations isn’t as impressive as having 10 different bosses each give you one recommendation.

Why Google values domain diversity:

• It’s harder to manipulate (you can’t just pay one site for tons of links)
• It shows broader industry recognition
• It indicates natural, organic link earning
• It suggests your content appeals to diverse audiences

The goal isn’t just to get more links. It’s to get links from more unique, high-quality sources.

Referring Domains vs Backlinks: Key Differences

One Domain Can Give Many Backlinks

Example scenario: A marketing blog writes a comprehensive guide about email marketing tools. They mention your tool in the introduction, link to it again in the comparison section, and reference it once more in the conclusion.

Result: 3 backlinks, 1 referring domain.

This is common with high-quality content that naturally references the same resource multiple times. While each link has some value, the incremental benefit decreases with each additional link from the same domain.

Referring Domains Show Link Diversity

When you track referring domains, you’re measuring how many different websites think your content is worth linking to.

Strong referring domain profile: Links from industry publications, competitor blogs, news sites, educational institutions, and relevant businesses.

Weak referring domain profile: Most links coming from just a few websites, even if the total backlink count is high.

Google’s algorithms can easily spot when most of your links come from a small number of sources. This pattern looks manipulative and reduces the value of your entire link profile.

Backlinks Measure Link Volume

Total backlink count shows the overall linking activity to your site. This metric is useful for tracking momentum and identifying which content attracts the most links.

When backlink volume matters:

• Measuring content performance (which pieces get linked to most)
• Tracking link building campaign results
• Understanding seasonal linking patterns
• Competitive analysis and benchmarking

But volume without diversity doesn’t move SEO rankings much.

SEO Value: One Backlink ≠ One Domain

Here’s the key insight: the first link from a new domain is worth significantly more than additional links from the same domain.

Scenario	Backlinks	Referring Domains	SEO Impact
Scenario A	100 backlinks from 100 different websites	100 referring domains	High SEO impact
Scenario B	100 backlinks from 10 websites	10 referring domains	Moderate SEO impact
Scenario C	100 backlinks from 1 website	1 referring domain	Low SEO impact

The law of diminishing returns applies heavily to multiple links from the same domain.

Which Is More Important for SEO?

Google Values Diverse Referring Domains

Google’s algorithms are designed to reward natural linking patterns. In the real world, when content is genuinely valuable, it gets linked to by many different websites, not just the same few sites over and over.

Trust signals Google looks for:

• Links from websites in different industries and categories
• Geographic diversity in linking domains
• Various domain ages and authority levels
• Mix of large publications and smaller, niche-relevant sites

This diversity suggests authentic, earned recognition rather than manipulated link schemes.

Too Many Backlinks from One Domain = Diminishing Returns

After the first few links from the same domain, each additional link provides minimal SEO benefit.

Why the value decreases:

• Google recognizes when one site is linking excessively
• It suggests a commercial relationship rather than editorial choice
• It concentrates your link risk in fewer sources
• It looks unnatural compared to typical linking patterns

Rule of thumb: Getting 3-5 quality links from one domain is fine. Getting 50+ links from one domain looks suspicious.

Balance: Quantity Matters, But Quality + Diversity Win

The ideal approach:

• Prioritize getting your first link from high-quality, relevant websites
• Build relationships that lead to natural additional mentions over time
• Focus on expanding your referring domain count consistently
• Don’t ignore backlink volume, but don’t chase it at the expense of diversity

Example comparison:

• Site A: 1,000 backlinks from 100 referring domains (10 average per domain)
• Site B: 500 backlinks from 200 referring domains (2.5 average per domain)

Site B will typically outrank Site A because of superior domain diversity, even with fewer total backlinks.

How to Check Referring Domains and Backlinks

Essential Tools for Link Analysis

Ahrefs (most comprehensive):

1. Enter your domain in Site Explorer
2. Check “Referring domains” in the overview for unique linking sites
3. Check “Backlinks” for total link count
4. Use filters to analyze link quality and relevance

SEMrush:

1. Go to Backlink Analytics
2. View “Referring Domains” vs “Backlinks” metrics
3. Analyze referring domain growth over time
4. Compare your metrics to competitors

Moz Link Explorer:

1. Enter your domain
2. View “Linking Domains” (their term for referring domains)
3. Check “Inbound Links” for total backlinks
4. Analyze domain authority of linking sites

Google Search Console (free):

1. Go to “Links” section
2. View “External links” for backlink data
3. Check “Top linking sites” for referring domains
4. Limited data but directly from Google

Key Metrics to Track

Referring domain growth: Are you consistently adding new linking websites each month?

Link growth rate: How many new backlinks are you earning over time?

Lost links: Which domains have stopped linking to you and why?

Domain authority distribution: What’s the authority level of your referring domains?

Anchor text diversity: Are you getting natural anchor text variation across domains?

Link type ratio: What percentage of your links are dofollow vs nofollow?

Set up monthly reporting to track these metrics and identify trends in your link building performance.

How to Build More Referring Domains (Not Just Backlinks)

Guest Posting on New Sites

Strategy focus: Instead of trying to publish multiple posts on the same high-authority sites, spread your guest posting across more unique domains.

Implementation:

• Create a target list of 50+ potential guest posting sites
• Limit yourself to 1-2 posts per domain
• Focus on building relationships with editors at new publications
• Prioritize relevance and audience fit over pure domain authority

Why this works: Each new guest post domain gives you a fresh referring domain, building the diversity Google rewards.

Digital PR & Press Mentions

Strategy focus: Earn coverage from news sites, industry publications, and trade journals that haven’t covered you before.

Implementation:

• Create newsworthy announcements (funding, partnerships, research)
• Build relationships with journalists in your industry
• Use HARO to provide expert commentary
• Time announcements around industry events

Why this works: Media coverage typically results in links from high-authority domains you couldn’t access through guest posting.

See our detailed guide on PR link building.

Broken Link Building

Strategy focus: Find broken links on relevant websites and suggest your content as a replacement.

Implementation:

• Use tools like Ahrefs to find broken links in your industry
• Create superior replacement content
• Reach out to site owners with helpful suggestions
• Focus on sites that haven’t linked to you before

Why this works: Each successful broken link replacement gives you a new referring domain from a site that already demonstrated willingness to link externally.

Podcast Link Building

Strategy focus: Appear as a guest on podcasts in your industry to earn links from show notes and episode pages.

Implementation:

• Research podcasts that interview experts in your field
• Pitch compelling topics and unique angles
• Provide value during interviews while naturally mentioning your resources
• Follow up to ensure proper linking in show notes

Why this works: Podcast websites are often high-authority domains with engaged audiences, and each appearance typically results in a new referring domain.

See our detailed guide on podcast link building.

Resource Page Outreach

Strategy focus: Get included on curated resource pages and “best of” lists in your industry.

Implementation:

• Find resource pages that list tools, guides, or services in your category
• Create content specifically designed for resource page inclusion
• Reach out with suggestions for additions to their lists
• Focus on educational and institutional sites

Why this works: Resource pages from established sites provide referring domains that often drive ongoing referral traffic.

Pro tip for all strategies: Keep a spreadsheet tracking which domains have linked to you. Always prioritize earning links from new domains over getting additional links from existing referring domains.

Final Thoughts

Both metrics matter, but referring domains usually pack more SEO punch.

Here’s the thing: It’s way easier to get 10 more backlinks from websites that already link to you than to find 10 completely new websites to link to you.

But those new referring domains are worth the extra effort.

Think of it this way: Google wants to see that lots of different people vouch for your content, not that the same few people really, really like it.

Track both metrics, but focus your energy on steady referring domain growth. Aim to add 5-10 new referring domains every month through diverse strategies.

Your rankings will thank you for the variety.