Referring Domain: Counting Sites That Link to You, Not Links
A referring domain is a single website that links to yours, counted once no matter how many links it contains. If one directory links to you from forty pages, you have forty backlinks and one referring domain. Makers count domains because a spread of independent sources says more about a product than a big total from one place.
Backlinks and referring domains: what is the difference?
A backlink is one link on one page. A referring domain is the site that page belongs to. The count of domains is the count of distinct places that have decided, separately, to point at you. Different tools use different words for it: Moz’s guide to Domain Authority speaks of “linking root domains”, and Google’s Search Console Links report groups the same idea under “top linking sites”.
| Source | Links to you | Counts as |
|---|---|---|
| A directory that lists you in a category page, a tag page and its newsletter archive | 3 | 1 referring domain |
| A developer’s blog, with the post and its sitewide sidebar | 40 | 1 referring domain |
| A comparison site that mentions you once | 1 | 1 referring domain |
| Total | 44 | 3 referring domains |
The product has forty-four backlinks and three referring domains. The first number sounds impressive, and the second is the honest one: three independent sources, one of which supplies nearly all the links through a sidebar.
Why count sites at all?
Because volume from one place is easy to produce and says little. Google’s spam policies list “widely distributed links in the footers or templates of various sites” among link-spam practices, which shows how a repeated link can inflate a total without reflecting any reader’s choice. A site-wide link can multiply a total overnight. A new site choosing to mention you cannot.
The count also guides what to do next. If you have ten links from two domains, the next useful link is from a third site, not an eleventh from the same one. That shifts your effort towards finding people who have not heard of you, which is the harder work and the work that adds readers.
Example: two launches with the same number of links
Maker one launches an invented budgeting tool and finds sixty backlinks, all from two sites: a directory that tags the product on many pages and a personal blog with a sidebar link. Maker two launches a similar tool and finds twelve backlinks from eleven different sites: a listing, two reviews by users, a newsletter, a few forum replies, a library README.
The second maker has less to brag about and a sturdier position. If the directory drops the product, most of the first maker’s total disappears at once, while the second loses one link of twelve. The next step for maker one is clear: ask who else should know about the tool. For maker two, it is to see which of the eleven sent visitors and do more of that. The free launch directory finder is one way to find a new source.
How do you count your own referring domains?
- Verify your site in Google Search Console and open the Links report.
- Under External links, open Top linking sites and count the rows. Click “More” for the full list.
- Remember that the report shows root domains only. Google says protocol, subdomains and subdirectories are stripped, so a blog on a subdomain and the main site of the same host appear as one.
- Click a site to see which of your pages it links to.
- Note the date and the count in a sheet, and compare next month.
The report includes links Google has found over time, and some may be gone, so treat the count as approximate. A third-party SEO tool will usually show a larger or smaller number, because each keeps its own index. Pick one source and compare it with itself. The launch metrics to track page puts this next to the numbers that matter more, such as signups.
What does the count not tell you?
- Whether anyone clicked. A domain can link to you and send nobody.
- How the link is marked. The Search Console report does not say whether a link is nofollow, so read the page source.
- Whether the sites are related to your product. Eleven unrelated sites are weaker than three that your users read.
- Whether the sites are independent. Links from your own blog, your docs and your other products are real, but they are one author, not eleven.
What is the usual mistake?
The usual mistake is celebrating a big link total. A close second is buying a package that “adds fifty links” to push the numbers up, which Google’s policies treat as link spam when it is done to influence rankings. A slower route works better: make something worth mentioning, launch your product free so there is a page to mention, and ask the first users who like it to write one honest sentence somewhere public. The idea board also shows how other makers describe themselves, which helps you write a description that others can quote.
Related terms: domain rating is a vendor score that depends heavily on this count, an anchor text is the wording of each link and a dofollow link is the unqualified kind a domain may give you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a referring domain?
It is one website that links to yours, counted once however many links it contains. If a directory links to you from forty pages, that is forty backlinks and one referring domain. The count shows how many independent sources point at you.
Is a referring domain the same as a backlink?
No. A backlink is a single link on a single page, and a referring domain is the website that page sits on. One referring domain can supply many backlinks. Counting domains gives a truer picture of how widely a product is mentioned than counting links.
How many referring domains do I need?
There is no number to aim at, and nobody can give an honest one. A new product needs a handful of relevant sites that real readers use, and the count grows when people choose to mention you. Judge each domain by the visits it sends before you chase more.
Where can I see my referring domains for free?
Google Search Console’s Links report lists your top linking sites by root domain, which is the same idea. It does not show whether a link is nofollow, and it includes links found over time. Paid SEO tools show more, but with their own indexes and counts.
Written by Post your build ideas with AI assistance and edited for this site. Where a page names another product, the facts came from that product’s own pages on the date shown above; terms change, so check them before you rely on them. About the publisher.