Referring domains

What are referring domains?

A referring domain, or a referring domain in Dutch, is a unique website that places at least one backlink to your website. Where a backlink is about the individual link itself, a referring domain looks at the source of that link.

For example: suppose example.com links to your website three times. That's three backlinks, but only one referring domain.

Why are referring domains important for SEO?

Google doesn't just look at the number of backlinks you have, but also the number of unique domains that point to you. Backlinks from a hundred different websites are usually much more valuable than a hundred backlinks from the same site.

Referring domains are therefore an important measure of the diversity and reliability of your link profile. The more qualitative, unique referring domains you have, the greater your authority in Google's eyes.

Referring domains vs. backlinks

The difference is simple:

• Backlink = the individual link to your website.
• Referring domain = the unique website where that backlink comes from.

A healthy link profile has a good balance between the number of backlinks and the number of referring domains. For example, if you have thousands of backlinks, but they all come from one or two domains, Google sees that as less valuable (and sometimes suspicious).

Quality over quantity

Just like backlinks, referring domains are not about as much as possible, but about quality and relevance. A single link from a reputable news website can be more powerful than dozens of links from small, irrelevant sites.

You can recognize strong referring domains by:

• A high domain authority (DA/DR).
• Relevance to your industry or niche.
• A reliable and natural link profile.

How do you get more referring domains?

As an SEO specialist, I recommend working on strategies that not only provide links, but especially new domains. For example:

• Publish valuable content that gets shared and cited.
• Do digital PR and find press mentions.
• Collaborate with partners, suppliers, and customers for natural links.
• Use guest blogs or interviews on relevant sites.

Conclusion

Referring domains are at least as important as backlinks themselves. The number of unique domains that refer to your website shows Google that your authority is widely recognized. By focusing on qualitative, relevant referring domains, you build a strong and sustainable link profile.