What is a referring domain?

Referring domains are the number of different websites that link to you. If a news site links to you from 200 of its pages, that still counts as one referring domain. The backlink count answers "how many links?"; the referring domain count answers "how many different sites?".

#Why it matters

• For authority, links from many different sites are worth more than many links from the same site. That makes referring domains a more reliable indicator than total backlinks.
• Site-wide footer or sidebar links inflate the backlink count; referring domains filter that out.
• The trend over time shows whether your link-building work is paying off.

#Where you see it in SEOAsist

• Backlinks → Overview shows the Referring domains card (unique domains) and the 90-day trend chart.
• Strongest referring domains lists the top 20 domains by domain rank among active links.
• Find opportunities on the Opportunities tab lists domains that link to your competitors but not to you.
• SEO analysis raises a "Few referring domains" finding when the number is low.

More: Backlink sync.

#Example

#Common mistakes

• Treating growth in total backlinks as success; if referring domains stay flat, you haven't won any new sites.
• Getting links from many small sites in the same network (same owner).
• Targeting unrelated domains without any quality filter.