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Referring Domains vs Backlinks: What’s the Difference?
Are you not sure about the difference between referring domains and backlinks? Then you’ve come to the right place.
Referring domains and backlinks can be a complex topic, but understanding the difference between them can help you create smarter SEO strategies and improve your website’s presence on Google.
In this article, I will:
- Define backlinks
- Define referring domains
- Explain the differences between referring domains vs backlinks
- Show you how both impact your SEO
- Provide best practices for building more referring domains and backlinks
If you’re ready to get clarity on referring domains vs backlinks, then let’s begin.
Why Do People Think Referring Domains and Backlinks Are the Same?
It’s no surprise that many confuse referring domains and backlinks, with many thinking they are exactly the same thing. The difference in definitions between a backlink and a referring domain is slight, and you have to have a good grasp of SEO and the internet in general to understand the difference.
Let me try to explain by providing you with both definitions.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink is simply a hyperlink between websites. They can also be known as inbound links.
A backlink can come in various forms. Typically links are embedded into text, and the words that contain the link are known as anchor text. But they can also be embedded in images, buttons, infographics, and many other ways.
Backlinks are the primary way website crawlers like Googlebot use to move around the web. They use backlinks to move from page to page and use the anchor text to understand what each new page is about. That’s why anchor text is important for SEO.
There’s no limit to the number of backlinks you can receive, and you can get multiple backlinks from the same site. For example, when one webpage links to another web page, you’ve got a single backlink. If that website links to ten pages on your website, you’ve got ten backlinks.
Only some kinds of links are backlinks, however. Links between pages on your own site are called internal links. Here’s an example:
The image above shows two links from my blog post on growing a team of influencers. The first is an internal link to another page on my website. The second is a backlink to Business Wire.
What Is a Referring Domain?
A referring domain is a website that links to your website. While backlinks describe the relationship between pages, referring domains describe the relationship between entire websites.
To clarify, if a website links from one of its pages to your page, that link is a backlink, and that website becomes a referring domain. So, in the example above, my blog has become a referring domain for Business Wire.
Referring domains are also counted differently from backlinks. While a website can give you thousands of backlinks, it can only be counted as a single referring domain. It’s why you’ll see websites with millions of backlinks but only a few thousand referring domains.
Why Are These Differences Important?
You can’t create a great SEO campaign if you don’t understand the difference between backlinks and referring domains — even if you understand how important backlinks are for SEO.
Here’s the main problem; increasing backlinks won’t significantly impact your SEO if you aren’t also increasing the number of referring domains. Getting one site to link to you 100 times isn’t half as powerful as getting 100 different sites to link to you once.
Your goal, therefore, should not be to get as many backlinks as possible, but to get as many referring domains as possible.
You also need to understand the relationship between referring domains and backlinks to run a backlink audit. You may see loads of links and think your backlink profile is great. But if you have a very high backlink to referring domain ratio, your link profile is very weak. In some cases, Google may penalize you for this kind of profile because it suggests shady link-building tactics like a paid linking scheme or a private blog network.
Referring Domains vs Backlinks: How Do They Impact SEO?
Backlinks and referring domains are both important to your site’s SEO efforts.
Backlinks act as a vote of confidence for your website. The more backlinks (votes) you have from trusted sources, the higher Google will rate your website.
But not all backlinks are created equal. Some are considered more authoritative than others and carry more weight.
Several factors determine the authority of a backlink. One is the relevance of the web page providing the link. A backlink from a page on the same topic as your website is much more valuable than a link from a page covering something irrelevant.
A second is the anchor text of the link. Because search engines use this text to determine what a page will be about, it helps if the link includes descriptive anchor text rather than a phrase like “click here.” Including a keyword in the anchor text of a link can be particularly powerful, but it’s easy to over-optimize links and be penalized by Google.
The authority of the website giving the backlink is also important. A backlink from a website that Google considers very authoritative, like The Washington Post, for instance, will carry more weight than a brand new website.
Low authority backlinks aren’t worthless, though, and they certainly won’t hurt your site’s ranking.
Referring domains also act as votes of confidence and can impact how authoritative each backlink is. Like backlinks, some referring domains are better than others. The metrics for measuring the quality of a referring domain are largely the same as they are for measuring the quality of backlinks, too.
Referring domains are higher quality if they are relevant to your website and are considered trusted authorities by search engines.
If you’re unsure about the quality of a referring domain, you can use Ubersuggest to see its domain rating.
Ubersuggest shows the Domain Authority of each backlink your site has. It also shows the Page Authority of the specific page linking to your site, too.
How to Check Backlinks and Referring Domains
It’s easy to check your site’s referring domains and backlinks with a backlink checker like Ubersuggest. Simply visit the “Backlinks” tab of the tool and enter the URL of the domain you want to analyze. Hit search, and you will see how many backlinks and referring domains that site has, as well as a rating for each metric.
Scroll further down the page to see how many referring domains your site has won and lost.
And the range of domain authorities of your referring domains.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll see a complete list of your backlinks.
While scrolling through this list, you may see spammy-looking backlinks you don’t want.
If that’s the case, you can use Google’s Disavow Tool to remove these links from your site.
Best Practices For Building Referring Domains and Backlinks
Want to get more backlinks and referring domains? Here are three strategies you can use.
Create Great Content
Creating amazing content is one of the best ways to generate new high-quality backlinks and referring domains over time. Other sites will naturally link to your website if it offers their readers heaps of value, helps them to explain a complex topic, or provides a useful data point to support their argument.
With that in mind, there are certain types of content I recommend creating to generate backlinks:
- Studies and surveys that generate insights and statistics
- Seriously in-depth guides and how-to posts
- Thought leadership pieces, particularly those that present a different view
- Round-up posts
- Infographics
Whatever type of content you create, don’t forget that quality is key. It must be demonstrably better than the existing content on the first page of Google if you want to attract links.
Guest Post on Other Sites
You don’t have to wait for websites to organically link to your site to increase backlinks and referring domains. Guest posting on other websites is a great way to build backlinks and increase referring domains yourself.
When you write a guest post, you will usually have the opportunity to include a link or two to your website in the main copy of your blog post. If not, you will almost certainly be able to link to your website in your author bio.
Writing guest posts starts with finding high-quality sites that accept them. There are a couple of ways to do this. One is to look at your competitors’ backlink profiles and find sites where they have guest posted in the past.
Another is to use Google search parameters to manually find websites that accept guest posts in your niche. For example, if I want to find guest posts for my site, I’d search for something like this on Google:
intitle:”guest post” digital marketing
Google would show me all of the websites about digital marketing that have the phrase “guest post” in their page title.
Manually Reach Out to Other Websites
You can also reach out to any website and request a backlink. This strategy works best when combined with high-quality content.
For example, you can use the skyscraper technique to create an awesome piece of content and then reach out to any website that links to a competing but inferior article.
If your new article offers enough value, many site owners will link to your article, too.
You’ll need to analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles to have a full understanding of the general landscape in your industry and what we need to compete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are backlinks and referring domains the same?
No, they are not. Backlinks are the hyperlinks that point to your web pages from another web page. A referring domain is a website that links to your site. A single website can give you lots of backlinks, but it only counts as one referring domain.
What does referring domain mean in SEO?
A referring domain is a website that links to your site. The more high-quality referring domains your site has, the better its link profile and the higher it should rank in Google.
Are backlinks referrals?
A backlink will refer traffic and authority to your website, but it is not a referring domain. The website doing the linking is the referrer.
How do I get more referring domains to increase SEO ranking?
Creating high-quality linkable content, guest posting, and manual outreach are all great strategies for generating more referring domains to increase your SEO ranking.
How do you find referring domains?
One of the best ways to find potential referring domains is to look at your competitors’ backlink profiles. A tool like Ubersuggest will show you all referring domains, allowing you to contact these sites for a backlink.
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Conclusion
Hopefully, you now understand the difference between referring domains vs backlinks. But just to recap: backlinks are the name for links your website receives from other sites. Referring domains are the individual websites that do the linking. You can have many backlinks from a single site, but it only counts as one referring domain.
Increasing both your site’s backlinks and referring domains is key to improving your rankings. So, next, find out how to get backlinks for a new site and then learn about building quality backlinks in a scalable way.
What does your backlink profile say about your website?
Singapore’s UOB bucks trend to seek FRTB model approval
Despite data challenges, the bank is opting for the IMA to enhance risk management
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Bonus Bill – Ep. #494
Listen in on the jokes only Bill’s audience got to hear.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ubersuggest & AnswerThePublic: Up Your SEO Game
Search listening is going to get you ahead in the SEO game.
Hear me out.
Google averages 3.5 billion searches a day. Of those searches, 16 to 20% have never been seen before.
Each search is like an opportunity to pick a customer’s brain. What they think about your brand, offerings, and industry—it’s all calculated in real time. If you lean in to hear what they have to say, you’ll get thorough answers.
But don’t believe it because I said it.
Believe it because when someone has a question or thought, and a person tells them to “just Google it,” Google’s exactly where they go.
By listening to search engines like Google, AnswerThePublic generates every helpful phrase and query people are asking related to your keyword research.
This tool offers a goldmine of customer insight to create game-changing, useful content.
You know—the good stuff. The stuff your customers actually want to see.
So, today I am going to show you how to use AnswerThePublic.
Pairing this keyword ideation tool with Ubersuggest will kick your SEO strategy into fifth gear.
What is AnswerThePublic?
AnswerThePublic is a keyword ideation tool.
As the name suggests, you can use these keywords to create content that answers the questions people are asking search engines.
Not only is it super easy to use, but it reveals search topics you probably weren’t thinking of.
Say you compete in the speakers and headphones market. Off the top of your head, you wouldn’t be able to guess what everyone wants to know about speakers and headphones.
If you pop “earbuds” into AnswerThePublic, you’ll eliminate the guesswork and see exactly what related terms and queries people are searching.
The results tell you what type of content to create based on the questions your audience is asking.
You gain your audience’s trust by providing answers to the questions they’re asking. They’ll know you want to keep them informed and depend on you as a reliable source.
This is how you can get them to know your brand and offerings through AnswerThePublic.
Let’s dive into how to use AnswerThePublic so you can uncover untapped keyword ideas and topics in your niche.
How to Use AnswerThePublic: An Example
Let’s head to AnswerThePublic.
The first step is to enter the keyword for your research.
Remember the earbuds example? Let’s stick with that.
I’ll enter “best earbuds.”
The next step is to choose your location and language from the options provided. Then hit the search button.
Of the 370 results found, you can analyze them by category or download them.
Remember, you won’t have to use all the search results AnswerThePublic generates. Focus on the results you know you and your team can execute well.
Sharing these results with your team makes for a healthy brainstorming session.
The report divides the 370 results into five categories:
- Questions
- Prepositions
- Comparisons
- Alphabetical
- Related
The report’s “Questions” section has the following subcategories: what, how, can, when, who, why, which, will, where, and are.
You’ll notice there are many differences between the questions people are asking.
No matter the keyword variations they’re typing in, the public’s aim is clear: Solve this problem for us.
You get to be their solution.
Give your readers a sense of your expertise and speak to their issues by addressing their queries in your blog posts.
You’ll build brand credibility by answering the questions on their mind.
As with “Questions,” AnswerThePublic splits “Prepositions” into these subcategories: for, can, with, without, near, to, and is.
These will come in handy to store in your long-tail keyword files.
With the search I did, there are at least 55 opportunities to rank for keywords related to “best earbuds.”
Use these ideas to create content that boosts your domain authority.
After a quick review, you’ll know which ones you want to start with. You can save others that’ll require more research for later.
Now, you can get your content batched out with room to pivot as new things hit the market.
The “Comparison” suggestions get really niche specific with sub-categories of versus/vs, and, like, and or.
These will help you stand out among competitors.
It’s likely no one has answered these for your target market, so now you can.
For example, you can bring a unique perspective to “best earbuds that match my skin tone.”
Position yourself as the best for these products by publishing persuasive content.
To give you a visual, Beats by Dre recently collaborated with Kim Kardashian to create earbuds that match your skin tone.
No one else has done this on the speaker and headphones market. Plus, it gives a discrete look that feels ultra-stylish. That is how the brand set itself apart and roped in a big-time celebrity who aligns with fashion.
The “Alphabetical” lists offer added informational value for your audience.
You can keep these safe in your notes. From the lists, you pick the ones you know can deliver serious ROI.
As you know, SEO will be your best friend to get in front of this audience. Making a list of 10 or more keywords helps you quickly decide what your content should center around.
All other related keywords will drive readers to your content—content that speaks specifically to them. These are the individuals who are far along in the buying process or prepared to convert.
Since the potential buyer has probably ruled out several possibilities, it’s now up to you to win them over with content that is educational and convincing.
That’s how AnswerThePublic works.
Now, let’s look at how to turn all that AnswerThePublic data into success with my tool Ubersuggest.
Incorporating AnswerThePublic With Ubersuggest
Now that you’ve got the hang of AnswerThePublic, let’s fuse it with Ubersuggest.
These two tools give you a massive amount of useful data.
How do you want to use this data?
Maybe you’re stumped coming up with a new YouTube idea.
I can help you there.
Using the same method we used in AnswerThePublic, plug “best earbuds” into Ubersuggest.
Using the dashboard, let’s get some content ideas flowing under “Keywords” and zooming into the results under “Content Ideas.”
Now, based on the search results in Ubersuggest, we can take our results from AnswerThePublic and combine the findings.
From the high-ranking content we found with Ubersuggest and the mix of search results from AnswerThePublic, we learn two things:
- Your audience is looking for the best earbuds under “X” price point.
- Which brand(s) make the best earbuds on the market.
I think the best results from the AnswerThePublic findings will come from the “Questions” results. Pair them with the results from Ubersuggest to inform your audience.
You can combine the keyword topics and form them into a thought-provoking question you can answer with your YouTube video.
For example, “What Are the Top Best Earbuds Right Now Under $100?” is attention-grabbing.
The best part is that your audience created this question.
We take the public’s concern about affordability and address it through a visual that helps them confidently choose the best product.
Visual content is trendy right now, so communicating with your audience via YouTube is a great way to connect.
The plus to video content is that you can chop it into smaller segments and use it as short-form video content on other social channels.
Content that is informative and gets you in front of your audience is what you want.
After all, you are the subject matter expert in this industry, right?
If not, following my tips with these tools is definitely going to get you there.
Using Ubersuggest and AnswerThePublic to Build Your SEO Strategy
AnswerThePublic helps you get strategically creative.
Ubersuggest takes you on a deep dive into endless keyword data opportunities.
These two together are the secret formula to your SEO strategy.
The good thing about these platforms is that they’re simple and straightforward while packing loads of data (some data you didn’t even know you needed).
Delivering results is what makes these tools stand out.
How?
Just look at the data output.
Take the data and form your keyword clusters and content topics.
Then, set up a cadence to schedule your content.
It doesn’t end there.
Keep up with SEO trends and best practices.
This is how you’ll stay up to date on your content’s success.
What your audience is talking about is what the results show.
So, follow the yellow brick road of data each tool provides, and you’ll be great and powerful in the SERPs thanks to your content.
Conclusion
With AnswerThePublic, it’s as if you’re a fly on the wall in the search queries.
Your audience gives you the answers, so listen—and then give them what they want.
Using both Ubersuggest and AnswerThePublic for search listening will boost your SEO strategy.
These tools reveal unique keyword opportunities that help you quickly develop high-quality content.
Don’t just take my word for it.
Give them a try for yourself and reap the benefits.
What areas do you want to improve on search listening that AnswerThePublic can help with?
New comment by svaditya in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2022)"
Gig and Take | Founding Engineer | Remote USA/Canada | Full-Time
Gig and Take is bringing flexibility and resiliency to American manufacturing by developing a holistic solution for flex labor, addressing the fundamental barriers that have prevented manufacturers from establishing such programs in the past. We have a founding team with over 15+ years’ experience in manufacturing, backed by two of the most prominent industrial venture capital funds, and have multiple ongoing customers. We are a remote first company searching for a Founding Engineer looking to build in a market ripe for innovative solutions.
If interested, email me: aditya@schematicventures.com
New comment by johnys in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2022)"
Condor Software | Software Engineer, Full Stack | Remote, San Diego, New York, or Boston | Full-time
Condor is building a world where finance accelerates human progress in medicine.
Our mission is to help biotech finance teams save time, money, and lives by bringing more cutting-edge therapies to market, faster and more affordably.
We started Condor because we realized that the life-saving treatments needed by our loved ones were held back by billions of dollars in complicated, time-consuming, and inefficient financial processes, which consistently delay clinical trial deployment and growth.
With more demand than we can currently service, we’re looking for product leaning software engineers interested in tackling a big, hairy, complex business domain, value building “code that is easy to delete,” and geek out about going “six levels down” (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1-six-levels-d…) and skilled people who are also “good humans” interested in our mission.
More about us: https://condorsoftware.notion.site/About-Condor-d8a466f7722e…
Interested? Shoot us an email available in the link above with a note about why you’re interested in joining and a resume or link to projects.
New comment by Sparrow_Hiring in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2022)"
Sparrow | Remote (US) | Remote OK | https://trysparrow.com Sparrow’s mission is to make it simple for companies to provide their employees with all types of leave (i.e. family, medical, etc.) nationwide. Our innovative software-based platform accommodates all of the related paperwork, coordination, calculations, and deadlines for each employee’s unique needs during their absence. To … Continue reading New comment by Sparrow_Hiring in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2022)"
New comment by deimantasa in "Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (November 2022)"
SEEKING WORK | REMOTE For more than a decade spending most of my time helping founders/business owners to build their MVPs and/or improve existing Architecture/UX of their beloved apps. Recently been sucked in into the blockchain space which I didn’t know I’d love that much. Key strengths – 10+ years within Mobile Tech. space – … Continue reading New comment by deimantasa in "Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (November 2022)"
PG takes over, wills reeling Clips to needed win
Paul George had 35 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals and hit two clutch shots in the final 40 seconds to lift the struggling Clippers to a 95-93 win over the Rockets that snapped a four-game skid.
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