Referring domains are one of the most important factors for SEO and website performance. They can help you rank higher, drive more traffic, and increase your authority. But what are referring domains and how can you get more of them? In this guide, we will answer these questions and provide you with some tips and strategies on how to get more referring domains.
What is a Referring Domain?
Referring domain is the website that links to your website. What is the difference between backlinks and referring domains then?
They are different from backlinks, which are the individual links that point to your website. For example, if a website links to your website 10 times, that counts as 10 backlinks but only one referring domain.
Referring domains are important for SEO because they indicate the popularity and credibility of your website. The more referring domains you have, the more likely you are to rank higher on search engines, as they consider your website to be more relevant and authoritative.
However, not all referring domains are equal. Some are more valuable than others, depending on their quality, relevance, diversity, and organic traffic. Let’s take a look at each of these factors and how they affect your SEO.
Quality
Quality refers to the authority and trustworthiness of the referring domain. A high-quality referring domain is one that has a good reputation, a high domain rating (DR), and a low spam score. A low-quality referring domain is one that has a bad reputation, a low DR, and a high spam score.
Quality matters for SEO because it affects how much weight search engines give to your referring domains. A link from a high-quality referring domain is more valuable than a link from a low-quality referring domain, as it signals that your website is also trustworthy and authoritative.
Relevance
Relevance refers to how closely related the referring domain is to your website’s niche, topic, or industry. A relevant referring domain is one that has similar content, audience, or keywords as your website. An irrelevant referring domain is one that has nothing to do with your website.
Relevance matters for SEO because it affects how much value search engines assign to your referring domains. A link from a relevant referring domain is more valuable than a link from an irrelevant referring domain, as it indicates that your website is also relevant and useful for the users.
Diversity
Diversity refers to how varied and unique your referring domains are. A diverse referring domain portfolio is one that has different types of websites, such as blogs, news sites, forums, social media platforms, etc. A non-diverse referring domain portfolio is one that has only one or few types of websites.
Diversity matters for SEO because it affects how natural and organic your referring domains look to search engines. A link from a diverse referring domain portfolio is more valuable than a link from a non-diverse referring domain portfolio, as it shows that your website is popular and appealing to different audiences.
Organic Traffic
Organic traffic refers to how much traffic the referring domain gets from search engines. A high-organic-traffic referring domain is one that ranks well on search engines and attracts a lot of visitors. A low-organic-traffic referring domain is one that ranks poorly on search engines and attracts few visitors.
Organic traffic matters for SEO because it affects how much exposure and visibility your referring domains can give to your website. A link from a high-organic-traffic referring domain is more valuable than a link from a low-organic-traffic referring domain, as it means that more people can see and click on your link.
How to Check Your Referring Domains with Ahrefs
Now that you know what are referring domains and why they are important for SEO, you might be wondering how to check your referring domains and how they impact your website. One of the best tools that can help you with this task is Ahrefs.
Ahrefs is an SEO tool that provides you with comprehensive data and insights on your website’s performance, as well as your competitors’. It allows you to analyze your backlinks, keywords, content, traffic, and more.
One of the features that Ahrefs offers is the Site Explorer, which lets you check your referring domains in detail. Here’s how to use it:
1. Go to Ahrefs Site Explorer and enter your website’s URL in the search bar.
2. Click on the Referring domains link at the sidebar, under the Backlink profile section.
3. You will see a list of all the websites that link to your website, along with their metrics such as DR, organic traffic, number of backlinks, etc. You can sort, filter, or export the data according to your preferences. You can also click on each referring domain to see their individual backlinks to your website.
As you can see, Ahrefs provides you with a lot of information and insights on your referring domains and how they affect your SEO. You can use this data to evaluate your current situation, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and plan your next steps.
How to Get More Referring Domains
Now that you know how to check your referring domains with Ahrefs, you might be wondering how to increase your referring domains and improve your SEO. There are many ways to do this, but here are some of the most effective and proven ones:
Create High-Quality Content
The most fundamental and essential way to get more referring domains is to create high-quality content that attracts and engages your audience. High-quality content is content that is original, informative, useful, relevant, and entertaining. It provides value to your readers and solves their problems or needs.
High-quality content can help you acquire more referring domains because it can generate more organic traffic, social shares, comments, and feedback. It can also make your website more authoritative and trustworthy, which can encourage other websites to link to you as a source or reference.
Some examples of high-quality content that you can create are:
- Blog posts
- E-books
- Infographics
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Webinars
- Case studies
- Guides
- Tutorials
- Reviews
- Testimonials
Guest Posting
Another effective way to increase your referring domains is to guest post on other websites that are relevant and authoritative in your niche. Guest posting is when you write and publish an article on another website as a guest author. It allows you to showcase your expertise, reach a new audience, and build relationships with other website owners.
Guest posting can help you increase your referring domains because it can expose your website to a larger and more targeted audience, which can drive more traffic and conversions. It can also give you a backlink from a high-quality and relevant website, which can boost your SEO.
Some tips on how to guest post successfully are:
- Find websites that accept guest posts in your niche. You can use Google search operators, such as “your niche” + “write for us” or “your niche” + “guest post”.
- Check the website’s guidelines and requirements for guest posting. Make sure you follow them carefully and respect their rules.
- Pitch your topic idea to the website owner or editor. Write a catchy and concise email that introduces yourself, explains why you want to guest post, and proposes a topic that is relevant and valuable for your audience.
- Write a high-quality article that matches the website’s style, tone, and format. Include a bio section at the end of the article that introduces yourself and links back to your website.
- Promote your guest post on your own website and social media platforms. Encourage your audience to read, share, and comment on it.
- Respond to the comments and feedback on your guest post. Engage with the readers and thank them for their support.
Outreach
Another powerful way to increase your referring domains is to outreach to other websites that are relevant and authoritative in your niche. Outreach is when you contact other website owners or editors via email or social media and ask them to link to your website or content. It allows you to build relationships with other influencers, generate buzz around your website or content, and earn more backlinks.
Outreach can help you get more referring domains because it can expose your website or content to more people who might be interested in it. It can also give you a backlink from a high-quality and relevant website, improving your SEO.
Some tips on how to outreach effectively are:
- Find websites that are relevant and authoritative in your niche. You can use Ahrefs’ Content Explorer or Link Intersect tools to find websites that have similar content or keywords as yours.
- Check the website’s content and backlink profile. Make sure they are active, engaging, and have a good reputation.
- Find the website owner’s or editor’s name and email address. You can use tools like Hunter.io to find their contact information.
- Write a personalized and compelling email that introduces yourself, compliments their work, explains why you are reaching out and asks for a link or a mention. Be polite, friendly, and respectful.
- Follow up with them if they are interested in your offer. This way, you can build a relationship with them and increase the chances of getting a backlink from their website.
However, you should be careful not to spam or annoy the influencers with too many or irrelevant messages. You should also respect their preferences and opinions and avoid being pushy or demanding. Remember, influencer marketing is a two-way street, and you need to provide value to the influencers as well as to your audience.
Now That You Know What is a Referring Domain, Start Outranking Your Competitors!
Referring domains are one of the most important factors for SEO and website performance. They can help you rank higher, drive more traffic, and increase your authority. Understanding the difference between referring domains and backlinks can help you move the needle that will get your page to the coveted first position on the SERP!
If you need assistance with that, don’t hesitate to contact us, and let us help you move the needle in the right direction. Our previous clients say so as well!
