Why it matters on an HVAC site
It is the number quoted in every pitch, and on its own it says almost nothing. Two thousand domains that are all directory submissions describe a different business from two hundred that include the local paper, a manufacturer and a trade body.
It is also the number most easily inflated. Bulk directory submission produces a rising count and changes nothing about how the business is understood.
How to check it yourself
- Pull the referring-domain list from a backlink index with history set to live, so lost links are excluded. The all-time default includes dead links and will overstate the profile.
- Classify a sample by hand into earned editorial, directory or listing, and self-published or network.
- Cite the vendor and the date on every figure, and never compare a count from one vendor against a count from another.
Worked through in numbers
Two contractors: one at 1,410 referring domains, one at 403.
Classifying 100 from each: the first is 81 directories, 12 self-published profiles, 7 earned. The second is 34 directories, 9 self-published, 57 earned, including two manufacturers, the county paper and a trade association.
The smaller number described the stronger profile. Ranking them on the total would have inverted the finding.
Where this sits in the rankings
Scored under Link building. A distinct site linking to you, and why the count matters less than the mix.