A dedicated IP address is a unique numeric identifier on the web that is allotted to a device or a website. Shared hosting servers usually have a number of sites under the same IP, while dedicated ones feature their own IPs which aren't shared with anyone else. Even if you use a common shared account, however, you'll be able to acquire a dedicated IP address that will be in use only by your websites - one or a few. Because this can add up to the speed of yoursite, it's more likely that the website will get improved search engine result rankings. Certainly, this is not the sole factor, but it can help you find more site visitors and prospective clients. The dedicated IP is also needed if you wish to secure the info exchanged between a website and its visitors by using an SSL certificate.