How to See Which Domains Are Owned by the Same Person Using IP

5 min read SEOMediaWorld Staff

You Can Trace Website Ownership—Starting With an IP Address

Looking to uncover whether multiple websites are secretly controlled by the same person?

Start here: check their IP address.

It sounds simple because it is. But it’s also powerful.

If you’re an SEO analyst, cyber researcher, or just snooping on a shady competitor’s PBN setup, starting with their server IP can reveal a whole cluster of domains owned by the same operator.

It’s called Reverse IP Lookup, and it’s one of the fastest ways to uncover digital connections between websites.

But wait—this isn’t a silver bullet. It’s just the beginning.

You’ll also need WHOIS data, DNS records, content patterns, and a few Google tricks.

So let’s break it down step by step.

How to See Which Domains Are Owned by the Same Person Using IP

Important Note: The Limitations of IP-Based Investigation

Before we dive deep, let’s set expectations.

Here’s what you need to watch out for when using IPs to identify ownership:

  • Shared Hosting: One IP can host hundreds of unrelated websites—especially with budget hosting platforms.
  • CDNs & Reverse Proxies: Sites behind Cloudflare or other CDNs don’t expose their true IP address.
  • WHOIS Privacy: Domain owners often hide their identities using privacy shields. That makes direct name-matching harder.
  • Dynamic IPs: Some hosting environments rotate IPs over time, making past associations unreliable.

Still—when combined smartly, these clues form a clear enough trail to make highly educated connections.

How to Find Which Sites Are Owned by the Same Person: A Step-by-Step Guide

This part’s built for featured snippet visibility, so it’s scannable and direct.

1. Get the IP Address of the Website

Use a free tool like SEO Media World’s URL to IP
👉 Just paste the domain → it gives you the IP instantly.

2. Run a Reverse IP Lookup

Plug the IP into tools like:

ToolPurposeEase of Use
DNSlyticsShows domains on a single IPEasy
ViewDNS.infoReverse IP, WHOIS & DNS infoEasy
IPinfo.ioIP insights & geolocationModerate
SecurityTrailsFull DNS, SSL, WHOIS databaseAdvanced

You’ll now see a list of domains hosted on that IP.

3. Look for Obvious Patterns

Scan for:

  • Domains that link to the same main site
  • Similar naming conventions or TLDs
  • Matching content structure, colors, and meta descriptions
  • Domains using the same CMS or plugin stack

4. Dig into WHOIS Data (If Available)

WHOIS records tell you:

  • The registrant’s name
  • The email address
  • The registrar used
  • Creation/expiry dates
  • Name servers

Use Whois.com or SecurityTrails to check if several domains share the same:

  • Contact email or name
  • Registrar or hosting provider
  • DNS setup

5. Use Google Search Operators

Now go sleuthing in Google:

  • “contact@domain.com” → See where else the email appears
  • “(800) 555-1234” → Shared phone number across sites?
  • “Copyright © 2025 Acme LLC” → Same business name/footer
  • site:example.com combined with other operators

This helps uncover hidden site relationships and shared templates.

6. Analyze SSL Certificates (Optional But Powerful)

Using tools like Censys.io or SSL Shopper, check:

  • The Organization name in the SSL cert
  • Issuer details
  • Shared certs between domains
  • Validity windows

SSL often exposes enterprise or eCommerce operators who forgot to hide their tracks.

Beyond the IP: Other Tactics to Confirm Ownership

Once you’ve checked the IP address, don’t stop there.

WHOIS Data Analysis – What to Look For

  • Same email address across domains
  • Matching physical addresses or phone numbers
  • Consistent name servers
  • Domains registered within the same time period

Even with WHOIS privacy enabled, patterns still leak out.

Analyzing Shared Digital Footprints

The web is messy—but some patterns repeat.

Look for these shared assets:

  • Google Analytics IDs or Google Tag Manager containers
  • AdSense publisher IDs
  • Social media profiles (icons linking to the same Facebook page)
  • Reused CSS, layout templates, favicons, or font packs

These indicators suggest control—even if names and IPs are masked.

Putting It All Together: A Strategic Ownership Tracing Framework

To stand out from basic tutorials, we’re giving you a 4-step blueprint to trace ownership across sites.

Step 1: Initial Recon with IP Tools

  • Use URL to IP to extract the domain’s IP
  • Run a Reverse IP Lookup
  • List all domains hosted on that address

Step 2: Confirm with WHOIS

  • Check WHOIS for overlapping registrant data
  • Highlight matching emails, companies, or address info
  • Check for the same registrar, hosting provider, or DNS config

Step 3: Pattern Matching in the Digital Footprint

  • Run Google queries to find content, layout, and branding overlaps
  • Check source code for shared tracking IDs
  • Look for copy-paste meta tags, shared ads.txt files, and social profile links

Step 4: Evaluate & Connect the Dots

Ask yourself:

  • Do 3 or more signals line up?
  • Are connections consistent across tools?
  • Does the ownership pattern match the purpose (e.g., link building, affiliate pushing)?

You don’t need a smoking gun. You need enough cross-confirmed signals to act with confidence.

Let’s say you find 12 domains linking to your competitor’s site.

They all look basic. Low content quality. No authors.

What you do:

  • Drop those domains into SEO Media World’s URL to IP tool
  • Half of them share the same IP
  • WHOIS data shows three with the same admin email
  • A few have the same Google Analytics ID
  • They all link to the same product page

Boom. You’ve uncovered a private blog network (PBN).

Now you know how your competitor is gaming the algorithm.

Final Thoughts

In an era of privacy tools and Cloudflare masks, digital forensics still works.

You just have to dig smarter.

Using a simple IP address, you can uncover entire networks of hidden domains. Combine that with WHOIS records, SSL data, and smart Google searches, and you’ve got a reliable playbook for finding site ownership patterns.

Whether you’re auditing backlinks, investigating shady SERP behavior, or mapping competitor ecosystems—these methods give you the edge.

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