Digital marketing specialists have probably heard of the expression known as blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO involves a collection of strategies deployed to improve a website's or page's ranking in search engine rankings, but through methods that violate the search engines' terms of service.

Basically, blackhat SEO is a shortcut that can get your site to the forefront of search results quickly. However, these techniques are typically seen as dishonorable, and search engines like Google can heavily penalize sites caught using them.

One common blackhat technique is keyword stuffing. This entails packing a webpage with search terms or numbers to game a site's ranking in Google search results. They might be in a list, cluster, out of context or in a hidden div.

Establishing link farms is another common tactic. Here, webpages are connected together in a circular network to increase the rank of all the pages in the chain. However, if a page is linked to from numerous unrelated websites, it could also be here penalized.

Cloaking is an especially deceptive blackhat method. It refers to different content is presented to search engines than to users, basically redirecting users to separate pages without their consent.

Despite the potential penalties, why do people use blackhat SEO? The straightforward answer is: for instant success. These methods give websites the illusion of relevance, boosting them up the search results fast.

However, the benefit is fleeting. Search engines now incorporate advanced algorithms which identify these manipulative techniques. Once they're identified, penalties can include lower rankings or even being deleted entirely from the search index.

As a claim, many websites are moving towards white hat SEO strategies. These are methods that aim to build a website's prominence in legitimate ways. Some examples are creating quality content that provides valuable information to the reader, optimizing website tags, or creating a positive user journey.

So, while blackhat SEO may come across as a fast way to boost your site's visibility, it's a dangerous game to play. It's wiser to concentrate whitehat SEO methods, that improve your website through appropriate means, consequently providing enduring success.