Search engine optimization professionals have probably heard of the expression known as blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO embraces a collection of strategies deployed to increase a website's or page's ranking in search engine rankings, but by means that violate the search engines' terms of service.

Essentially, blackhat SEO is a shortcut that could get your site to the forefront of search results quickly. However, these strategies are typically seen as unethical, and search engines like Google may severely penalize sites discovered using them.

A popular blackhat technique is keyword stuffing. This means loading a webpage with key terms or numbers with the intent of manipulating a site's ranking in Google search rankings. They might come across in a list, cluster, out of context or in a hidden div.

Establishing link farms is another common tactic. Here, webpages are tied together in a circular network to boost the rank of all the pages in the circle. However, if a website is linked to from a high number of unrelated sites, it could also be penalized.

Cloaking is an even more extreme blackhat method. This involves different content is presented to search engines than to users, effectively redirecting users to different pages apart from their consent.

Despite the potential penalties, why do people use blackhat SEO? The simple answer is: for immediate results. These techniques give websites the appearance of relevance, boosting them up the search results fast.

However, the gain is fleeting. Search engines now incorporate complex algorithms which identify these manipulative techniques. Once they're identified, penalties could include reduced rankings or even being removed entirely from the search index.

As a claim, many websites are embracing white hat SEO strategies. These are methods that aim to build a website's prominence in legitimate ways. Some methods are creating relevant content that provides helpful information to the reader, optimizing website tags, or creating a positive user interface.

To sum up, while blackhat SEO may appear a fast website way to increase your site's visibility, it's a risky game to play. It's smarter to direct attention on whitehat SEO strategies, that improve your website through appropriate means, thus providing sustainable success.