gouri - 3:09 am on Nov 1, 2012 (gmt 0)

I think I both reduced duplication amongst my H1, title, and meta descriptions tags, and deoptimized by removing each page's main keyword from regular text and anchor text on the page.

@Tonearm,

The main keyword that you removed from anchor text on the page:

(1) Is that link in the body text of the page?

and

(2) Does that link go to another page on the site and used to contain a keyword that the page you are linking from is trying to rank for? E.g. Page you are linking from trying to rank for Blue Tools and anchor text going to other page was Sharpened Blue Tools and you made it into something that didn't contain Blue Tools so it would be Sharpened + Some other words or a Related Phrase to Sharpened Blue Tools that didn't contain Blue Tools?