SEO - black art secrets or thoroughness and diligence?

Is there more to it than title, meta, keyword density et al?

[rfung]

edited: just noticed that my title was really mislleped ;)

Understandably top SEO's probably will not reveal their secrets, but I'd like to see how high the sky can get.

Is top white hat SEO'ing 90% about applying the standard concepts of keyword density, title, h-tags, dutiful link exchanging and so on advices that populate this forum, and the difference is on HOW it's done and the research process to it(the right keywords, the right density,etc) , OR...

are there secret arts that only the few and the elite know about? I've read hints of other things one could do here in the forum, but they tend to be underhand strategies.

I don't need to know the details, but it would be interesting to know that we can aspire to more than 'the usual'.

[rominosj]

I have been doing SEO for about 3 years now, and I don't know if any secrets that will help rankings, what you know works, and it will always changes bit by bit when algos change. Nobody knows yet how it will be with MSN, but surely it will be a challenge if they don't use google standards.

romino

[martinibuster]

First thing to do is lose the concept of white and black hat.

[rfung]

pink and purple hat?

[chrisnrae]

"the difference is on HOW it's done"

You'll find basics here at WebmasterWorld and the closest thing to a severely low risk bible in Brett's 26 steps. But, you have to understand how (or learn) to use every tool, staple and piece of advice you come across and how to use them all together for it to work effectively. I personally think SEO is a mix of knowledge gained, your willingness and ability to learn and a dash of talent.

[CygnusX1]

Very good statement chrisnrae!

[Leosghost]

First thing to do is lose the concept of white and black hat.

zacktly!