Stop chasing quick hacks. SEO is about trust, authority, and consistency. Create quality content, and the traffic follows.
ONE additional tip: Authenticity. I don't know if "the machines" are adept at ascertaining authenticity, but people certainly are. Remember: You can try to optimize for the Google bot, but your ultimate challenge is to appeal to HUMANS.
And to do that, be authentic. It's not hard - just be yourself! NOBODY can do that as well you can!