Meta tag analysers like hypergirl.com have some pretty useful tools but do they really know what search engines are looking for?
Can anyone recommend another on-line analyser that might help an SEO get his site to the top?

Meta tag analysers like hypergirl.com have some pretty useful tools but do they really know what search engines are looking for?Can't say I've ever used a meta tag analyzer, so I can't answer the question. But meta tags are pretty simple:

1. The description meta should be accurate and reflective of the content of each page. Take good care with this because it often shows up as the snippet below your page title in the SERPs.

2. The keywords meta can be ignored, but if you choose to use it, it should also be reflective of the actual page content. When I do use it, which is about 50% of the time, I keep the list of words as short as possible, and only use it for listing words that are related to the page but don't appear on the page, i.e., geographical information.

Can anyone recommend another on-line analyser that might help an SEO get his site to the top?There are lots of online tools that will give you bits and pieces of information, but it's up to you to know the real value (if any) of those bits and pieces. The only online SEO tools I use are a link pop checker every now and then, and some keyword tools that help me expand and/or condense my list of targeted terms.

HTH.