You’ve researched keywords. You’ve filtered phrases. Your on-page and off-page content and metadata are optimized. And your site’s ready to pull out and ahead of the competition. High ranking is within reach, and glory is yours for the taking.

Then some unknown — with a name that starts with a capital “A” — shows up before you’ve even had a chance to take a breath. Bam! You’re right back in middle school, and this year’s teacher decided to rearrange the seating, and your name might as well start with a lowercase “z.”

Based on the gasps I heard last week, you’d think that the launch of Google Instant blew out all the hard-fought SEO and shuttled the keyword crunchers back to their secret lairs to start all over in their quest to find the holy grail of search. You’d also think from the deafening silence that this change had finally stumped the search gurus and the online marketers who typically have so much to say (and sell) around the topic. For me, it got me thinking that maybe Google had it right: Put the power of search back in the hands of those doing the searching.

The instantaneous results, based on the predictive Google Suggest feature among others, are served up based on the spelling and relative popularity of a search term or phrase. The spelling, well there’s not much we can do about that at this point, but it will be interesting to see how many folks bum rush GoDaddy for new domains and how creative they get with the (mis)spelling of their names. Watch out for interesting approaches to content development as strategists and writers attempt to navigate these new rules. The world of search could get very interesting over the next few months as we watch the impact — letter by letter — of anticipating search in real time.

What I find most interesting, with the potential to make significant impact, is the increased influence of popularity on search results, real time or not. More speed and disruptive display adds another dimension to what could be a great push toward the democratization of results. Sure, the Google filter is there, and this won’t be a true, unadulterated presentation of available data (oh, they’re anticipating NSFW search and you won’t like the results). Yes, there will be those users who are distracted by the bright and shiny results that pop up immediately. But what could really make Google Instant an instant and long-lasting hit is the user-centric nature of the process and the product delivered. I’ve been searching for that and can’t wait to see the results.

This post also appears at TalentZoo’s blog, Digital Pivot, as “Google Delivers Search Engine Optimization in an Instant.”

I was recently asked to “update the seo” on an existing web site. The concern was that we had, perhaps, been using “old keywords and phrases.” In a nutshell: The SEO had reached its sell-by date and stakeholders were eyeing the pitchforks and torches. Could I please use best practices to overhaul the site’s metadata, and could I do it by Wednesday?

Well, the timing didn’t bother me as much as the emphasis on “best practices.” I’m no stranger to the term and I’ve been known to toss it out for effect on occasion. But this stopped me. I was curious about an established to-do list and went in search of just such a thing.

It was a short trip.

Not counting the “experts” who blatantly borrowed from each other (without sources or credits, typical) and the bloggers who recounted results that, no doubt, could not be replicated, I came up with nothing definitive on this. Try as I might — and with years of sourcing SEO and SEM — I was disappointed. I was also (self-inflicted) now tasked with putting down in writing what I would consider my version of SEO Best Practices™.

Some of these are no-brainers; if you’re doing SEO now you’re putting these into practice at each juncture. Others might not be so obvious or you might have another way of getting to the same result. If you’re reading this and inclined to comment and/or add to the list, please do. I’d like to think that the next person who has to extinguish a colleague’s flaming hair will do so with a bit more confidence and clarity having found this post.

ML’s SEO Best Practices (v1.01)

Keywords: How are your keywords holding up and what kind of traffic are they bringing into your site? Notice I said “kind of traffic” because while traffic volume is a nice trend to watch, it’s the quality of that traffic that’s really having any effect on your site. Did you start out too broad, is the net you’re casting just too wide — bringing in visitors that “just aren’t that into you?” Also consider the alignment between those keywords and your content, which brings me to…

Content: Are your keywords in sync with the content on the targeted page? Will visitors find what they’re searching for or will they be disappointed to find that your page (your site, your brand) is not what they need to complete the task at hand. Don’t be fooled — the metadata on your page can no longer do the heavy lifting. Content is king and optimized content that makes good on the promise of search results makes all the difference.

Customers: Get to know them. Get to know them well. It’s not until you understand what they’re searching for — what task are they looking to accomplish — and why that you’ll truly know if your keywords and content are on point. Talk with customers (you may call them users or visitors, but if they’re “buying” what you’re “selling” they’re customers). What are they saying about your category, your competition, their desires and experiences? How can you better your site and pages to ensure that they have, consistently, the best experience on your site.

Conversation: Paying attention to what your customers are saying is one thing. Really hearing how they talk is another. By listening to the words and phrases that are being used you can boost the effectiveness of the keywords that you choose. Get out of your head. Stop using “insider” language. Get to know the words that your customers are using when speaking — and searching — in your category and you’ll be ahead of the “conversation curve.”

Nuts and bolts: Be aware of these “rules” — use 2-3 keyphrases per page; craft pages at approximately 250 words, adjusted as necessary; place keyphrases in headlines, subheadlines and hyperlinks within copy. Then ditch the “rules” and read the content you’ve created. Try again if you’re sounding robotic or nonsensical. Remember that while your visitors are looking for answers they’re also looking for reasons to care about your brand, your product or service.

Helpful links: Here are a few resouces that I’ve found handy. Comment and add to the list.

SEOmoz – Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Guide – Unleashed: Keywords and Content

David Mihm – Mihmorandum