Valentine's Day Slackers: Many Wait Until Afternoon to Plan That Special Night

Ein Strauss Rosen stehen am Donnerstag, 14. Februar 2008, im Geschaeft Blumen 31 im Bleibtreu in Berlin. Am Valentinstag sind gerade Rosen sehr gefragt. (AP Photo/Franka Bruns) ---A bouquet of roses is on display in a flower shop in Berlin, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008. Especially on Valentine's Day, the rose is the favorite flower to pick. (AP Photo/Franka Bruns) (AP2008)

Listen up, slackers: We know what you did—or didn’t do—last Valentine’s Day.

Using Google analysis tools, SEO agency Everspark Interactive came up with pretty compelling evidence that, in 2010 and 2009, an awful lot of people waited until way late—like Valentine’s Day afternoon—to search feverishly for a cheap, last-minute place to go for dinner.

Everspark identified nine terms that were uncharacteristically “volcanic” in popularity the last two Valentine’s Days. In no particular order, they were:

1. Olive Garden
2. Red Lobster
3. Applebee’s
4. Outback
5. Outback Steakhouse
6. Outback Steakhouse coupons
7. Outback Steakhouse menu
8. Chili’s
9. Macaroni Grill

The Outback people were particularly bad planners. While VDay 2009 searches for Olive Garden started rising romantically as early as 6 a.m., last year’s Outback searchers didn’t looked for nuthin’ until about noon that day. And Number Six is a particular kick in the teeth: Nothing says 'I can't live without you' like scrounging for a coupon.