Shh… It’s 4:59 pm. Friday. The sushi lunch buffet has faded. The weather looks promising for the weekend, a slight breeze judging by the swaying trees and fluttering of leaves outside. The person patiently waiting at home seems farther away than the very last row in your spread sheet. I can feel something about to happen.
The exits have been effectively sealed by the paid search team. Attempt to leave on time and they look up from their computer monitors.
“Ah, leaving early? Must be nice to be caught up,” inferring that SEO must be easy.
So, you remain at your desk and try to finish the day’s tasks as fast as you can. Today could be the day you leave the office on time. Then…
“I know you’re busy–“
You look up.
“But I need…”
Have a look at some examples of 5 O’Clock SEO requests from real life experiences
- Can you do a site analysis for ___ .com? Just run it through your template. It shouldn’t take long.
- Would you mind whipping up some quick keyword research on ___? I just need ___ words. It should be easy.
- I just need you to put together a quick rankings report showing how ___ stacks up against ___.
- Accounting received a check. What’s it for?
- Can you turn in the paperwork for that software? It’s late. I think you purchased it last Friday, late afternoon.
- How about giving me a lift to the Paid Search happy hour? Oh, you’re welcome to tag along, of course.
- Can you write up a quick link building proposal for ___?
- Did you enter your work hours on your time sheet?
- Do you know what’s wrong with this printer? You used it last, right?
- My cousin has a little Web site that he’s trying to get to rank for…
- I found some great domains that we need to register.
Who Issues Friday 5 O’clock SEO Requests?
- Account Services – client deliverables
- Senior management – most commonly, a request to buy a domain–usually fairly quick, even considering the paperwork, unless it’s a premium domain.
- Director of Sales – usually a new business proposal
- Interns – signing time sheets, questions
- Accounting – random paperwork
So you’re sitting there feeling safe last week at 4:59 and the president eases your office door open and looks in. You brace yourself during the silence. Here comes a classic 5 O’clock SEO Request. Then he says:
“Going out for drinks with us?”
