From 3dc49683cc3889115cfb7430b086fda604cb7e92 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Oleg Proskurin Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2026 16:06:07 +0700 Subject: [PATCH] docs: more research --- 0-inbox/mcp-image-generation-guide.md | 80 +++++ 0-inbox/placeholder-ai-images.md | 81 +++++ .../keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md | 331 ++++++++++++++++++ research/keywords/docs-seo-brief.md | 212 +++++++++++ .../placeholder-niche-deep-dive-2026-01-02.md | 210 +++++++++++ 5 files changed, 914 insertions(+) create mode 100644 0-inbox/mcp-image-generation-guide.md create mode 100644 0-inbox/placeholder-ai-images.md create mode 100644 research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md create mode 100644 research/keywords/docs-seo-brief.md create mode 100644 research/keywords/placeholder-niche-deep-dive-2026-01-02.md diff --git a/0-inbox/mcp-image-generation-guide.md b/0-inbox/mcp-image-generation-guide.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c564e81 --- /dev/null +++ b/0-inbox/mcp-image-generation-guide.md @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +--- +slug: mcp-image-generation-guide +title: "Generate Images in Your IDE with MCP" +status: inbox +created: 2026-01-02 +source: research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md +timing: blocked (waiting for MCP feature) +--- + +# Idea + +## Discovery + +**Source:** Competitive analysis — Replicate and fal.ai both have MCP documentation + +**Evidence:** +- Replicate: replicate.com/docs/reference/mcp +- fal.ai: docs.fal.ai/model-apis/mcp (Cursor-specific guide) +- r/mcp subreddit: 82K subscribers, active discussion of image MCP servers +- Third-party MCP servers for image generation on GitHub (seedream, flux, etc.) + +## Why This Matters + +1. **Market expectation** — Developers using Cursor/Claude Code expect MCP integration +2. **Competitor parity** — Both major competitors have this documented +3. **Workflow-native positioning** — This is our core value proposition +4. **SEO opportunity** — "image generation mcp" emerging as search term + +## Potential Angles + +**Option A: Documentation page** +`/docs/mcp/` — Getting started with Banatie MCP server +- Cursor setup guide +- Claude Desktop integration +- Claude Code usage +- Example workflows + +**Option B: Tutorial blog post** +"How to Generate Images Without Leaving Your IDE" +- Shows full workflow +- Compares to API calls +- Code examples + +**Option C: Comparison** +"Banatie MCP vs Replicate MCP vs fal.ai MCP" +- Feature comparison +- Setup complexity +- Unique Live URLs capability + +## Keywords (to research when feature ships) + +- "image generation mcp" +- "ai image mcp server" +- "cursor image generation" +- "claude code image generation" +- "mcp server image api" + +## Notes + +- **BLOCKED** — Cannot publish until MCP feature ships +- Pre-write documentation draft now +- Launch content same day as feature release +- Emphasize Live URLs as unique MCP capability (neither competitor has this) + +## Differentiation Point + +Key message: "Generate images via URL without writing API code" + +``` +// Competitor MCP: +"Generate an image of a sunset" +→ Returns image file/data + +// Banatie MCP + Live URLs: +"Create a placeholder URL for product images" +→ Returns URL that generates on-demand +→ No storage, instant, shareable +``` + +This is our unique angle. diff --git a/0-inbox/placeholder-ai-images.md b/0-inbox/placeholder-ai-images.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7ca953 --- /dev/null +++ b/0-inbox/placeholder-ai-images.md @@ -0,0 +1,81 @@ +--- +slug: placeholder-ai-images +title: "AI Placeholder Images — Capture 30K Monthly Searches" +status: inbox +created: 2026-01-02 +source: research +priority: high +--- + +# Idea + +## Discovery + +**Source:** DataForSEO keyword research + Reddit community analysis +**Evidence:** +- 31,000+ monthly searches for placeholder-related terms +- Zero AI-generated placeholder services exist +- Direct user quote from r/ClaudeAI: "right now my instructions are to just do placeholder image in various sizes... I am wondering if there is an mcp that can create or fetch these images" + +## Why This Matters + +This is a **blue ocean opportunity**. The entire placeholder image market (placehold.co, picsum.photos, etc.) returns random stock photos or gray boxes. Nobody offers AI-generated, context-aware placeholders. + +Banatie's Live URLs feature can capture this entire market with proper positioning. + +## Keyword Targets + +### Zero/Low Difficulty (Target First) +| Keyword | Volume | KD | +|---------|--------|----| +| image placeholder dark | 4,400 | 2 | +| app placeholder image | 1,900 | 2 | +| profile placeholder image | 720 | 0 | +| ios placeholder image | 590 | 0 | +| dummy photo image | 720 | 5 | + +### High Volume Cluster +| Keyword | Volume | KD | +|---------|--------|----| +| placeholder image | 14,800 | 18 | +| image placeholder | 14,800 | 17 | + +## Content Strategy + +### Option A: Documentation Section +Create `/docs/placeholders/` with subsections: +- Dark mode placeholders (4,400 vol) +- Profile/avatar placeholders (2,500 vol) +- Size-specific placeholders (1,000 vol) +- Mobile app placeholders (1,200 vol) + +### Option B: Dedicated Landing Page +Create `/placeholder-images` targeting core 14,800 vol cluster: +- Position Live URLs as "AI Placeholder Service" +- Interactive examples with common sizes +- Code snippets for HTML/CSS/React + +### Option C: Both (Recommended) +- Landing page for awareness/SEO +- Docs for conversion/usage + +## Competitive Advantage + +| Competitor | What They Do | Our Advantage | +|------------|--------------|---------------| +| placehold.co | Gray boxes | Real AI images | +| picsum.photos | Random stock | Context-aware | +| placekitten | Random cats | Prompt-based | +| via.placeholder | Gray boxes, slow | Fast CDN + AI | + +## Implementation Notes + +For Live URLs to capture this market: +1. Support common sizes: 200x200, 600x400, 1200x630, etc. +2. Enable dark mode generation via URL param +3. Allow category hints: `/live/profile-avatar/200x200` +4. Consider pre-generated cache for instant loading + +## Full Research + +See: `research/keywords/placeholder-niche-deep-dive-2026-01-02.md` diff --git a/research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md b/research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6ae772a --- /dev/null +++ b/research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md @@ -0,0 +1,331 @@ +# Documentation SEO Analysis — January 2, 2026 + +**Objective:** Identify SEO opportunities for Banatie's technical documentation (10 pages at `/docs/`) without major content changes. + +**Budget Used:** ~$0.25 (3 DataForSEO queries) + +--- + +## Executive Summary + +### Key Findings + +1. **MCP Integration is Table Stakes** — Both Replicate and fal.ai now have official MCP servers. This validates our MCP strategy but also means we must ship and document it to stay competitive. + +2. **Placeholder Niche is Wide Open** — SERP for "placeholder image url" (390 volume, KD 21) is dominated by basic random-photo services. None offer AI-generated placeholders. Banatie's Live URLs feature can capture this market. + +3. **"Image Generation API" SERP Has No Direct Competitors** — Top 10 dominated by OpenAI, Google, Leonardo. Neither Replicate, fal.ai, nor Runware appear. Opportunity exists for a focused API landing/docs page. + +4. **Documentation Structure Gap** — Competitors have model playgrounds, interactive examples, and SDK quickstarts prominently featured. We should highlight these in navigation. + +--- + +## Task 1: Keyword Research (Complete) + +### Primary Keywords — Image Generation API + +| Keyword | Volume | KD | Intent | Opportunity | +|---------|--------|-----|--------|-------------| +| image generation api | 210 | 31 | Commercial | **TARGET** — exact match, reasonable KD | +| ai image generator api | 90 | 19 | Commercial | **TARGET** — low KD, transactional | +| openai image generation api | 480 | 20 | Navigational | Comparison angle | +| gpt-image-1 api | 210 | 20 | Navigational | Specific model search | +| chatgpt 4o image generation api | 50 | 10 | Navigational | Very low KD | + +### Placeholder/Live URL Keywords (Niche Opportunity) + +| Keyword | Volume | KD | Opportunity | +|---------|--------|-----|-------------| +| placeholder image url | 390 | 21 | **EXCELLENT** — exact match to Live URLs | +| placeholder image generator | 480 | 32 | **GOOD** — matches use case | +| lorem picsum | 880 | 15 | **EXCELLENT** — competitor brand, beatable | +| random image url | 320 | 24 | **GOOD** — developer testing | +| placeholder image api | 90 | 23 | **GOOD** — exact product match | + +### Related Searches (from SERP) + +- "Image generation api python" → add Python SDK examples +- "Image generation API pricing" → pricing transparency +- "Placeholder image url generator" → Live URLs positioning + +--- + +## Task 2: Competitor Documentation Analysis (Complete) + +### Replicate + +**URL:** replicate.com/docs + +**Structure:** +- Getting Started / How it Works +- HTTP API Reference (detailed endpoints) +- SDKs (Python, JavaScript, Go, Swift) +- Explore (model browser) +- Collections (curated model groups) +- **MCP Server** ← NEW, official integration + +**Strengths:** +- Interactive model pages with live testing +- Multiple SDK support with examples +- Strong API reference with cURL examples +- Migration guides from other platforms + +**Weaknesses:** +- Generic platform (not image-specific) +- Complex pricing varies by model +- No built-in delivery/CDN + +### fal.ai + +**URL:** docs.fal.ai + +**Structure:** +- Model APIs (core documentation) + - Quickstart + - Client Libraries (JS, Python) + - Model Endpoints / Queue API + - Guides (text-to-image, video, etc.) + - **MCP Integration** ← documented for Cursor +- Platform APIs (model management) +- Examples & Tutorials +- Model Playgrounds (interactive) + +**Strengths:** +- MCP integration documented for Cursor/Claude +- Model playgrounds prominent +- Clear separation: Model APIs vs Platform APIs +- OpenAPI schema published + +**Weaknesses:** +- Dense documentation +- Less beginner-friendly than Replicate + +### Runware + +**URL:** docs.runware.ai + +**Structure:** +- Getting Started / Introduction +- API References by type: + - Image Inference + - Video Inference + - Audio Inference +- Utilities (Model Search) +- Tools (Caption API) +- Model Providers (OpenAI, etc.) + +**Strengths:** +- Task-based architecture (clear pattern) +- Multi-modal coverage +- Aggressive pricing ($0.0006/image) + +**Weaknesses:** +- No visible MCP integration +- Less polished documentation +- No model playground + +### Competitive Matrix + +| Feature | Replicate | fal.ai | Runware | **Banatie** | +|---------|-----------|--------|---------|-------------| +| MCP Server | ✅ Official | ✅ Official | ❌ No | 🔜 Planned | +| Playground | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | +| Python SDK | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | +| JS SDK | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | +| OpenAPI Spec | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❓ Unknown | ❌ No | +| Live URL Gen | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ **Unique** | +| Built-in CDN | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ **Unique** | + +--- + +## Task 3: SERP Analysis (Complete) + +### "image generation api" — Top 10 + +| Position | Domain | Type | +|----------|--------|------| +| 1 | platform.openai.com | Documentation | +| 2 | ai.google.dev | Documentation | +| 3 | leonardo.ai | Landing page | +| 4 | reddit.com | Discussion | +| 5 | docs.cloud.google.com | Documentation | +| 6 | thehive.ai | Landing page | +| 7 | developer.puter.com | Tutorial | +| 8 | openrouter.ai | Documentation | +| 9 | edenai.co | Landing page | +| 10 | (Images carousel) | — | + +**Insight:** Mix of documentation and landing pages. No direct competitors in top 10. Reddit at position 4 shows community engagement potential. + +### "placeholder image url" — Top 10 + +| Position | Domain | Description | +|----------|--------|-------------| +| 1 | placehold.co | Simple placeholder service | +| 2 | picsum.photos | Lorem Picsum (random photos) | +| 3 | reddit.com | r/webdev discussion | +| 4 | placehold.net | Another placeholder service | +| 5 | (Images carousel) | — | +| 6 | loremipsum.io | Article listing services | +| 7 | VS Code extension | — | +| 8 | placeholder.pics | URL-based placeholders | +| 9 | pagebee.io | Random images service | +| 10 | dev.me | Advanced placeholder API | + +**Critical Insight:** ALL services return random stock photos. NONE offer AI-generated placeholders. This is a clear market gap. + +--- + +## Recommendations + +### 1. Live URLs → Placeholder Market (HIGH PRIORITY) + +**Current state:** `/docs/live-urls/` exists but doesn't target placeholder keywords. + +**Action:** Expand Live URLs page with new sections: + +``` +Current title: "Live URLs — Shareable Image Links" + +Add sections: +- "Use as Placeholder Images" + Target: "placeholder image url", "placeholder image api" + +- "Alternative to Lorem Picsum" + Target: "lorem picsum", competitor comparison + +- "Dynamic Testing Images" + Target: "random image url", "free image url for testing" +``` + +**Traffic potential:** 1,500+ monthly searches from placeholder niche + +### 2. MCP Documentation Page (HIGH PRIORITY — pending feature) + +**Why:** Both Replicate and fal.ai have MCP docs. Developers expect this. + +**Action:** When MCP server ships, create `/docs/mcp/` with: +- Cursor integration guide +- Claude Desktop setup +- Claude Code integration +- Example workflows + +**Target keywords:** "image generation mcp", "ai image mcp server" + +### 3. Comparison Content (MEDIUM PRIORITY) + +**Option A:** Dedicated comparison page `/docs/vs-openai/` +**Option B:** Blog post "Banatie vs OpenAI Image API" + +**Target keywords:** +- "openai image generation api" (480 volume, KD 20) +- "openai api pricing" (12K volume, comparison angle) + +**Content:** Feature comparison table, pricing comparison, code examples side-by-side. + +### 4. Python/SDK Examples (MEDIUM PRIORITY) + +**Why:** "image generation api python" appears in related searches and competitors have SDK docs. + +**Action:** Add Python snippets to Getting Started page, consider future SDK. + +### 5. Interactive Playground (LOW PRIORITY — significant effort) + +**Why:** All major competitors have playgrounds. Developers expect to test before integrating. + +**Action:** Consider for roadmap, not documentation-only change. + +--- + +## Content Ideas Generated + +### For 0-inbox/ + +1. **placeholder-ai-images.md** — "AI-Powered Placeholder Images for Developers" + - Target: placeholder niche keywords + - Angle: Why AI placeholders beat random stock photos + +2. **mcp-image-generation.md** — "Generate Images in Your IDE with MCP" + - Target: MCP + image generation intersection + - Timing: When MCP feature ships + +3. **lorem-picsum-alternative.md** — "Lorem Picsum Alternative: AI Placeholders" + - Target: "lorem picsum" (880 volume, KD 15) + - Angle: Direct competitor comparison + +--- + +## Research Tools Used + +| Tool | Queries | Cost | +|------|---------|------| +| Brave Search | 5 queries | Free | +| Perplexity | 3 queries | Free | +| DataForSEO | 3 queries (~$0.08 each) | ~$0.25 | + +**Total:** ~$0.25 / $0.50 budget + +--- + +## Next Steps + +1. [ ] Implement Live URLs page expansion (placeholder keywords) +2. [ ] Create content ideas in 0-inbox/ +3. [ ] Ship MCP server → document immediately +4. [ ] Consider comparison page strategy +5. [ ] Track rankings for target keywords monthly + +--- + +## Appendix: Full Keyword Data + +### Image Generation API Keywords + +``` +image generation api | 210 | KD 31 | Commercial +ai image generator api | 90 | KD 19 | Commercial +openai image generation api | 480 | KD 20 | Navigational +gpt-image-1 api | 210 | KD 20 | Navigational +chatgpt 4o image generation api | 50 | KD 10 | Navigational +image generation api python | — | — | Informational +image generation api pricing | 10 | Low | Commercial +``` + +### Placeholder Keywords + +``` +placeholder image url | 390 | KD 21 | Informational +placeholder image generator | 480 | KD 32 | Informational +lorem picsum | 880 | KD 15 | Navigational (competitor) +random image url | 320 | KD 24 | Informational +placeholder image api | 90 | KD 23 | Commercial +image placeholder html | 320 | KD 33 | Informational +``` + +--- + +## Expanded Research: Placeholder Niche Deep Dive + +**See:** `placeholder-niche-deep-dive-2026-01-02.md` + +Follow-up research revealed the placeholder opportunity is **15x larger** than initially estimated: + +| Original Estimate | Expanded Research | +|-------------------|-------------------| +| ~2,100 monthly searches | **31,000+ monthly searches** | +| 6 keywords identified | **40+ keywords identified** | +| KD range: 15-33 | **Multiple KD 0-5 keywords found** | + +### Key Additions from Deep Dive + +**Zero-Difficulty Keywords (KD 0-5):** +- image placeholder dark — 4,400 vol, KD 2 +- app placeholder image — 1,900 vol, KD 2 +- profile placeholder image — 720 vol, KD 0 +- ios placeholder image — 590 vol, KD 0 +- dummy photo image — 720 vol, KD 5 + +**Community Validation (Reddit):** +> "right now my instructions are to just do placeholder image in various sizes... I am wondering if there is an mcp that can create or fetch these images for Claude instead." + +This quote from r/ClaudeAI directly validates our use case and MCP strategy. diff --git a/research/keywords/docs-seo-brief.md b/research/keywords/docs-seo-brief.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9c690b8 --- /dev/null +++ b/research/keywords/docs-seo-brief.md @@ -0,0 +1,212 @@ +# @spy Research Brief: Documentation SEO Analysis + +**Date:** January 2, 2026 +**Priority:** Medium +**Requested by:** @men (strategy session) +**Budget limit:** $0.50 DataForSEO + +--- + +## Context + +We've launched documentation section at `banatie.app/docs/` with 10 pages. SEO metadata and JSON-LD schemas are implemented. Now we need competitive intelligence to identify potential improvements. + +**Constraint:** No major content changes — this is technical documentation. Looking for small optimizations and gaps we might be missing. + +--- + +### Task 0: Free search and analysis of existing documentation section + +**Goal:** Inspect real NextJS pages for potential content improvements and to be aware of what exact content we have in docs section + +Browse docs section in landing app project (NextJS) using Filesystem MCP: + +`/projects/my-projects/banatie-service/apps/landing/src/app/(apps)/docs` + +Understand the content. Collect the list of potential topics and keywords we can consider to promote via SEO + +--- + +## Research Tasks + +### Task 1: Keyword Opportunities + +**Goal:** Find keywords developers use when searching for image generation API documentation. + +**DataForSEO queries:** + +``` +Seeds to research: +- "image generation api" +- "ai image api documentation" +- "text to image api tutorial" +- "generate image from prompt api" +``` + +**What to find:** +1. Related keywords with Volume > 50, KD < 40 +2. Long-tail variations we might target +3. Question-based keywords ("how to generate image with api") + +**Output format:** +``` +| Keyword | Volume | KD | Intent | Opportunity | +|---------|--------|-----|--------|-------------| +``` + +--- + +### Task 2: Competitor Documentation Structure + +**Goal:** Understand what sections competitors have that we might be missing. + +**Targets to analyze:** +1. `docs.replicate.com` — market leader in AI model APIs +2. `fal.ai/docs` — direct competitor, similar positioning +3. `docs.runware.ai` — budget competitor +4. `cloudinary.com/documentation` — gold standard for image APIs + +**What to check:** +- Main navigation structure (what sections exist) +- Do they have interactive elements? (playgrounds, live code) +- Do they have SDK/CLI docs? (we don't yet but plan to) +- Any unique sections we don't have? + +**Output format:** +``` +## [Competitor Name] + +**URL:** ... +**Main sections:** +- Section 1 +- Section 2 +... + +**Unique elements:** +- ... + +**What we could adopt:** +- ... +``` + +--- + +### Task 3: SERP Analysis + +**Goal:** Understand what type of content ranks for our target queries. + +**Queries to check:** +1. "image generation api" + + + + +## Deliverables + +Create file: `/banatie-content/research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md` + +Structure: +``` +## Deliverables + +Create file: `/banatie-content/research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md` + +Structure: +``` +2. "ai image api documentation" +3. "text to image rest api" +4. "generate image from text api" + +**What to note:** +- Who ranks in top 10? +- What content type? (landing page, docs, tutorial, blog post) +- Any featured snippets? What format? +- Do any competitors appear? + +**Output format:** +``` +## Query: "[keyword]" + +**Top 3 results:** +1. [URL] — [Type: landing/docs/blog] — [Brief description] +2. ... +3. ... + +**Featured snippet:** Yes/No — [Format if yes] +**Our competitors present:** [List] +``` + +--- + +### Task 4: Content Gap Analysis (Optional if budget allows) + +**Goal:** Find keywords competitors rank for that we don't cover. + +**Method:** Use DataForSEO `domain_intersection` or `ranked_keywords` for: +- replicate.com/docs +- fal.ai/docs + +Filter for keywords with: +- Volume > 100 +- Related to image generation +- We have no content for + +--- + + + +## Deliverables + +Create file: `/banatie-content/research/keywords/docs-seo-analysis-2026-01-02.md` + +Structure: +```markdown +# Documentation SEO Analysis + +**Date:** January 2, 2026 +**Research by:** @spy + +## Executive Summary +[2-3 key findings] + +## 1. Keyword Opportunities +[Task 1 results] + +## 2. Competitor Structure Analysis +[Task 2 results] + +## 3. SERP Analysis +[Task 3 results] + +## 4. Content Gaps (if completed) +[Task 4 results] + +## Recommendations +[Prioritized list of actionable improvements] + +## Strategic Signals +[Anything that should go to banatie-strategy/inbox/] +``` + +--- + +## Notes for @spy + +- Focus on actionable insights, not comprehensive data dumps +- If something is strategically important (funding, major competitor move), create separate file in `banatie-strategy/inbox/` +- Budget is limited — prioritize Tasks 1-3, Task 4 only if budget remains +- We're NOT changing our documentation structure significantly — looking for small wins + +--- + +## Success Criteria + +Good research will answer: +1. Are there keywords with decent volume that we should add to our pages? +2. Are competitors doing something in their docs that we should consider? +3. What content type does Google prefer for these queries? +4. Any quick wins we can implement this week? + +--- + +**End of Brief** diff --git a/research/keywords/placeholder-niche-deep-dive-2026-01-02.md b/research/keywords/placeholder-niche-deep-dive-2026-01-02.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..55a77e9 --- /dev/null +++ b/research/keywords/placeholder-niche-deep-dive-2026-01-02.md @@ -0,0 +1,210 @@ +# Placeholder Image Niche — Deep Dive Research + +**Date:** 2026-01-02 +**Type:** Keyword Research + Community Analysis +**Budget Used:** ~$0.15 (4 DataForSEO queries) + +--- + +## Executive Summary + +The placeholder image niche represents a **significantly larger opportunity** than initially estimated. Total addressable search volume exceeds **30,000+ monthly searches** across variations, with multiple zero-difficulty keywords available. + +**Key Finding:** No AI-generated placeholder services exist. All competitors (placehold.co, picsum.photos, etc.) return random stock photos. Banatie's Live URLs feature can capture this entire market. + +--- + +## Keyword Clusters + +### Tier 1: High Volume, Low Difficulty (Priority Targets) + +| Keyword | Volume | KD | Intent | Notes | +|---------|--------|----|----|-------| +| placeholder image | 14,800 | 18 | Transactional | Base term | +| image placeholder | 14,800 | 17 | Transactional | Synonym | +| photo placeholder image | 14,800 | 24 | Transactional | Synonym cluster | +| image placeholder dark | 4,400 | 2 | Transactional | **+50% YoY growth** | +| app placeholder image | 1,900 | 2 | Transactional | **+123% YoY growth** | +| placeholder image dark | 1,300 | 6 | Transactional | Dark mode variant | + +### Tier 2: Developer-Specific Keywords + +| Keyword | Volume | KD | Intent | Notes | +|---------|--------|----|----|-------| +| placeholder image css | 720 | 12-13 | Informational | Code examples | +| placeholder image url | 390 | 21 | Navigational | **+85% YoY, direct product match** | +| placeholder image html | 320 | 26-33 | Informational | Code examples | +| dummy image | 720 | 27 | Transactional | Alternative term | +| dummy photo image | 720 | 5 | Transactional | **Very low KD** | + +### Tier 3: Use-Case Specific + +**Profile/Avatar (~2K combined):** +| Keyword | Volume | KD | +|---------|--------|----| +| placeholder profile image | 720 | 21 | +| profile image placeholder | 720 | 21 | +| profile placeholder image | 720 | 0 | +| person placeholder image | 320 | 14-19 | + +**Loading States (~1K combined):** +| Keyword | Volume | KD | +|---------|--------|----| +| image loading placeholder | 210 | 24 | +| loading image placeholder | 170 | 0 | +| image placeholder gif | 480 | 8 | + +**Size-Specific (~1K combined):** +| Keyword | Volume | KD | +|---------|--------|----| +| 200x200 placeholder image | 390 | 33 | +| 150x150 placeholder image | 210 | 13 | +| placeholder image 600 x 400 | 260 | 0 | + +### Tier 4: Mobile/Framework (Growing) + +| Keyword | Volume | KD | Trend | +|---------|--------|----|----| +| ios placeholder image | 590 | 0 | **+126% YoY** | +| flutter image placeholder | 480 | 21 | Stable | +| android image placeholder | 170 | 2 | Stable | + +--- + +## Zero-Difficulty Opportunities + +These keywords have KD 0-5 and should be targeted first: + +1. **profile placeholder image** — 720 vol, KD 0 +2. **ios placeholder image** — 590 vol, KD 0, +126% growth +3. **loading image placeholder** — 170 vol, KD 0 +4. **placeholder image 600 x 400** — 260 vol, KD 0 +5. **book cover placeholder image** — 170 vol, KD 0 +6. **image placeholder dark** — 4,400 vol, KD 2 +7. **app placeholder image** — 1,900 vol, KD 2 +8. **android image placeholder** — 170 vol, KD 2 +9. **dummy photo image** — 720 vol, KD 5 +10. **vertical image placeholder** — 320 vol, KD 5 + +--- + +## Community Pain Points (Reddit) + +### Direct Validation of Banatie Use Case + +From r/ClaudeAI "Claude code mcp to generate images?": +> "right now my instructions are to just do placeholder image in various sizes. These images are usually then replaced with stock photos etc. I am wondering if there is an mcp that can create or fetch these images for Claude instead." + +**This is EXACTLY our target user.** + +### Existing Pain Points + +1. **Service Reliability:** + - "placeholder.com is no more!" — services shut down + - "Placekitten has been flakey" — reliability issues + - "via.placeholder.com API still works, but is really slow" + +2. **Pricing Frustration:** + - "$0.04/image seems high" (re: DALL-E API) + - Multiple threads asking for "cheapest image generation API" + - Cloudflare mentioned as budget option + +3. **Fragmented MCP Solutions:** + - Together AI Image Server + - Flux Image MCP Server + - OpenAI imagegen-mcp + - mcp-hfspace (HuggingFace) + - No unified, simple solution + +4. **Category/Relevance Issues:** + - People want **relevant** images, not random photos + - "Picsum but with categories" projects getting traction + - AI-powered placeholder provider got positive reception + +--- + +## Competitive Landscape + +### Current Placeholder Services + +| Service | Type | Weakness | +|---------|------|----------| +| placehold.co | Gray boxes with text | No real images | +| picsum.photos | Random stock photos | Not relevant to context | +| placekitten.com | Cat photos | Unreliable, shutting down | +| via.placeholder.com | Gray boxes | Slow, basic | +| static.photos | Categorized stock | Still random within category | + +### Gap in Market + +**ZERO services offer:** +- AI-generated placeholders +- Context-aware images +- MCP/workflow integration +- Prompt-based customization + +--- + +## Strategic Recommendations + +### 1. Documentation SEO (Immediate) + +Create dedicated doc sections for: +- `/docs/placeholders/` — Main landing for placeholder keywords +- `/docs/placeholders/dark-mode` — Target 4,400 vol keyword +- `/docs/placeholders/profiles` — Avatar/profile use case +- `/docs/placeholders/sizes` — Size-specific examples + +### 2. Landing Page Opportunities + +Consider dedicated pages: +- `/placeholder-images` — Target 14,800 vol cluster +- `/ai-placeholder-generator` — Target "generator" keywords + +### 3. Content Angles + +**Tutorial ideas:** +- "How to Generate Dark Mode Placeholder Images with AI" +- "AI Placeholders for iOS/Flutter/React Native Apps" +- "Replace Stock Photo Placeholders with AI-Generated Images" + +### 4. Live URLs Feature Positioning + +Live URLs should be positioned as: +- "AI Placeholder Images" — for the placeholder niche +- Works like placehold.co but generates real images +- Prompt in URL = instant relevant placeholder + +--- + +## Total Addressable Market + +| Cluster | Monthly Searches | +|---------|-----------------| +| Core placeholder terms | ~15,000 | +| Dark mode variants | ~5,700 | +| Profile/avatar | ~2,500 | +| Developer (CSS/HTML/URL) | ~1,500 | +| Size-specific | ~1,000 | +| Loading states | ~1,000 | +| Mobile/framework | ~1,200 | +| Dummy image variants | ~2,000 | +| Generator/creator | ~1,000 | +| **TOTAL** | **~31,000** | + +--- + +## Next Steps + +1. **@strategist:** Review for content prioritization +2. **Docs team:** Create placeholder section structure +3. **Product:** Ensure Live URLs supports common sizes (200x200, 600x400, etc.) +4. **Marketing:** Position Live URLs as "AI Placeholder Service" + +--- + +## Sources + +- DataForSEO keyword suggestions (4 queries) +- Reddit: r/webdev, r/ClaudeAI, r/mcp, r/nextjs +- Brave Search community analysis