82 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
82 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
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`
|