6.6 KiB
6.6 KiB
Keyword Research Summary — December 2025
Date: 2025-12-27
Conducted by: @strategist
Tool: DataForSEO (Google Ads Search Volume, Related Keywords)
Budget spent: ~$0.35
Location: United States
Language: English
Topics Researched
1. Remote Claude Workspace / MCP Remote Access
Keywords tested:
- claude desktop mcp
- mcp server remote
- claude desktop remote access
- claude projects multiple devices
- remote ai workspace
Key findings:
| Keyword | Volume | KD | Competition | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| claude desktop mcp | 880 | 8 | LOW (0.02) | 🟢 Strong opportunity |
| mcp server remote | 30 | - | LOW (0.23) | 🟡 Niche but viable |
| claude desktop (parent) | 18,100 | 30 | LOW (0.09) | 🟢 Massive topic |
Trend analysis:
- Peak in Apr-July 2025 (1,600-1,900 searches/month)
- Current: ~400-900/month (declining but stable)
- YoY growth: +666% from Dec 2024
Strategic assessment:
- Best opportunity among tested topics
- Low competition (KD 8) = easy to rank
- Transactional intent = readers ready to implement
- Parent topic (Claude Desktop) has huge volume → halo effect potential
Distribution potential: Dev.to, HN (Show HN), r/ClaudeAI
2. Claude Code / MCP Image Generation
Keywords tested:
- claude code image generation
- mcp image generation
- generate images cursor ide
- ai coding image workflow
Key findings:
| Keyword | Volume | KD | Competition | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| claude code image generation | 10 | - | LOW (0.05) | 🟡 Emerging niche |
| mcp image generation | 10 | - | LOW (0.12) | 🟡 Emerging niche |
Trend analysis:
- Extremely low volume (10-30/month)
- Inconsistent pattern, no clear growth trend
- MCP peaked Jul 2025 (30/month)
Strategic assessment:
- Not for traffic — too low volume
- Good for thought leadership — early mover in MCP ecosystem
- Betting on future growth — if MCP goes mainstream, could 10-100x
- Historical parallel: early Docker tutorials
Distribution potential: r/modelcontextprotocol, r/ClaudeAI, niche communities
3. "Too Many Models" Problem / Consistency
Keywords tested:
- too many ai models
- consistent ai image generation
- ai image api comparison
Key findings:
All keywords returned zero or negligible search volume.
Strategic assessment:
- Problem-aware keywords don't exist — people experience the pain but don't search for it
- Not an SEO play — won't drive organic traffic
- Thought leadership value — articulates unspoken frustration
- Social distribution — HN, Reddit, LinkedIn (not Google)
Alternative approach:
- Write as opinion/manifesto piece
- Target comparison keywords ("stable diffusion vs flux")
- Focus on counter-positioning vs competitors
- Distribute via social/community channels
Key Learnings
1. Parent Topic Strategy Works
Example: "claude desktop" (18.1k volume) vs "claude desktop mcp" (880 volume)
- Ranking for specific long-tail can drive halo traffic from parent topic
- Even low-volume keywords (880) are worth targeting if parent is huge
- Low KD + high-volume parent = excellent ROI
2. Problem-Aware Keywords Often Don't Exist
Pattern identified:
- Developers experience pain (choice paralysis, context switching)
- But don't search for the problem ("too many models" = 0 volume)
- They search for solutions or specific tools
Implication:
- Don't rely solely on keyword volume for content decisions
- Community signals (Reddit, HN, forums) reveal real pain points
- Thought leadership pieces need social distribution, not SEO
3. Emerging Topics = Early Mover Advantage
MCP ecosystem example:
- Currently 10-880 searches/month (very low)
- But competition is near zero (KD 7-12)
- Potential for 10-100x growth if ecosystem matures
- Risk: may never materialize
Strategy:
- Mix quick wins (high volume, low KD) with bets (low volume, emerging)
- Monitor trends — if MCP volume grows, double down
- Early content ages well (historical SEO value)
4. Intent Matters More Than Volume
Transactional intent observation:
- "claude desktop mcp" = 880 volume, transactional intent
- Readers are ready to implement, high engagement
- Better than 10k informational searches (low engagement)
Ranking factors:
- Low KD (7-12) = easy to rank in emerging topics
- Backlink profile matters less (avg 8-100 domains)
- Content quality + early timing = win
Topic Opportunities Ranked
| Topic | Volume | KD | Intent | Effort | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Remote Claude MCP | 880 | 8 | Transactional | Medium | 🟢 Do first |
| 2. Claude Desktop (parent) | 18.1k | 30 | Commercial | High | 🟢 Long-term target |
| 3. MCP Image Gen | 10-30 | <12 | - | Medium | 🟡 Thought leadership |
| 4. Too Many Models | 0 | - | - | Low | 🟡 Social/HN only |
Budget Notes
Total spent: ~$0.35
API calls made:
- Google Ads Search Volume (11 keywords) — $0.15
- Related Keywords for "claude desktop" (depth 1, 20 results) — $0.20
Remaining budget: ~$9.65 for December
Recommendations for Future Research
High-Priority Topics to Validate
AI coding workflow keywords:
- "cursor mcp setup"
- "ai image generation api"
- "next.js ai images"
- "placeholder images api"
Banatie-specific angles:
- "consistent image generation"
- "project-based image api"
- "ai image cdn"
Research Strategy
Before writing any article:
- Check parent topic volume (use Related Keywords)
- Verify intent (informational vs transactional)
- Look at SERP features (PAA, video, featured snippets)
- Check trend (growing vs declining)
Budget allocation:
- $0.50/article for validation
- Save budget for quarterly deep dives
- Use free tools (Perplexity, Brave) for initial discovery
Topics NOT Worth Researching
Based on patterns observed:
❌ Don't research:
- Problem-aware keywords without solution-seeking behavior
- Brand-specific queries ("cloudinary pricing" = already decided)
- Very broad topics with KD >70 (can't compete)
✅ DO research:
- Solution-seeking keywords ("how to X", "X tutorial")
- Comparison keywords ("X vs Y")
- Integration/workflow keywords ("X with Y")
Next Steps
- Validate emerging topics quarterly — check if MCP volume is growing
- Track rankings — monitor "claude desktop mcp" after publishing
- Expand parent topics — if "claude desktop mcp" ranks, try related queries
- Test social distribution — compare HN traffic vs organic for thought pieces
Last updated: 2025-12-27
Next review: 2026-03-27 (quarterly)