mmcmedia Trend Research Skill
Purpose: Enable VPS agents (Sage, Scout, Milo) to research trending topics with REAL search volume data across social platforms, Reddit, and general web sources.
Available Tools:
web_search(Brave Search) — Site-specific and general queries, freshness filteringweb_fetch— Extract full content from pages (Reddit threads, blog posts, reports)keyword-volume.sh— Keywords Everywhere API — Real Google search volume, CPC, competition, and 12-month trend data
🔑 Keywords Everywhere Integration (USE THIS FIRST)
ALWAYS validate trends with real search volume data. Don't guess demand — measure it.
Script
# Local:
/Users/mmcassistant/clawd/skills/trend-research/keyword-volume.sh "keyword1" "keyword2" "keyword3"
# VPS:
/home/openclaw/skills/trend-research/keyword-volume.sh "keyword1" "keyword2" "keyword3"
What It Returns
- Volume: Monthly Google searches
- CPC: Cost per click (higher = more commercial intent = more money in niche)
- Competition: 0-1 scale (higher = more advertisers competing)
- 12-month trend: Monthly breakdown + direction (📈 RISING / 📉 FALLING / ➡️ STABLE)
Credits: ~96K remaining (1 credit per keyword). Batch up to 100 keywords per call.
Standard Workflow: Brave Search discovers → Keywords Everywhere validates
Interpretation Guide
| Volume | Assessment |
|---|---|
| 50K+ | 🔥 Huge — high competition, hard to rank |
| 10K-50K | ✅ Strong — worth building content around |
| 1K-10K | 👍 Good — sweet spot for niche sites |
| 100-1K | 🟡 Modest — only if low competition |
| <100 | ⚠️ Low — probably not worth a dedicated article |
| CPC | What It Means |
|---|---|
| $1+ | 💰 High commercial intent — advertisers pay to rank |
| $0.10-$1 | 💵 Moderate commercial value |
| <$0.10 | 📝 Informational — learning, not buying |
Quick Reference
| Agent | Primary Use | Key Queries |
|---|---|---|
| Scout (Etsy) | Product trends | "[niche] trending products 2026", "etsy bestseller [category]" |
| Sage (SEO) | Content trends | "[topic] trending 2026", "[niche] content ideas" |
| Milo (PsalMix) | Music/culture | "trending clean music 2026", "family friendly music trends" |
Workflow A: Etsy Product Trend Research (Scout)
Goal: Identify trending products, validate demand, assess competition.
Step 1: Broad Market Search
web_search query="[niche] trending products 2026" count=10 freshness="pw"
web_search query="etsy bestseller [category]" count=10
Look for: Product names, price ranges, volume indicators ("bestseller", "top seller", "hot right now")
Step 2: Reddit Validation
web_search query="site:reddit.com etsy digital downloads trending [niche]" count=10 freshness="pw"
web_search query="site:reddit.com [niche] what are people buying" count=10
Look for: User discussions, pain points, real demand signals, competitor mentions
Step 3: Pinterest Inspiration
web_search query="site:pinterest.com [product type] popular [niche]" count=10
Look for: Visual trends, design patterns, color schemes, styling preferences
Step 4: Deep Dive (Optional)
web_fetch url=[top Reddit thread] extractMode="markdown"
web_fetch url=[trending blog post] extractMode="markdown"
Extract: User comments, reasons for popularity, seasonal patterns
Output Format
SCOUT TREND REPORT: [Niche] Products
Date: YYYY-MM-DD
TOP 10 FINDINGS:
1. [Product Name] | Source: [URL] | Confidence: HIGH
2. [Product Name] | Source: [URL] | Confidence: MEDIUM
...
MARKET SIGNALS:
- Average price range: $X-$Y
- Seasonal peak: [Month]
- Competition level: [Low/Medium/High]
ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS:
- Research [product] on Everbee for keyword difficulty
- Check Etsy bestseller rankings in [category]
- Test listing with [design approach]
RESEARCH DATE: YYYY-MM-DD
Workflow B: Content/SEO Trend Research (Sage)
Goal: Find high-intent search queries, content gaps, competition levels.
Step 1: Trend Discovery
web_search query="[topic] trending 2026" count=10 freshness="pw"
web_search query="[niche] content ideas 2026" count=10
web_search query="[topic] guide tutorial" count=10
Look for: Search volume indicators, article titles, content types gaining traction
Step 2: Reddit Intent Mining
web_search query="site:reddit.com [niche] what content do people want" count=10
web_search query="site:reddit.com [niche] questions answered" count=10
web_search query="site:reddit.com [topic] help advice" count=10
Look for: Questions people ask, pain points, content gaps, language/terminology
Step 3: Competition Assessment
web_search query="[topic] [niche] top articles" count=10
web_fetch url=[top result] extractMode="markdown"
Analyze: Content structure, depth, gaps you can fill
Step 4: Google Trends Proxy (No Direct API)
web_search query="google trends [topic]" count=5
web_search query="[niche] searches increasing 2026" count=10
Extract: Seasonal patterns, related searches, rising queries
Output Format
SAGE TREND REPORT: [Topic] Content Strategy
Date: YYYY-MM-DD
TOP 10 CONTENT OPPORTUNITIES:
1. [Content Title/Topic] | Difficulty: [Low/Medium/High] | Intent: [Commercial/Informational/Navigational]
2. [Content Title/Topic] | Difficulty: [Low/Medium/High] | Intent: [Commercial/Informational]
...
REDDIT INSIGHTS:
- Top questions: [Q1], [Q2], [Q3]
- Pain points: [P1], [P2]
- Terminology: [T1], [T2]
COMPETITION:
- Top 3 competing articles: [URL], [URL], [URL]
- Content gap: [Specific angle not covered]
ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS:
- Write [specific topic] targeting [keyword difficulty]
- Focus on angle: [unique approach]
- Include sections: [section1], [section2], [section3]
RESEARCH DATE: YYYY-MM-DD
Workflow C: Music/Culture Trend Research (Milo/PsalMix)
Goal: Identify trending sounds, cultural moments, audience-safe content opportunities.
Step 1: Music Trend Search
web_search query="trending clean music 2026" count=10 freshness="pw"
web_search query="family friendly music trends 2026" count=10
web_search query="viral TikTok sounds wholesome" count=10
Look for: Artist names, song titles, sound characteristics, use cases
Step 2: Reddit Community Signals
web_search query="site:reddit.com clean music recommendations" count=10
web_search query="site:reddit.com family friendly songs 2026" count=10
web_search query="site:reddit.com [music genre] trending" count=10
Look for: Community favorites, emerging artists, listener preferences
Step 3: TikTok Trending Sounds
web_search query="site:tiktok.com trending sounds 2026" count=10
web_search query="site:tiktok.com family friendly sounds" count=10
Note: TikTok site search has limited results; focus on searches containing "tiktok trending"
Step 4: Deep Dive
web_fetch url=[trending music list/blog] extractMode="markdown"
Extract: Song titles, artists, reasons for popularity, audience demographics
Output Format
MILO TREND REPORT: [Genre/Category] Music Trends
Date: YYYY-MM-DD
TOP 10 TRENDING SOUNDS:
1. [Song] by [Artist] | Category: [Clean/Family-Friendly/Genre] | Confidence: HIGH
2. [Song] by [Artist] | Category: [Clean/Family-Friendly/Genre] | Confidence: MEDIUM
...
VIRAL OPPORTUNITIES:
- Sound: [Sound Title] | Platforms: [TikTok, Instagram, YouTube]
- Use case: [What creators use it for]
- Audience: [Demographics]
EMERGING ARTISTS:
- [Artist name] - [Reason for trend]
- [Artist name] - [Reason for trend]
CONTENT ANGLES:
- Covers/remixes of [trending song]
- Wholesome dance trends to [sound]
- [Genre] playlist curation
ACTIONABLE NEXT STEPS:
- License/use [song] for [project type]
- Create content featuring [viral sound]
- Partner with [artist/sound creator]
RESEARCH DATE: YYYY-MM-DD
Workflow D: General Market Intelligence
Goal: Track competitor moves, seasonal trends, industry reports.
Competitor Analysis
web_search query="[competitor name] [niche] 2026" count=10
web_search query="[competitor] new products features" count=10
Seasonal Trend Tracking
web_search query="[niche] seasonal trends [month] 2026" count=10
web_search query="[niche] holiday buying guide" count=10
Subreddit Monitoring
web_search query="site:reddit.com/r/[subreddit] [topic]" count=10 freshness="pw"
Industry Reports
web_search query="[niche] market report 2026" count=10
web_search query="[industry] trends report" count=10
Search Query Templates
Universal Format:
web_search query="[TEMPLATE]" count=10 freshness="pw|pm"
Etsy/Products
[product type] trending products 2026site:reddit.com etsy [category] bestsellersite:pinterest.com [style] home decor popularetsy printable [niche] best sellers
Content/SEO
[topic] trending 2026 articlessite:reddit.com [niche] how to guide[keyword] what people search for[niche] blog post ideas
Music/Culture
[genre] trending songs 2026site:reddit.com [music style] recommendationssite:tiktok.com [genre] sounds viralfamily friendly [music type] artists
General
site:reddit.com [niche] [question][topic] market report 2026[competitor] [category] analysis
Freshness Parameters
Use freshness to filter by discovery time:
| Parameter | Time Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|
"pw" |
Past week | Real-time trends, viral moments |
"pm" |
Past month | Emerging trends with staying power |
"py" |
Past year | Sustained trends, year-over-year changes |
| (omit) | Any time | Established trends, background info |
Web Fetch: Deep Dive Extraction
When a search result looks promising, extract full content:
web_fetch url="https://reddit.com/r/[subreddit]/comments/[id]" extractMode="markdown"
Good candidates for fetching:
- Reddit threads with 100+ comments (rich discussions)
- Blog posts from established sources (detailed analysis)
- Trend reports and roundups (data-rich)
- Product reviews and comparisons (detailed context)
Pro Tips
1. Corroborate with Multiple Sources
- HIGH confidence: 3+ independent sources mention the trend
- MEDIUM confidence: 1-2 sources, recent publication
- LOW confidence: 1 source or older than 2 weeks
2. Time-Sensitivity
- Always include
Date: YYYY-MM-DDin reports - Trends change rapidly; research older than 1 month may be outdated
- Use
freshness="pw"for current market conditions
3. Reddit Gold Mines
- Sort searches by "most helpful" (implicit in Brave Search)
- Look for comments with 100+ upvotes (community validation)
- Check post age (recent = still relevant)
4. Pinterest for Visual Trends
- Searches return trending pins at top
- Indicates design preferences, color trends, styling
- Particularly valuable for Etsy mockup inspiration
5. Combine Queries
- Use multiple queries per workflow (cast a wider net)
- Look for overlaps (if 5 sources mention the same product, it's hot)
6. Context Matters
- For Scout: Focus on search volume, price, repeat mentions
- For Sage: Extract actual user questions and pain points
- For Milo: Emphasize family-friendly/clean tags, artist names
When to Escalate
If initial research doesn't yield clear results:
- Refine query — Add specificity (category, audience, timeframe)
- Try different sources — Reddit weak? Try Pinterest
- Expand timeframe — Use
freshness="pm"instead of"pw" - Manual validation — Fetch top 2-3 results and read carefully
- Get baseline data — Search "[niche] statistics 2026" for context
Output Checklist
Every trend research report should include:
- Date of research (YYYY-MM-DD)
- Top 10 findings (specific, actionable)
- Source URLs for all findings
- Confidence level (HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW per finding)
- Agent-specific insights (Scout = demand, Sage = competition, Milo = platform opportunity)
- Actionable next steps (3-5 concrete actions)
- Trend lifecycle assessment (emerging/growing/peaking/declining)
Examples
Scout: Etsy Trend Search
Query: "wall art trending products 2026" Result: "10 trending home decor wall art prints from design blogs and Etsy bestsellers" Confidence: HIGH (multiple corroborating sources) Next step: Research design styles on Pinterest, check Everbee for keyword difficulty
Sage: SEO Opportunity
Query: "site:reddit.com interior design what content do people want" Result: "Users asking for room makeover guides, small space tips, budget-friendly ideas" Confidence: HIGH (direct user intent from 500+ comments) Next step: Create "small apartment interior design" guide targeting identified questions
Milo: Music Trend
Query: "trending clean music 2026" Result: "Indie folk, acoustic pop, and wholesome hip-hop gaining traction; specific artists identified" Confidence: MEDIUM (3 blog sources + 1 Reddit thread) Next step: License indie folk tracks for PsalMix content, monitor rising artists
Last Updated: Feb 7, 2026
For: Sage (SEO), Scout (Etsy), Milo (PsalMix)