Paul has just posted a second article in his Making a Living Off of AdSense series. This time he’s focussing upon choosing keywords and themes for your blog. Its not just as simple as picking a topic out of the air and writing about it randomly – it takes work to make a living from blogging (I feel like I’m saying this every second post these days). But if you’re willing to sweat a little – Paul’s advice might just point you in the right direction. Quality advice once again Paul. Here is where he starts:

‘First let me dispel the myth that you should go looking for the highest paying keywords. This works for some people, but odds are the sharks have already taken over those words. That super keyword you thought was big money (meso*) is nothing now because so many people are covering it. Advertisers pay big bucks for those rare clicks so that is what we are looking for….’

Read more at Making a Living Off of AdSense Part II » Work Boxers

Has anyone else noticed the change in the way Adsense are reporting earnings in their ‘Payment History’ section? Its a new design which is much easier to read and get an overview of all at once.

However when you click on the ‘payments’ link for each month you get taken to a page that has a section called ‘Payment Type’ (see picture – highlighted section especially). Interestingly next to this heading is the word ‘Check’.

I wonder why they need to clarify what sort of payment we’re getting? Does this give us an indication of a change in payment options? Maybe Google have been listening to the many calls for new options for receiving monthly payments – we can only hope!

Found via Jensense

What kind of site does it take to make enough to live off with Google Adsense?

This is a question that has been asked over at WebmasterWorld – Adsense Forum. It is actually a question that has sparked quite a long and interesting discussion (120 replies so far – and counting).

Here are a few of the better quotes:

‘I know plenty of people with little to no tech skills making 6 figures a year with Adsense. The key is to make a site that gets visitors looking for something in particular. Your site should be about that subject. Your title and description should be written in such a way that they think they can get what they are looking for. Your site should provide just enough information to get you ranked for the terms you want and get ads targeted to what your visitors are looking for…. Your content should not provide any solution that will send them on their way without clicking on an ad.’ – by ogletree

‘Try to be a big fish in a small pond, not vice versa. Own a small niche. Loads of things could be profitable – if there are some affiliate programs available, and some adsense ads on related terms, then there’s the chance to make money. Picking something you know and love will make life a lot easier. So will choosing something without too much competition.’ by 7_Driver

‘I’m a proponent of multiple sites if only because, no matter how much plotting and planning you do, you don’t really know which sites are going to take off and become big money earners. Something as simple (and unpredictable) as a DMOZ link can make a site (it’s happened to me). I have a site that I spent about 20 hours working on, then abandoned for almost a year, that went on to consistently earn 2-3k a month. I have other sites that I thought were sure things that make less than $100/mo. This is a game where you can lose 9 times, win once, and suddenly be making enough to quit your day job. Once you have a winner or two, you can focus on those sites.’ – by Teshka

Found via Search Engine RoundTable