iamlost - 5:50 pm on Aug 18, 2006 (gmt 0)

ronburk - another good thread topic.

I agree with you, but :-), the 20/80 ratio and the high/low click values are valid but largely irrelevant statistics. The average page (limited to AdSense for this thread) revenue is very important (and not just because it times the number of pages is your revenue):
* site revenue can increase linearly with site size based on an average relatively easily.
* the average amount itself can be increased through good analysis, planning, and work.
* this average can be reasonably pre-approximated during niche research and site planning for a business plan prior to actually doing a word of code or content. There should be no big revenue surprises once a site is up unless AdSense (and whatever other revenue sources) significantly alter their T&C.

Setting, achieving, and maintaining an acceptable average is eminently doable. Attempting to raise the lower 80% to equal the top 20% is an exercise in futility and frustration.

The nice thing about averages is that the more input/pages the greater the stability of the average. Naturally a diverse range of sites, not just adding pages to one site, is of longterm importance in stabilising ones average revenue. A nickel/dime a day average per page can be quite profitable (1000-pages == 50/100$ per day) over time. Not that more is bad, of course.

As mentioned traffic is a critical factor. A site niche must be both popular and saleable. Traffic without conversion is a hobby. If this wasn't researched prior to code/content you are guessing. For many/most niches both popularity and potential sales numbers can be approximated. Traffic exhaustion is a sign of poor planning.

The same people who fixate on the high value clicks are often the people without a business plan, without a site architecture plan, relying on a scattergun approach of chasing keyword value. The manic-depressives of the web.