signor_john - 10:30 pm on Jan 24, 2009 (gmt 0)

I see CPC down about 50% for the clicks we advertise.

I've seen a substantial increase in EPC over the past 15 months or so, which suggests that advertisers are paying quite a bit more for clicks on our many long-tail keyphrases.

A recent report suggested that savvy advertisers have been buying more "long-tail" keywords and fewer highly competitive keywords. That's bad for publishers who have build their businesses around obvious "money" keywords and keyphrases, but it's good for publishers who have focused on building strong, diversified content within their topics.

Also, some topics are likely to fare better in the current economy than others are. It may be a bad time to publish a site about credit cards and mortgages, but people who publish advice about hoarding guns, prospecting for gold, and building cabins in the woods may be doing okay.