Eric Giguere, author of Make Easy Money with GoogleI am NOT the studious type, as those who know me personally can attest. I’m more of an idea guy…impulsive, creative and impatient. Sometimes this of benefit…often, maybe. Other times, it can be a drawback. So I tend to value resources that can teach not only the right thing to do (I have a pretty good handle on that), but also the right way to do it…i.e., those who can be a little more objective than I tend to be.

This year, I’ve had the opportunity to learn some things from Eric Giguère (pronounced jee-gair). Hailing from The Great White North, he makes his primary living as a software developer…but at some point became intrigued by Google’s contextual advertising program, AdSense…and has made quite a study of it over the past few years. He’s pretty smart…I can barely even READ his bio, much less comprehend it. But what he’s done that matters to me is to take the vagueries of AdSense (originally intended to be “stupid-simple”, but which has taken on quite the mystique as “gurus” have made it their mission to tell us that only THEY have the real key to using the program), and de-mystified it once again.

I tend to really appreciate guys like that. Joel Comm and Ralph Wilson are two other guys who have been helpful to my learning process at different points along the way.

Eric has a book on AdSense (Make Easy Money with Google) and a blog with a similar name. He offers tips, techniques and case studies about how to take content areas in which you have a personal interest…writing and assembling related resources on a web site or blog…and then to use AdSense as one of the main vehicles for monetization…another small “income stream” into your life, if you will. He serves as a filter, taking a look at the claims of self-appointed gurus and recently-released products related to AdSense…which, if you’re prone to spend money to fix every problem, can save you some serious coin (since many of those products are pretty much worthless or, at least, severely out-of-balance).

There’s no magic to the AdSense system. You can stumble your way in and make a little bit of money. But as with any other topic, experience can teach you a great deal (including how to optimize your efforts and increase your level of income). Add to that the benefits of testing and an analytical mind, and you’ve got something worth investing in.

If you’d like to find out more, but you’re not ready to plunk down 20 bucks, check out Eric’s blog, Make Easy Money With Google And AdSense. It’s chock full of good quality information, and he is also there to respond to comments and questions posted by readers of his blog. I read it daily, and you’ll find me commenting there fairly often…largely because I believe in supporting people who do things the right way.

Eric has also been helpful to me on a personal level…teaching me things I thought I already knew. Yeah…I’m an idiot…but, at least I admit it! 😉

So if you have some areas of interest that you’ve thought about taking to the web…I’d recommend you check out Eric’s blog, and eventually the book…to get a feel for some of the ways that you might be able to make some extra money from your hobby. I’ve been doing it for several years now and the passive income has made a significant difference in my life.