Five months ago, I looked at how the 45n5.com Top 100 list changed due to a PageRank update. Since then Google has updated some PageRanks again, and I wanted to go back over the previous list and see where people stand today.

I am using my original list from the post entitled “An Entirely Different Top 100 Make Money Online List”

NEW Sites

When I last did this, my blog wasn’t listed in the top 50, and it really bummed me out, but since then I have made it into the top 50 and have done rather respectable in my opinion, but the one thing that strikes me about this new list is how many blogs that weren’t in the top 50 have also joined the ranks. Look at all the ones listed as being NEW to the top 50, and you will undestand what I mean.

This to me says two things.

The first thing it points to is something that I say all the time to people, which is, if you are passionate about any niche, no matter how saturated, take a stab at it, as you might be “the voice” everyone has been waiting for.

The second thing this list shows is how many really respectable and interesting bloggers run out of steam, and are unable to compete with all the new up and coming blogs in the niche.

With the “make money online” niche, I have found it to be very cyclical with old blogs dying off as they run out of fresh ideas and new blogs taking their place. Near the very top of the list, you can see there are some blogs though that are just cemented in their spot, which is proof of how far and how long you can really be the expert in a niche if you really want it bad enough.

Also, if you look at the list, and compare it with the last list, there aren’t as many double digit movers and shakers in this update, but I believe that it is in part because I don’t have the full list from five months ago. Some of the blogs listed as NEW were most likely on the list, below the top 50 threashold, and so while they are new to the top 50, they aren’t new to Mark’s Top 100 List and many might have experienced double digit gains in their position over the last five months.

Interesting Drops

There are a few blogs that weren’t able to stay in the top 50, including notable site, Cash Quests, which currently ranks at 59. It had a previous rank as high as 15, but after being sold, it wasn’t able to maintain its higher Alexa ranking and has dropped drastically.

Another that is sitting outside the top 50 after once being deep entrenched in it is Nate Whitehill, who with his Unique Blog Designs was very heavily linked at one point. Five months ago his blog was ranked number 18, and before that it was number 10. Now it sits at the spot number 52. Another blog that looks like its rank was killed thanks to a drop in its Alexa score.

Names Names Names

The final interesting note that I wanted to add to this post is something that I noticed while creating it: blog names. It seems many people in the make money online blog scene have decided to use their own name or a pen name for the site’s URL and title. Over a dozen blogs in the list are currently using the real name or pen name of the author.

I am not sure why they have done that, but I think it’s interesting to note.

Originally posted on March 28, 2008 @ 3:26 am