Blaming Google may make you feel better, but if you fail in your business, it's you--not AdSense--who's failed.

That statement is pure conjecture - and unacceptably naive - since none of us know precisely how Google functions. The made point is that this thread is about variations in eCPM, it's impact and possible solutions. Let's get back on topic.

Others have offered reasonable, plausible opinions which may help those who are still learning, struggling, etc.

If anyone here thinks telling people to get a government job is instructive or humorous, I suggest they re-read Orwell's 1984, because that is the natural outcome of a government-centric slave-state.

Amen.

The goverment control what we know, and rid freedom of our lives, therefor it is in my best interest to earn my living from the internet, and to take back my rightful freedom to walk this earth without slaving to a Goverment job, earning Goverment set wages for goverment funded academical achivements.

Personaly I want to never fall under the work-eat-sleep-repeat trap, more so I want to experience life, and never have to fall under some kind of scheduled lifestyle... this to me is the highest chance freedom we can have, we're what the future is about.

Let's get back on topic.

The topic has been pretty well covered by now. To summarize what's been said, and maybe to add a thought or two:

1) Variations are inevitable.

2) They'll appear worse if you have modest traffic, because of the limited sample size.

3) Many factors can contribute to ups and downs in revenues, with the most obvious ones falling under the headings of (a) supply and demand, and (b) smart pricing.

4) "Long-tail" diversity of subtopics will tend to level out the peaks and valleys.

5) A publisher's pool of high-paying ads for any given keyphrase may be finite, which means that increases in traffic on pages about those keywords may lead to the display of more lower-paying ads (which in turn will decrease overall EPC and eCPM).

Throughout the 80s and 90s I was a contract programmer. I made obscene amounts of money when I was working, but I had no job security or "benefits". I would work for 3-18 months on a job, then usually go 3-9 months without a job. Lots of people tried that life, but couldn't handle the lack of "security". Either that or they would start living the $100/hr life when they were making money and find themselves screwed when the money suddenly stopped coming in.

Quite simply, if you find that you are incapable of planning for the bad times during the good times, you need to find another way to make your money. You WILL find yourself in financial trouble if you do not.