Hi Sarah,
My
business blog and my
WordPress SEO blog both convert AdSense poorly, though I must admit it's partly my own fault because 1) I didn't optimize my AdSense on either site to the fullest; and 2) AdSense isn't the primary concern for either site.
I have blogs that aren't ugly, spammy, or garbage sites (people have actually taken the time to thank me for the content or compliment the layout) that convert AdSense around 10%+. These sites have absolutely nothing to do with marketing, business, blogging, SEO, or otherwise and they earn the most with AdSense.
With that said, the more tech, marketing, and business savvy the audience, the greater the ad-blindness.
So, unless you
weave the AdSense into your site incredibly well, your blog will probably continue to convert at next to nil. Something else to consider is that while you may weave your AdSense so well that visitors think they're clicking to read an article, but are whisked away by AdSense, you could be sending someone away who would have purchased a product from one of your affiliate links had they stayed at your site.
A while back, I wrote an entry titled
Think Outside the AdSense. It's meant to remind people that there's more to earning money online than contextual advertising. You must consider what the best avenue is for your particular audience whether it's affiliate products, your own product, or contextual advertising.
My 2 cents,
~ Teli