The thing with absense is like most things in life. People over complicate them. Here are some tips that may help you out.

1. Consistency and dedication will always win in the end. Its not a sprint to the finish line, rather its more like a marathon. Be ready to be in it for the long haul.

2. Build a small site 10-20 pages. Each page focusing on one keyword only (in the beginning).

3. Focus on keywords that are 1.00 or more. You'll get about 68% of the cost per click according to the big G. Some keywords are worth much more than others, so you should theme your site carefully.

4. Write high quality, original articles (500-800 words each).

5. Build quality back links to each and every page. Slowly in the beginning. Article marketing, blog commenting, press release, ect....

6. Track everything. Your back links,site rankings, where your traffic is coming form, ect... I use google analytics.

7. Test, test, test. Test everything from your site layout, to your adsense placement, colors, site design, and anything you can think of. Small tweaks can often make a big difference in you click through rate.

8. Finally, don't believe everything you hear of read. Instead find out for yourself. There is a lot of contradictory information out there, and the only way to know if it is true is to find out for yourself. 

I hope this helps you out. Good luck!