Maybe you haven't been kept up with the link building process, SEOwned. Surely Google changes its algorithm all the times but the basic principles are still the same: They value high quality content so if you keeps adding content and keeps adding backlinks to the new content there is no doubt that you should stand in the front page now. And adding social signals to it like G+, FB Like or ReTweets. Don't give up on middle of the road yet. The money you spent on knowledge, try to make it back like create courses.
In my point of view, it's easy to share your success stories but failure stories, things that make you fail and people can avoid are more valuable.