The answer my beloved Google gives is YES. I didn’t realize you were allowed to click on your own Related Links from Google OR that you could alternate them with paid content. And it seems that related links box is getting more interesting too – here’s what it said on the official Adsense Blog:

Let me give you what the MBAs call the 8-second elevator pitch (our buildings are not very tall around here) on Google Related Links. The idea is you surf over to http://www.google.com/relatedlinks/ and start creating a Google Related Links unit for your site…

..While Google Related Links don’t give you revenue directly, you can use them to keep your site fresh and interesting without any maintenance. Happy visitors mean repeat visits. And if you’re feeling especially creative, try alternating between Google ads and Google Related Links in a given space on your page. This will encourage people to look in that space for interesting dynamic content.

That. Is Gangsta.