Some articles say it is not worth it and others say you can't do without it.

I understand it is not good to be included in a list with 300 more links but how do they know this is a real link and not just a link exchange ? How can I get good links ? Which ones are really worth working for ?

it could be good cuz when usearch another site ur site mite be coming up, and it could help you become better ith google. so backlinks are actually good. But maybe too mcuh could hurt cause ur site may look like a link site

If I understood you well atarplus, we both agree that getting good backlinks to your site is essential, right? What you are not sure of is the link exchange part.

Quality (not just quantity) backlinks are a great way to get your site noticed by search engines for indexing, getting a higher PageRank (in Google) and ultimately get higher rankings. Besides search engine optimization, good backlinks are also great for direct traffic. They will get your site noticed by these websites’ visitors.

My answer as to whether link exchange is necessary or not is it depends. It depends on your site’s neighborhood. A neighborhood is a network of sites that are considered by search engines as being authorities in your particular field. If it is a trend within your neighborhood that you link to their site before they can link to you, then you should consider linking back to them.

A lot of links on your site are not a good idea as they reduce the importance of your own internal links. You should be very careful as to whom you link to. A link to a site that is considered as bad by search engines can result in you being considered bad too can even be banned.

Reciprocal links are also not helpful for both parties. I always make it a point that I run a separate web site that I always put up links for those sites that require reciprocal links so I get these links away from my important site. It also breaks the links so it doesn’t appear “artificial” as Google calls it.

Because traditional link exchange is very slow and time consuming, I always kick start my backlinks by posting in relevant forums, blogs etc

blogmaster...is the true master in blog right?...

The best links are from other sites that have similar content to yours and preferably a higher Page Rank. I try to make time each day to find at least a couple and make a post about a topic that I either have a good question about or can add a little good information.

A couple doesn't sound like much but that's a lot of searching if you want good links. With all the blogs using the "no follow" code now, even a good looking blog may be little value in the search engines.