Is it really that exchanging links or putting my link on other sites do not work with search engine ranking?

Question

I've heard that google ranking only depends on putting links back on directories, social networking sites, bookmarking sites, blogs, forums

Answer 1

it works well as long as you are getting good traffic from those links

Answer 2

I say that is is lie.  What is different about exchanging links or putting links on a social networking site.  Of course the more popular site that has your site link the better, but how did people get ranked before there was a myspace or a facebook???  You have to realize that it isn't just linking or advertising, it has mostly to do with how many people visit your site.  If your site isn't popular then why should it be popular with google?  

For that reason is why I use autosurf programs like www.topsurfing.net to get free hits to your site. They get a lot of different people visiting your site and revisiting your site. Plus, I have never paid for any advertising and my sites do well in search engines.