However a lot of webmasters get so sucked in to building up the number of links to their sites, that they forget all links are not created equal - some links are far more valuable than others. It is absolutely essential to your success that you not only build up the number of links to your site, but also be fully aware of how to evaluate the worth of each link. This lets you concentrate your efforts on getting the most effective links to your site, and guarantees that you are getting a fair deal in any reciprocal linking arrangements. For example, all things being equal, a link to your golfing store from a golf tips site is much more likely to produce results than from an auto, finance or games site. A link that is buried among 500 others on the same page will not get many clicks.
Links usually work better if place in some kind of related context like an article for example.
Every link swap you set up will eat up a slice of your time - so concentrate on finding sites where it's clear the link will be valuable to you. Evaluate link requests. Take a moment to look at their site and their links page before deciding if it's a good deal for you. Start your own affiliate program and pay other sites to link to you. You can pay them a percentage of the sales they generate for you, or for each visitor they send.