SEO Elite...worth getting?
 

Anyone use this software with success? I thought trading links can now hurt your rankings, anyone know?

Don't believe everything you read on 'SEO' boards. Like everything else you simply have to get it right. The only thing I'll add is you're unlikely to rank well on just recips but again done right it will never harm you and will usually help you. For the confused please read the part where I mentioned doing it properly. Few do.

As for the tool you mentioned it can be useful but is a little overpriced IMHO but then it depends what you get out of it I suppose.

Biggest problem with SEO is idiots just jump to crap conclusions based on very flimsy evidence that is usually just coincidence i.e. I changed xyz and my site dropped soon after so xyz must have caused it. The reality is it can be any number of 100's of things that cause a drop and you need a decent amount of data to draw any kind of conclusions. That doesn't stop them posting on boards though and starting yet another SEO myth.

Oh...and learn to read between the lines when Matt Cutts posts. His job isn't to help people who SEO actively.... So many people believe everything the guy says which produces yet more BS.