Which between earned links and paid links are given greater value in the search engine results?

There is an ongoing hot discussion about acquiring links from the Internet. Though it is settled that all links are essential, some are given much value than others. Why is this so?

Links are classified into 2 - the earned and the paid links. Some say earned links (those links that are placed by website owners on their sites linking to yours) are given greater value in engine marketing result search. However, there are also a number of SEO enthusiasts who believe that paid links (those that entail pecuniary estimation or consideration) are given higher value in engine ranking result search view. HowStuffWorks.org is offering "channel sponsorship" for this purpose. The site has top Google rankings so having a link on it is a boost to your website.

The fact is that search engines do the valuation depending on where the link is placed. Getting improved search engine rankings is not an overnight success. It takes a lot of time and hard work. Remember that all relevant links count and they serve as votes. Moreover, every link you yield is only going to help.