Hello,
I take it I’m communicating with the moderator of this forum (RKS)?
I have been following, with interest, the thread started by Debbie a few weeks ago in which Steiner Graphics is cited as an example.
I can live with the critique of my SEO skills (those can always be improved on). What I do object to is my personal and professional reputation being maligned in the following statement:
“Having done a backlink search on Steiner, I couldn't figure out why the were linked to from Wikipedia for the term: Trepanation. Following the links, it seems to lead to sites that have been designed by them and left on their site for whatever reason. Why? Can't see the point in that, unless they are medical consultants/web designers... Wouldn't trust them either, all pretty pictures and no substance!â€
“Surgical Care at the District Hospital†was a project the World Health Organization asked me to take on years ago. It is strange, I admit, that it continued to be hosted under the Steiner Graphics domain rather than WHO’s but that’s the way it worked out. Up until a short time ago there was a link to “Surgical Care†on the WHO site itself. They were fully aware of it’s existence and did not ask me to remove it. The inference that I have somehow intentionally “left†the site online and done so in an unethical way to derive benefit for myself is just ridiculous. Quite frankly, now I’m tempted to just pull it because it brings me nothing. I leave it only because so many sites now link to it and it clearly seems to be of some use to people.
“All pretty pictures, and no substance†--- well that’s a very subjective comment. You don’t know me, you don’t know my client base, you have no real way of knowing if the work that I do does indeed have substance other than the superficial images you see on my website. In the end, what I care for most is whether my client’s needs are being met – and apparently they are as they keep returning -- I only work on referral now. The inference that these people are somehow “clueless†is a bit insulting. Sure, most are unaware of the nitty-gritty of SEO but as a number of the participants on your forum have already pointed out this is not the only factor clients consider or for that matter treat as essential (as much as the SEO Taliban would like us to think otherwise). I must be doing something right.
I now understand why some design firms just choose to go under the radar and make their sites only accessible to clients.
I had to vent – this was bugging me – a lot.
In my opinion this is one of the drawbacks of the Internet – people think that on the basis of a few cursory link checks they can sum up the essence of an individual or a company – that’s a sad commentary on the world we live in isn’t it?
Take care.
Rene V. Steiner
no substance
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