The Search That Serves the Public
Fractional CMO & Growth Strategy
#1 Google ranking for “chevron deference flowchart.” Top-5 rankings for “levels of scrutiny” and “government surveillance laws.” Press placement in Business Insider. Recognition from SCOTUSblog.
THE CLIENT
Subscript Law is a legal nonprofit founded by civil rights attorney Mariam Morshedi, dedicated to making complex legal concepts and Supreme Court news accessible through infographic reporting. The platform serves law students, professors, journalists, and the general public — an unbiased, visually-driven resource for understanding the law. When Thelemata joined in mid-2018, Subscript had strong content and a clear mission. It needed marketing infrastructure to match.
THE CHALLENGE
Subscript had a proof-of-concept problem. The organization needed to demonstrate that a professional marketing investment would deliver enough results to justify raising a larger budget. Specifically: double the email subscriber list and social following, move from invisible in organic search to becoming a go-to visual resource for journalists and educators, build sustainable revenue through corporate sponsorships and a for-profit creative arm, and develop grant applications for major foundations including the MacArthur Foundation.
THE STRATEGY
The content deserved to rank — Subscript’s infographics were genuinely better than anything else in the legal visualization space. The strategic question was discoverability. Thelemata built a two-phase growth plan: first, saturate the legal professional market by owning the search terms their audience was already using; second, convert that authority into donor and grant communications that could unlock foundation funding. Organic search would build the audience; the audience would build the case for investment.
EXECUTION
Thelemata served as Interim Chief Marketing Officer, authoring the foundational marketing strategy and managing execution across SEO, content, press, and revenue development:
Authored the “Subscript Short Term Marketing Plan,” establishing the two-phase growth strategy and defining the path from niche legal tool to primary resource for journalists, teachers, and policy communicators
Conducted deep keyword research targeting high-value terms including “supreme court decisions,” “legal news,” “levels of scrutiny,” and “chevron deference”
Managed third-party SEO firm SEO Digital Group to improve site indexability, restructure information architecture, and execute on-page optimization
Audited user flow and conversion tracking to monitor the performance of Google AdWords and paid media
Advised on and promoted high-impact content series including a non-partisan Kavanaugh series and a “Complete Snapshot of the 2017–2018 Supreme Court Term”
Ghostwrote and edited thought leadership content exploring the intersection of legal structures and visual communication
Developed mission-oriented grant copy for MacArthur Foundation outreach
Advised the founder on sustainable revenue models and the strategic development of “Subscript Creative” — a blueprint for monetizing the organization’s visual approach through a for-profit creative arm
Identified high-leverage press opportunities within the legal and journalism community; secured placement in Business Insider and supported recognition from SCOTUSblog
RESULTS
“Chevron deference flowchart”: #1 Google ranking (by September 2018). “Levels of scrutiny”: top-5 Google ranking. “Government surveillance laws”: top-5 Google ranking.
Press placement: Business Insider. Industry recognition: SCOTUSblog coverage and citation. Key content: “Sanctuary Cities” and “Political Gerrymandering” infographics became primary teacher and journalist resources. Revenue strategy: Subscript Creative blueprint developed. Grant outreach: MacArthur Foundation application developed.
THE TAKEAWAY
Subscript Law had what most nonprofits lack: genuinely useful content with a clear public interest mission. What it needed was a system to get found. Thelemata built that system — from keyword strategy to press relationships to grant copy — and handed the founder a platform positioned to grow. The SEO results came fast because the content deserved to rank. The work was making sure Google knew it existed. That foundation gave Subscript the proof-of-concept it needed to make the case for a larger investment in its mission.
SERVICES DELIVERED
Fractional CMO / Interim Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Roadmap and Growth Strategy, SEO Audit, Keyword Research, and Implementation, Third-Party SEO Vendor Management, Content Strategy and Editorial Planning, Thought Leadership Ghostwriting and Editing, Grant Writing and Foundation Outreach, Press Identification and Media Relations, Revenue Model and Monetization Strategy, Conversion Tracking and Paid Media Audit.