Sources Cited:Google Search gets Status Dashboard to provide updates during outagesGoogle December 2022 Link Spam UpdateGoogle Launches Visual Guide To Search ElementsLily ray on google updatesA guide to Google Search ranking systems

In a short episode, Cord and Einar preview the new and improved Tallest Tree Think Tank Ranking. The new rankings will be automated, updated monthly, and incorporate more data than ever. This includes:Budget data from ProPublicaTraffic, traffic value, domain rating, and backlink data from AhrefsPages indexed  from Serp APIWeb software from WappalyzerWe're now able to pull historical traffic data from Ahrefs, which will give us insights into the last 36 months of performance for each of the 300+ groups in our study. We thank Ahrefs, who reviewed and approved our use of this data, for their support of this project.We're also working with a new statistician, assistant professor of marketing at Clemson University, Lura Forcum. We're grateful for her insights on the data.A few trends popped up in data review:About 12% of groups are still dealing with www vs non-www canonical issuesMany sites have pop-ups that likely violate Google's Page Experience guidelinesWe found "spikey" traffic patterns for many groups, especially state-based think tanks, which may be explained by the location from which the traffic data was collectedWe saw a few sites that relaunched w/o redirects in place, which resulted in their referring domains crashing and large losses in trafficMany groups were affected by recent Google updatesMany groups saw growth in referring domains w/o growth in traffic

Cord & Einar discuss how to optimize your website for web crawlers. How do things like robots.txt, site speed, HTTP codes, URLs, links, redirects, XML sitemaps, PDFs vs web pages, robots meta tags, and canonical URLs all affect web crawlers? How can you optimize these aspects of your site to make sure all the content you want robots to discover can be crawled and indexed?Sources Cited:Google Robots Testing ToolMerkle robots.txt ValidatorPageSpeed InsightsLighthousePingdom Speed TestRobots Meta Tags

Cord & Einar discuss all things linking. Can JavaScript links pass PageRank? How to HTTP to HTTPS redirects work? Are old links irrelevant? Will links always be a ranking factor? What's a link graph?Sources Cited:Search Engine Roundtable: Google Updates Help Documentation To Say Using JavaScript For Links Can Be FineGoogle Search Central: Make your links crawlableSearch Engine Roundtable: Google Can Pass PageRank From HTTP To HTTPS URLs With RedirectsSearch Engine Roundtable: Google: Some Old Links May Be Irrelevant (AKA Link Rot)Search Engine Roundtable: Google: Links Will Be Less Important As A Ranking Factor In The FutureKevin Indig: https://twitter.com/kevin_indig/status/1590115045236965376SEMRush: Get a Bird’s Eye View of Any Website’s Link NetworkSearch Engine Roundtable: Google Search Console API Delay To Be Fixed In DaysSearch Engine Journal: Is Bounce Rate A Google Ranking Factor?

In this episode Cord & Einar discuss the ever-evolving Tallest Tree approach to SEO audits.Here's the outline Cord & Einar used on the show:ToolsSitebulb: run both an HTML-only and JavaScript crawlAhrefs CrawlerAhrefs Site ExplorerAhrefs Chrome extensionGoogle Search ConsoleChrome Inspector w/LighthouseGoogle’s Robots TesterInspect URL in GSCSchema ValidatorMerkle’s https://technicalseo.com/tools/The Wayback MachineFirst lookExplore the site by hand, view source on whatever the half dozen most-used templates seem to beTurn off JavaScript using Chrome extension and review the site againExplore the backend and get some counts on posts, categories, authors, etc.Look at plugins/modulesReview Sitebult/Ahrefs crawl resultsReview Google Search ConsoleThe goal of the first look is form a basic hypothesis about how technical SEO and site structure can be improved. Take screenshots and start making slides right away.ChecklistReview 192 items in 35 categoriesReportingHow a search engine worksCrawlingIndexingRankingE-A-TMeasurementRank TrackingGTM & GA4 for Traffic  & ConversionsLink GrowthGoogle News

In this episode Cord & Einar review the best of "SEO Twitter" discussing topics like Facebook's profit nightmare (and why you should do SEO instead of Facebook ads), Google Search Console's new messages on max-image-preview, the 4th edition of "The Art of SEO," the new 2022 Web Almanac, how "Early Hints" can improve your Core Web Vitals, measuring E-A-T, 8 confirmed Google ranking factors, content hubs, and measuring topical authority. Sources Cited:@antoniogm  cites The New York Post: Meta’s profits plunge more than 50% as ad revenue dwindles@rustybrick  tweets about Google Search Console Notices For max-image-preview@LeeFootSEO  shouts out  The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization 4th Edition@HTTPArchive  hightlights the new  2022 Web Almanac@alonkochba show how Early Hints can boost Core Web Vitals@creativetrnd spreads the word about @lilyraynyc's Measuring E-A-T Whiteboard Friday talk for @Moz@ahrefs on  8 confirmed Google ranking factors@aleyda links to a @sistrix list of Content Hubs Performance Leaders@jsvxc links to an Ahrefs study that uses a topical authority measurement method from @Kevin_Indig

In this episode Cord & Einar discuss whether or not AMP is ranking factor, priority hints, Google Search Essentials, the October 2022 spam Google spam update, title tags, WordPress 6.1, how Yoast pings search engines, and an article about topical authority by the late Bill Slawski.Sources Cited:brightonSEO online: October 2022Search Engine Journal: AMP: Is It A Google Ranking Factor?web.dev: Optimizing resource loading with Priority HintsSearch Engine Journal: Goodbye Google Webmaster Guidelines, Hello Google Search EssentialsSearch Engine Land: Google releases October 2022 spam updateSearch Engine Journal: Google Replaces Title Tags With Site Names For Homepage ResultsSearch Engine Land: Google rolling out site names and updated favicon logos in search resultsSearch Engine Journal: WordPress 6.1 Is Jam-Packed With Performance UpgradesYoast: Disabling search engine pingsGo Fish Digital: Google Using Website Representation Vectors to Classify with Expertise and Authority

In this episode Cord & Einar discuss Google changing Data Studio to Google Looker Studio, SEO conferences, Kevin Indig's take on the latest Google updates, previously visited sitelink icons, and the trouble with timestamps.Sources Cited:Search Engine Roundtable: Google Data Studio Is Now Looker StudioSearch Engine Journal: The Best SEO Conferences In 2022-2023 (Virtual And In-Person)Kevin Indig: Google's latest updates leave no room for low-quality contentSearch Engine Roundtable: Google Tests Previously Visited Sitelinks IconsSearch Engine Roundtable: Google Still Working On Getting Timestamps Accurate In Search Results

In this episode Cord & Einar discuss the title tag length, "link juice," AMP is dead, measuring forms with GA4, how Googlebot handles iframes, and how to think about copies of original content on the web.Sources Cited:Search Engine Land: What should the title tag length be in 2023?SEO Roundtable: Google: Anything That Talks About Link Juice Should Be IgnoredLily Ray 😏 on Twitter: "The "nail in the coffin for AMP"Search Engine Land: GA4 now has an enhanced measurement option for Form interactionsSearch Engine Land: Technical SEO testing: How Googlebot handles iframesSEO Roundtable: Google Gives Advice On When Copy Sites Outrank Your Original Content

In this episode Cord & Einar discuss the changes to mobile search, iOS 14.5 makes the case for programmatic SEO, September core update winners/losers, changing URLs, website quality scores, and 4 ways to measure SEO effectiveness.Sources Cited:Search Engine Journal: Google Announces 5 Changes Coming To Mobile SearchVenture Beat: Decreasing ad revenue, iOS 14.5 make case for programmatic SEOAmsive Digital: Winners & Losers of the September 2022 Core Update & Product Reviews UpdateSearch Engine Journal: Website Quality Score: Is It A Google Ranking Factor?Search Engine Land: 4 smarter ways to measure SEO effectiveness

In this episode Cord & Einar discuss the Google September Core Update and how we can measure the effect it's had on website combined with the Helpful Content. We also talk about GSC reports and a fatal error caused by a Yoast plugin update.Sources Cited:Search Engine Journal: Yoast SEO 19.7 Causes Fatal Error & Crashes WebsitesSearch Engine Land: Google launches new HTTPS report in Google Search ConsoleSEO Roundtable: Is The Percentage Of Pages Not Indexed A Bad Google SEO Sign?Ahrefs: How to Fix "Discovered - currently not indexed"Kevin Indig: Case Study AI content punished by the HCU updateSearch Engine Journal: Google Says AI Generated Content Is Against GuidelinesSearch Engine Journal: Google Answers If Core Update Ranking Losses Are A Soft PenaltyBarry Adams: https://twitter.com/badams/status/1572136878740054019?s=12&t=SLaNlPLSq-JmdJdNOttFJASearch Engine Journal: Google: Timing Of September Core Update After HCU Not CoincidentalBarry Adams: https://twitter.com/badams/status/1572631653557895168?s=12&t=i5qR5S75L3-c2fC0DwMbcQ

Google is rolling out a new core update. What's a core update? Google talks about thin content, h1 tags, and adding fresh content in their Office Hours and we issue our rebuttal. Finally, we discuss PPC vs. SEO, when to use which, and how we use the two together.Sources Cited:Search Engine Journal: Google Announces September 2022 Core Algorithm UpdateLily Ray: https://twitter.com/lilyraynyc/status/1570079756032348160?s=12&t=fwptw1BHmFrlS4MFZ4NYGgSEO Roundtable: Google Says Word Count Is Not A Sign Of Thin Content Or Unhelpful ContentSearch Engine Journal: Google Answers If Adding Content Daily Increases RankingsHubspot: SEO vs. PPC: When to Optimize and When to Pay for Traffic

Is the helpful content Google update helpful yet? Yahoo invests in credibility algorithm "The Factual." We discuss readability checkers and what exactly needs to be readable. Finally, we review Barry Adams's list of the most common SEO issues for news publishers and how they apply to our think tank and political magazine clients.Sources cited:SEO Roundtable: Google Helpful Content Update Not Done Yet And Now We're Seeing FluctuationsSearch Engine Journal: Google: Helpful Content Signal May Get Stronger With Next Core UpdateSearch Engine Journal: Yahoo Acquires Source Credibility Algorithms With Latest AcquisitionSearch Engine Journal: 16 Best Readability Checkers To Improve SEO ContentSEO for Google News: The Most Common SEO Issues for News Publishers

Why is the "Helpful Content" not very helpful so far? We also discuss new reporting for Core Web Vitals, the worst SEO advice, open-sourcing Yoast schema, and Google's "Search Off The Record" podcast's recent statements on crawl budget.Sources cited:Search Engine Land: Google On Why Helpful Content Update Seems QuietSEO Roundtable: Google Core Web Vitals Report Adds URL Level Data For Examples URLsSearch Engine Land: The WORST SEO advice I heard this year (and what you should do instead)Yoast: Open-source software, open Schema protocol!Search Off the Record: Crawl Budget

In this week's episode we discuss Google's announced "Helpful Content" update and why our clients don't have to worry about it. We also talk about Search Console's new Video Pages report, the diminishing power of AMP, dynamic rendering, and why perfectionism in SEO is a losing game.Sources cited:Search Engine Land: Google's new helpful content update targets sites creating content for search engines firstAleyda Solis: Google's Content Quality & Helpfulness QuestionsGoogle Search Central: Announcing the new Search Console Video index reportBarry Adams & Dave Smart on Twitter: https://twitter.com/badams/status/1561756159505272833Search Engine Land: Perfectionism in SEO: A route to self-destruction

Where has Google's data gone? How to "align with consensus" according to the QRG. What Google says you should do with old events (probably delete them), and our thoughts about robots.txt.Sources Cited:https://pca.st/episode/2cc8cdde-b00a-4da7-8c9f-c4b79845ede0https://searchengineland.com/google-consensus-qrg-seo-387142https://www.seroundtable.com/google-seo-old-event-pages-33847.htmlhttps://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/robots/robots_txt

Colby Pastre and Kevin Kaufman join me to talk about how the Tax Foundation uses simple content like an annual tax bracket page to generate over 23 million pageviews a year!We talk shop about internal linking, first-move advantage, crawling your own site, using search console, and keyword research tools to maintain your site's edge. We wrapped up our conversation with some practical advice on E-A-T, structured data, and overall site structure.Colby and Kevin are great  practitioners of a solid SEO strategy. I hope to have them back as guests soon.

In this episode I interview Richard Lorenc, Executive Vice President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE).In my conversation with Richard, we spoke about FEE’s impressive gains in organic search traffic, FEE’s content strategy, and changing FEE’s visual branding.We also talked about which think tanks excel at marketing, measuring ROI in marketing, and how Richard and his husband Colin helped Q play a trick on Neelix.FEE is a leading light in the libertarian movement. Their mission is to make the ideas of liberty familiar, credible, and compelling to the rising generation. At FEE, Lorenc serves as chief of staff, manages corporate finances, participates in fundraising, and directs partnerships.Richard also serves as the chairman of the board of directors of America’s Future Foundation, the nation's premier network of liberty-minded young professionals.Beginning in April 2020, Lorenc became a member of the Georgia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Richard joined the Mont Pelerin Society in 2018 and was a member of the Spring 2019 cohort of the AEI Leadership Network.

Five questions we ask each prospective client:Why now? What's motivating you to do this now and not six months from now?Why us? Why not someone cheaper?Why not use something off-the-shelf?Why not handle this in-house?Why even bother? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to do nothing?

Basics, Optimizing, Titles, DescriptionsOn-Page means it’s entirely under your control, it’s not about off-page signals like links to your websiteSEO still matters in 2020Google says “The most basic signal that information is relevant is when a webpage contains the same keywords as your search query.”Keyword-rich title tags bring trafficUse keywords in the first 100-150 wordsUse keywords frequentlyNo stuffing, but using keywords a half dozen times in an article is reasonable.Outbound links to related topics help to establish your page’s topicOptimize your URLs - short and with keywords in themBut make sure to have redirects in placePut the keyword in the front of your titleUse modifiers like best, guide, checklist, fast, reviewWrite your own meta descriptionsThis appears below your title in search results and helps your CTRContent ItselfWrite unique contentDetailed, crisp, updated, and expertLook at Analytics and double-down on what worksUpdate old posts and pages wherever possibleInstead of publishing a new page for an annual study, update the existing pageThis eliminates an old page at the same time you’re creating a new oneLook at search engine result pages and modify your content to fit the top resultsCTRQuestion-based titles have higher CTRHaving a Meta description at all boosts by 6%Using keyword in the description causes it to be bolded in results, making your page stand outUses schemasReviewsFAQs -  Voice search is another reason to use FAQ scheme, because people ask Google, Apple, and Amazon’s assistants questionsUser “power words” to add emotion to your title, 7% more trafficAdd the current yearUXBoost Your Page SpeedUse Google PageSpeed to see if you need to address thisScripts are a big problemImage OptimizationPut headline and introduction above a huge image, it will keep people on the pageBuild up internal linksChunk your contentSubheadingsBulleted listsImages - Use unique images rather than stock and use good filenames and alt text

What makes a good homepage design?We talk about the Nielsen/Norman Group's "4 Credibility Factors"https://www.nngroup.com/articles/trustworthy-design/How can you incorporate these factors into your homepage?Design qualityUpfront disclosureComprehensive, correct, and current contentConnection to the rest of the webHow should you guide users?Primary & secondary calls to actionProvide more ways to engage, like social followingUse current user data to promote your most popular content upfront

How does primary content gets broken down into micro content? That micro content essentially serves as ads on social media platforms that point back to your primary content. We talk about the role of tertiary content—the long-form posts we write that few people read—and why it shouldn't be viewed as primary. I go into an example of my in-laws' bookstore, which has taken this model and seen great success as a local business. Even though this is outside of our client base, it's a really easy example to grasp and it shows that you don't need much in the way of original content to draw people to your website and achieve your goals. Our "50 Pieces of Content a Week" goal is a little weak compared to Gary Vee's 64 piece a day prescription, but we think this is more manageable for small and mid-sized organizations. 

Search Engine Journalhttps://www.searchenginejournal.com/technical-seo/website-navigation/#closeUsers come first: Your website navigation should satisfy users first. Then, optimize your navigation for SEO performance. Never compromise the user experience.Orbit Mediahttps://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/website-navigation/Be descriptive“What we do” doesn’t actually say what you do. Neither does “Products,” “Services” or “Solutions.” Descriptive navigation that uses keyphrases is better for two reasons. Here’s where SEO and conversions come in.Descriptive labels in your navigation are good for search engines and visitors Avoid format-based navigationNavigation labels such as “videos,” “photos” and “white papers” tell visitors the format of the content, but not the topic. People don’t go to websites looking for videos or whitepapers. They visit websites looking for answers and information.Nielsen Norman Group recommends against using format-based navigation.Avoid dropdown menusUsability studies show that dropdown menus are annoying. Here’s why: visitors move their eyes much faster than they move their mouse. When they move their mouse to a menu item, they’ve likely already decided to click… and then you gave them more options. It’s a hiccup in the mind of the visitor.Depending on how they’re programmed, they may lead to problems with search engines.But the research shows that one type of drop down menu performs well in usability studies: The “mega drop down.” These offer lots of options, making that moment of friction worth it.The order of your website navigation is importantPrimacy effect: Items at the beginning of a list are more easily remembered.Recency effect: Items at the end of a list (or things that just happened) are more easily remembered.How to optimize your website’s navigationHere are some examples of decisions you might make based on your analysis from these reports.Remove items that rarely get clicked, if they aren’t criticalRename or relabel that rarely get clicked, if they are importantMove items that often get clicked to the beginningWebsite navigation on mobile devicesAdding the word “menu” may help visitors find this type of “hidden” navigation. The Nielsen Norman Group warns that hidden navigation increases task completion time for visitors.Quantum Dynamixhttps://www.quantumdynamix.net/blog/improve-websites-navigation-9-best-practices/ALWAYS MAKE IT CLEAR WHERE THE USER IS LOCATED.There are bread crumbs at the top of the page’s content showing each of the following pages that led to this page. You can click on any of these breadcrumbs to go back to a previous page.Search Engine Journalhttps://www.searchenginejournal.com/technical-seo/website-navigation/#closeCross-linking between content silos: Content relevancy between pages is important for ranking, which comes naturally in a well-categorized, hierarchical site architecture. However, this can have limitations when it lacks cross-linking between content silos where some pages are just too deep or too far away from receiving a good amount of link juice from other sources.Blogs to products, products to blogs: Create high-quality content that is helpful and relevant to your target audience. If these blog posts help in a product buying decision, then link to the blog post from the specific product page(s).Tracking parameters: Avoid using them; use the onClick event handler on links for tracking purposes. It is always safe to have a self-referencing canonical tag.JavaScript links: Avoid using JavaScript to write content and links. If there is no way around it, there are methods to make it work.

Why did we choose roadmapping as a new approach?How are we addressing the problems of our former approach?How does roadmapping help clients?Get the diagnosis rightLess committmentStart projects with confidenceCreate a portable plan of actionCommon objections to roadmappingWhy pay when I can get an estimate for free?I know what I need, just built it.What am I really getting for this price?Who is the ideal client for roadmapping? And for Tallest Tree in specific?

This week Cord interviewed Brian Phillips, the Vice President for Communications at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Cord & Brian discussed launching a policy tour of Texas, integrating polling into your organization, and how TPPF took on a recent property tax reform effort. Policy Tour Bringing political campaign experience to the policy world How TPPF took its show on the road and toured Texas with policy experts. Getting local or state press to cover events focused on policy How TPPF chooses a venue, format, and subject for each of its policy tour stops Inviting a state rep to these stops to increase audience engagement Streaming events live Limiting analysts to only three slides for their presentations Critiquing presentations after the facts and continuously improving How to plan a tour like this Managing town-hall-style presentations Money, manpower, and message Offering an exclusive to local papers Using polling to measure the effectiveness of the tour Polling & Messaging Writing poll questions that tell you something useful, rather than confirming your priors Digging into polling cross tabs to find out where an issue is resonating or with what group of people Integrating polling and messaging into your organization Using Facebook for quick-and-dirty message testing Selling policy experts on changing messaging by using data Property Tax Reform Campaign Policy issue campaigns are all about following the issue, reacting to news, and nuturing the messaging along the way Phases: public education, creating activitists, mobilizing activitists Polling helped to establish the "intensity" of this issue for voters Polling also showed that any reform needed to result in lower taxes, not just slowed tax growth or a different arrangement Creating a property tax calculator that would show voters their tax bill for the next 10 years Crafting poll questions to get real data, not just virtue signaling How releasing the results of a poll shifted the nature of the property tax reform plan Getting started with polling by using it on an issue where you're simply stuck Brian's book recommendation: Damage Control (Revised & Updated): The Essential Lessons of Crisis Management by Eric Dezenhall. Brian shouts-out Illinois Policy Institutes's news-focused approach to policy and the Foundation for Government Accountability's communication's team as great examples of successes in marketing good public policy. Brian also advocated trying new things, even if those things are only new to you. R&D can mean "rip-off and duplicate." Parting wisdom: there's no such thing as "the general public." You must have an audience in mind with everything you write or create. Please remember to rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, follow Tallest Tree Digital on Twitter, like our page on Facebook, and share this show with other public policy marketing and communications professionals like you.

This week Cord interviewed Daniel T. Richards, the Vice President & Director of Digital at The Federalist Society. Cord & Daniel discussed three FedSoc projects: the SCOTUS Brief video series, the "No. 86" educational project, and the National Lawyers Convention. SCOTUS Brief Changing style, rather than content, to increase engagement and get viewers to watch a video all the way through Managing a video release schedule and consulting with subject matter experts on content creation How FedSoc measures the success of this video project How-to use targeting in ads, including geotargeting ads at 150 law schools, to focus on your core audience No. 86 Why create an online educational series? How FedSoc uses student chapters and direct outreach to professors, even hostile professors, to promote courses Planning a project of this size and selecting the next courses to create Creating a release schedule that maximizes organic reach Using internal producers along with subcontractors like Phaedo Creative to create the videos themselves National Lawyers Convention What do marketers do when a conference is already hugely successful? Making a conference beautiful and emotionally engaging The importance of high-quality photography and hiring a professional photographer Using lighting, backdrops, and 4k video to make an event video look great Livestreaming and why FedSoc abandoned the idea of putting event videos behind a paywall How to use simple things like hashtags to promote an event Using "tweetboards" or a hashtag printer to get event attendees excited about sharing Using a photo backdrop to create your own red-carpet-style photo ops Scheduling interviews with event attendees Getting footage of attendees talking about your events, talking about issues, talking about your organization so you can update a general about your org video, update fundraising videos, or use in future video projects Using Airtable and Zapier to keep everything on-track If you work in the Washington, DC area, contact Daniel via email or on Twitter to RSVP for the next FedSoc rooftop marketing meetup. Please remember to rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, follow Tallest Tree Digital on Twitter, like our page on Facebook, and share this show with other public policy marketing and communications professionals like you.

This week Cord interviewed Todd Myers, Director of the Center for the Environment at Washington Policy Center. He is one of the nation's leading experts on free-market environmental policy and the author of Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism Is Harming the Environment. Cord & Todd talked about: How to establish trust when working on a fraught issue Overcoming biases Working in a policy area that’s not easily quantified Using smartphones to solve coordinated action problems Find the right venue or audience for the issue you’re addressing Making a frenemy into an ambassador Challenging claims about your motivations When to use consultants Finding success on Facebook The importance of experimentation Working with unlikely allies Hosting a policy nature hike Holding a debate instead of a one-side forum Todd's book recommendation was Brian Caplan’s The Myth of the Rational Voter. Please remember to rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, follow Tallest Tree Digital on Twitter, like our page on Facebook, and share this show with other public policy marketing and communications professionals like you.

This week Cord interviewed Whitney Munro of the Foundation for Government Accountability. Whitney and Cord covered a lot of topics, including: Micro-targeting state legislators Message testing with real voters Building profiles of website visitors/email readers How to pronounce "Pardot" Collecting feedback from your target audience Telling human stories about policy Choosing software platforms based on what they can deliver, rather than something that is "built for non-profits" Adopting successful business strategies Auditing campaigns The importance of letting go of bad ideas on moving on Why the Institute for Justice and the Atlas Network are killing it right now Please remember to rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, follow Tallest Tree Digital on Twitter, like our page on Facebook, and share this show with other public policy marketing and communications professionals like you.

Rob Montz is a director at We the Internet TV, a fellow at the Moving Picture Institute, and co-founder and CEO of Good Kid Productions. Rob's work has been featured in the New York Times, BBC World News, the Economist, USA Today, and The Washington Post. His documentary works have covered topics including free speech on college campuses, the North Korean regime, criminal justice reform, and the virtues of entrepreneurship. His latest docs are Trump as Destiny: Why the Reality Show Presidency Was Inevitable, and Is Instagram Destroying Teenage Girls? Hosted by Cord Blomquist of Tallest Tree Digital.

Scott Barton is a nonprofit leader focused on digital communications, strategy, persuasion, and building entrepreneurial teams, which makes him a perfect guest for our show. While working at the Institute for Humane Studies, a university-based nonprofit, Scott co-founded and directed the Learn Liberty project, a digital education platform to promote the ideas of free markets and individual liberty to college students. Scott helped Learn Liberty build an impressive library of over 400 videos with over 25 million views. Scott has recently taken his talents to a new home, the Pacific Legal Foundation, where he serves as the Director of Communications and Outreach. Scott talked to Cord about how organizations can tell persuasive stories about their ideas, mission, and work.