In the very first episode of Other People's Podcast, host Marnie Joseph sits down with Nick Tapp, founder of Taptico Solutions and longtime Atlanta marketing guru, for a candid and actionable conversation on the evolving landscape of marketing for small businesses—especially as AI-powered search transforms how customers find and interact with local brands. With over 25 years in Atlanta's marketing, media, and PR scene, Nick shares his journey from radio days at Cox Media to pioneering AI-enhanced marketing solutions for small business owners. He opens up about helping scale Gusto Fresh Bowls & Wraps from just three to twelve locations, and why he pivoted from traditional marketing to become a champion for AI adoption. From Clicks to Conversions: How Small Businesses Win in 2025 The conversation dives into the seismic shifts happening in how people search online. As Marnie and Nick unpack why website traffic alone is now a "vanity metric," they explore the new metrics of success—like conversions and brand affinity—plus how brand awareness and unified content are more crucial than ever. Nick breaks down how AI search is changing the rules: It's not about getting clicks, it's about ensuring AI understands, cites, and recommends your business. You'll learn why structuring your website, content, and social presence "on crack" (Marnie's words!) for clarity and consistency is no longer optional, and how podcasting is quickly becoming the new blogging for SEO. Why This Matters for Podcasters: This episode demonstrates exactly why smart podcast producers are optimizing their content for AI discoverability. When podcasts are properly structured and distributed, they become powerful sources that AI tools can understand, cite, and recommend—expanding reach far beyond traditional podcast discovery methods. AI Doesn't Have to Break the Bank Worried that embracing AI is outside your small business budget? Nick walks listeners through practical, affordable steps to start optimizing your marketing, shares top free tools and courses, and explains why treating AI as a collaborator (not just a tool) is the mindset shift every entrepreneur needs NOW. Meet Our Guest: Nick Tapp Born and raised in Atlanta, Nick Tapp's career has spanned radio (95.5 The Beat, 97.1 The River, 99X), startup launches, and transformative marketing roles. As founder of Taptico Solutions, he now helps small businesses supercharge their marketing with AI. Nick partners with industry veterans David Clapper and Tribble Reese to offer AI-driven, end-to-end marketing solutions. He's passionate about keeping small businesses ahead in a changing digital world—and about making AI work for real people. Key Takeaways 1. AI Search Is Here—And It's Changing Everything Traditional search engines are giving way to AI platforms like Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT, which answer queries directly. The new priority for businesses: ensure AI understands and accurately cites your offerings. 2. Conversions Beat Traffic. Brand Awareness Still Wins. Website visits mean less than ever—what matters is if new customers can actually find (and trust) your brand across platforms. Nick urges small businesses to focus on conversion metrics, unified messaging, and cross-platform consistency. 3. Content Structure Matters More Than Ever Ensuring your business information is clear, consistent, and structured (across your website, social media, and beyond) helps AI find you. Think unified "semantic content web"—everything says the same thing, everywhere. 4. You Can Start Small—AI Tools Don't Have to Be Expensive Use free or low-cost AI tools (like ChatGPT or Perplexity) to optimize, automate, and analyze your content. Not tech-savvy? Start by collaborating with AI for prompts, planning, or summaries—Nick even shares tips on how to ask AI for help. 5. Podcasting = The New Blogging for AI Search Podcast episodes (especially when repurposed into written and social content) are powerful for AI-dri