Something has changed in the way people search for services on Google, and most small businesses haven't noticed yet. More and more often, when someone types "good dentist in Vračar" or "Zlatibor apartment with a pool", Google gives a short answer at the top and recommends a few businesses itself, ahead of all the classic results.
That means it is no longer enough to be "somewhere on the first page". Now the fight is to get Google to mention you inside the answer itself. Here is how you get into that game.
What is actually happening
Google no longer shows just a list of blue links. For a good share of searches, especially where someone is looking for a service or a local business, a short summary that Google writes itself appears at the top. In that summary it will often name a few specific businesses, with a name, a rating and a link.
For the user it is convenient: a recommendation without scrolling. For you as a business owner, it changes the rules. If Google mentions you in that answer, you got the best possible advertising for free. If it doesn't, many users won't even reach the results you are in.
A note, in fairness: no one on the outside knows the exact formula Google uses to choose who it mentions, and it keeps changing. But the direction is clear, and the things that help Google "understand you and trust you" are the same ones that have always built local visibility, only now they matter more than ever.
Five things that genuinely help
1. A Google Business Profile, fully sorted
This is the foundation. When Google chooses who to recommend for a local service, the Business Profile is the first place it pulls data from: what you do, where you are, opening hours, photos, ratings.
Fewer than 20% of businesses in Serbia use this profile actively. That means just by setting it up properly you are already ahead of most of your competition. Fill in every field, add real photos, keep the opening hours up to date.
2. Reviews, and regular ones
Google trusts ratings a lot, fresh ones especially. Ten excellent reviews from two years ago are worth less than five from last month. Make a habit of asking a happy client for a few words after every service. Reply to reviews, both good and bad, because it shows Google you are an active, living business.
3. A site that clearly says who you are, what you do, and where
The AI reads your site to understand what you do. If the homepage says "Welcome" instead of "Dental clinic in Vračar, specialising in prosthetics", you are making its job harder. Be specific: service, city, who it is for. Build separate pages for each main service instead of dumping everything onto one.
4. Answers to real questions
AI summaries love content that directly answers questions. If you have a page or a text that answers "how long does an implant take to place" or "does the apartment accept pets", you have a better chance of Google mentioning you when someone asks exactly that. Write the way your clients ask, not in technical jargon.
5. Consistent details everywhere
Your name, address and phone must be identical on the site, the Business Profile, social media, and local directories. If you appear as "Dr Marković" in one place and "Marković Clinic Ltd." in another, Google hesitates. Consistency builds trust.
What this means in practice
There is no magic button. But everything above is under your control and reinforces itself: a tidy profile, live reviews, a clear site with separate pages per service and consistent details. That is the same foundation that builds classic visibility too, except now, with AI answers at the top, it separates the visible from the invisible more sharply than ever.
The encouraging news: most of your competition isn't doing this yet. The window is open right now. If you rent out accommodation, that same visibility is the first step toward direct bookings without commission.
FAQ
No. Ads buy a position in the ad section. A recommendation inside the AI answer isn't for sale, it is earned through content, your profile and reviews.
Probably yes. An old site that is slow, poor on a phone and unclear makes it harder for Google to understand and recommend you. That is one reason a redesign isn't a cost but an investment in visibility.
The Business Profile and reviews work relatively fast, in weeks. Content on the site is slower but more durable, in months. That is why you start right away.
I've been building websites since 2015 and I run every project personally, from the first call to launch. We use AI to be fast, not to be cheap and generic.
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