M. Bobnar AG is a Ford dealership in Hägendorf with strong local roots but low digital visibility. The current website is outdated, slow on mobile devices, and not well optimised for search engines. In comparison to competitors such as AMAG and Emil Frey, the company lacks presence in organic search results and on social media. The company also had no internal access to website management, which limits its ability to react quickly or publish own content. There is no active SEO or social media strategy, with marketing focusing on traditional channels like print.

The thesis combines multiple research methods: expert interviews (including Ford specialists), a customer survey with nearly 100 participants, a technical SEO audit, and a competitive analysis. A comprehensive literature review forms the theoretical foundation, covering the customer journey, selected SEO concepts, the influence of AI on SEO and the role of Google Business Profiles. These approaches provide both quantitative and qualitative insights into current weaknesses and improvement potential, based on real customer feedback and professional assessments and the literature.

The analysis identified critical weaknesses in both technical and content-related SEO: long mobile loading times, outdated design, insufficient keyword coverage beyond brand terms, and limited internal linking. The customer survey revealed strong satisfaction with navigation, contact options, and team presentation, but criticised broken links, missing employee photos, and non-clickable or outdated subpages. Mobile usability and page speed were highlighted as improvement priorities. Expert interviews confirmed the need for a fully optimised Google Business Profile, local landing pages, structured data, and consistent review management. Competitive analysis showed a significant gap in offsite SEO, with fewer high-quality backlinks and low social media activity compared to regional and national competitors. The resulting seven-step action plan follows the SEO cycle (Usmany et al., 2024) and covers keyword research, technical fixes, onsite and offsite optimisation, Google profile enhancement, content strategy, and continuous monitoring. It also integrates AI-supported search considerations to ensure long-term adaptability and competitiveness.