Moonah Mufflers reaches #1 for "exhaust shop Hobart" after a full website rebuild

Moonah Mufflers is a family-run exhaust and muffler specialist that Hobart drivers have trusted for decades, working out of their Moonah workshop since the early nineties.

When Moonah Mufflers came to Wakeford Digital, the brief was straightforward: improve search visibility and bring more customers through the door. What we found was that their existing website wasn't built to support that goal at all.

So we did something a little bigger than a tune-up. Drawing on our experience in web design Hobart businesses trust, we redeveloped the site from the ground up, then ran an SEO Hobart campaign on a foundation that could actually hold its ranking.

• #1 on Google for "exhaust shop Hobart", the primary commercial search term, on a site now structured to keep it
• Full website redevelopment, replacing a dated, generic design with a clean, well-structured site
• Keyword footprint grew from a handful to a peak of over 90 tracked keywords, with organic visibility climbing across the campaign
• "exhaust repair Hobart" improved from  position 23 to top 2 positions
• Re-engaged for a second campaign, with Wakeford Digital brought back for ongoing search and local SEO work

Moonah Mufflers is a family-owned Tasmanian business that has been looking after local vehicles since the early nineties, working from their Moonah workshop. Their reputation is built on honest advice and workmanship that lasts, the kind of local business people come back to and recommend.

• Muffler and exhaust repairs
• Steering and suspension work
• Full custom exhaust builds
• Servicing everyday drivers, car enthusiasts and commercial vehicles alike

Moonah Mufflers first approached Wakeford Digital as an SEO agency in Hobart to lift their search visibility; however as soon as we got under the bonnet of their existing website, the picture became clear.

• The old site's SEO was hanging on by a thread: the primary term appeared in no page titles, headings or meta descriptions
• The platform itself was getting in the way - core SEO fundamentals, like setting a proper H1 heading or adding descriptive alt text to images, simply weren't possible on the old setup
• The site only ranked for around 23 keywords in total, most well outside the top 10
• Local business listings were inconsistent and the review presence needed work
• The design itself, built around a generic supercar graphic, didn't reflect what Moonah Mufflers actually is: a local, family-run workshop with real people behind it

We had an honest conversation with Graham about the path forward. Rather than pour effort into optimising a site that couldn't support the basics, we recommended redeveloping the website first, then running the SEO campaign on a foundation built to perform.

Stage one: rebuild the foundation

We redeveloped the website from top to bottom with a clean, logical structure, restructuring services so each page works harder for both search engines and visitors.

Stage two: photography that reflects the business

We connected Graham with professional photographer Caroline for a photography shoot at the workshop. Out went the supercar graphic. In came real images of the workshop, the work and the people, giving every future advert, social post and listing a library of quality images to draw on.

Stage three: secure and build the SEO

• Optimised the homepage for "exhaust shop Hobart" across the title, headings and content
• Wrote meta titles and descriptions across every primary page
• Restructured content on the Home, Services and FAQ pages
• Connected Google Analytics for proper measurement
• Set up review and listing management through Birdeye to strengthen local presence

The headline result is the one that matters most: Moonah Mufflers sits at position 1 on Google for "exhaust shop Hobart", and now it sits there on a site actually built to hold it.

What was once a fragile ranking is now a defended one. Other wins include:

• Tracked keywords grew from a small handful to a peak of more than 90
• "exhaust repair Hobart" improved from around position 23 to position 1-2
• Organic visibility climbed steadily through the campaign, reaching a high point in early 2026
• Estimated organic traffic has settled into a consistent band, with the current ongoing campaign built to lift it further

Just as tellingly, the site now looks and feels like the business, with a cleaner structure and real photography by Caroline rather than a generic template.

Perhaps the clearest measure of success: Graham re-engaged Wakeford Digital for a second campaign, a search and local SEO push to build on the new foundation.

Moonah Mufflers is a great example where, although the brief was visibility, the real requirement was a website that could actually support it.

By rebuilding the foundation first, we turned a ranking that was hanging on by a thread into one the business can rely on, gave the site a look that matches the quality of the work, and set up a platform for the ongoing growth we're now driving together.