Getting to know... Joe Hale

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Joe Hale, founder of London-based fashion and e-commerce SEO agency Verde Digital, talks about his route into the sector, the business' growth story and the capital city’s value in helping support a commercial venture.

We know you as the founder of Verde Digital, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

I’m the founder of Verde Digital, but, first and foremost, I’m a dad and a husband.

I’m also a runner and a lover of football and food.

My main motivations are to do something I’m proud of; something that makes me happy, and something that opens up fun and exciting new doors and provides a life for my family.

Did you always want to work in SEO?

I landed in it originally.

I knew I didn’t want to go to university, but I knew I was interested in marketing.

A friend of a friend of a friend got me an unpaid internship in the City, and I went from there!

It wasn’t that I wanted to work in SEO specifically, but I knew I wanted to work in marketing and with data, and be able to measure success through that data, while also having some sort of flexibility.

Although SEO is our bread and butter, my job now, even outside of the usual business founder tasks, isn’t really SEO.

It’s understanding fashion and e-commerce brands, what their products are, who their customers are, what makes them want to purchase and what is happening in the market.

SEO, or GEO, are just tactics to help get clients in front of the right audience, but the biggest part is understanding as much about the brand and their audience as possible.

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The best bit is getting to work with amazing people, both internally and externally, incredible client names and seeing this idea I had in my head grow and grow.

The worst bit is the hours that go unnoticed and the sacrifices in the pursuit of achieving something special. 

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Personally, my daughter.

Professionally, I’d say how quickly we grew within our first few years as a business.

In 2025, we increased our year-end revenue five-fold year on year.

That, of course, comes with its own challenges, but I’m so proud of how much we grew, all while trying to balance becoming a new dad.

How do you relax outside of work?

I don’t, or not as much as I should anyway. 

I run a lot. I ran the London Marathon this year, and that has helped me disconnect a bit, but it’s hard to switch off as a business leader.

As a founder, sometimes you have to work weekends, but Saturday mornings are sacred.

Breakfast with my daughter is one of my favourite times of the week.

We might head out or go to the park, but I always make sure it’s disconnect-from-work time.

What makes London such a great place to live and work?

Our first office wasn’t in London; it was in Essex.

But it became a massive stumbling block when trying to hire, so we made the move.

And it is one of the best things I’ve done.

There’s always someone to connect with and meet for a coffee.

There are great places to eat, and there’s a vibrancy and buzz that keeps things moving and helps you grow and build a business.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

I’ve raised £30,000 for various cancer charities: Teenage Cancer Trust, Macmillan and Solving Kids Cancer.

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