Our Mission is to Become the Most Respected Search Agency in the World
We’ve learnt a lot in over 15 years of business. but we’ve also earnt a great reputation which has seen us work with huge global brands like eBay, WWE, ASUS, Sephora and many more.
Our expertise in SEO, Paid Media and Digital PR stems from hiring the best in the business and solving challenges for our clients to get the best possible results.
2008 - 2010
In 2008, our founder, Chris Ailey, left his role as Search Marketing Manager at PC World with an impressive portfolio of SEO rankings and PPC results to start up an agency of his own.
His first client was baby retailer Mothercare and toy shop ELC, this was closely followed by several other high profile client wins including Blacks Leisure Group, National Express and ASUS.
Starting the business from his home and then shared office space, in 2010 we and move into our own premises, The Old Barn in Hertfordshire which has become synonymous with our agency brand.
2011 - 2014
By 2011 we had grown to a team of 10 and added PPC to our service offering. The next 3 years would prove to be pivotal in the growth of our agency.
First we won eBay Europe as an SEO client, completing huge scale projects for them over the next 7 years.
We also won wrestling super brand WWE and promoted Pay Per View TV and stadium events like Wrestlemania and Royal Rumble across Europe, South American, Middle East and Asia through PPC and Paid Social.
2015 - 2018
By 2015 we had grown up as a company building in more structure to our team and adding brands like Spire Healthcare, Jaeger and New Era.
We also moved into automotive, working with Renault Retail and Group 1 Automotive to drive leads to their 80+ dealerships in the UK.
In 2018 we celebrated 10 years in business and hosted an event at our Hertfordshire HQ called Digi Day.
2019
In 2019 we took the huge decision to rebrand our agency and reinvent ourselves as Honchō.
It followed a year of preparation which also saw us join our barn with the stables through a unique shopfront style reception and remodel our office interior including a state of the art boardroom, breakout areas and further workspace for our growing team.
2020 - 2024
With COVID putting the world into lockdown in 2020, our business like many around the world, had to adapt. But the digital boom that followed saw us double in revenue in 2021 to £2.5m and grow to a team of 40.
This period also saw us establish ourselves as a truly award winning agency, picking up UK Search Awards, European Search Awards, Drum Digital, Drum Search and Global Digital PR awards.
Whilst our office and hybrid working remains in place it has also allowed us to widen our talent pool with Honchō experts now located around the UK.
"We love working with Chris and the Honcho team, after 6 years their team and ours continue to get closer and more granular on how we can improve our Consumer acquisition and awareness. It’s great working with people with the same growth mindset but even better when the results follow, which they consistently do."
JAMES WILSON
BRAND & DTC DIRECTOR - EUROPE
THE TEAM AT HONCHO ARE AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE TO WORK WITH AND NOTHING IS EVER TOO MUCH TROUBLE.
THEIR KNOWLEDGE, “GOING THE EXTRA MILE” ATTITUDE AS WELL AS FLEXIBILITY HAVE BEEN KEY IN GROWING OUR EUROPEAN BUSINESS.
