Myles Anderson is the founder and CEO of BrightLocal, the local SEO software company he started with co-founder Ed in Brighton in 2009 to help local businesses get found online. The company says it passed $20m in revenue in 2025, the same year it launched fully managed local SEO services, and in 2026 it is rolling out AI tools that show businesses how they appear when people ask ChatGPT and Google’s AI for recommendations. BrightLocal now employs more than 300 people, with offices in Brighton, Kraków and Davao City and colleagues in Ukraine. He tells Business Matters why he believes people-first and AI-driven belong together, and why he wishes he had taken risks sooner.
What do you currently do at BrightLocal?
As the founder and CEO of BrightLocal, I lead a global team of more than 300 talented people serving more than 100,000 businesses and agencies worldwide in local search. My day-to-day focus is on setting our long-term strategic direction while ensuring our core, people-first values thrive across every part of the business.
That means staying close to our international teams, from our engineering offices in Ukraine and Poland to our team in the Philippines, whom I visit annually. Leading a global workforce takes intention, but keeping our culture connected and supportive across borders is what makes us strong.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
The idea for BrightLocal started at a kitchen table in Brighton with a simple, urgent goal: local businesses deserved an easier, more affordable way to get found online. Back then, local marketing felt overly complex, expensive and cluttered with jargon.
My co-founder Ed and I wanted to change that. We set out to strip away the complexity, give business owners true clarity over their digital presence, and build the tools they needed to thrive and grow.
What began as a humble project has grown into a global platform, but our core mission has not changed. That mission is empowering the heart of local communities to stand out, attract more customers and win online.
How is AI changing the way customers find local businesses?
People now ask AI platforms for recommendations as well as searching on Google, so AI search is becoming part of local visibility. In 2026 we are launching AI intelligence across the platform, starting with Local AI Visibility, which shows how a business appears in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode.
It tracks visibility score, mention rate, share of voice and average position, so a business can see where it is being recommended and where it is not. It is part of how we are evolving into an insight-to-impact platform for local growth.
Who do you admire?
Not only do I admire my four children, who inspire me to be a better CEO every day, but I also admire my co-founder, Ed. Ed inspires me through our shared commitment to building a very different kind of company, one that prioritises people over profits at any cost.
When we started BrightLocal back in 2009, we were driven by a shared vision to build a very different kind of business. Looking back on the journey, I deeply respect what we have created together.
Beyond the software, we built a work culture where individuals feel celebrated and supported. Doing this work alongside Ed has made the entire experience immensely rewarding.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
I do not know that I would change the big picture, as the journey brought us exactly where we needed to be. But if I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to have more confidence in taking risks earlier.
We started BrightLocal as a modest side hustle, which meant we took a slow, deliberate approach to growth. That steady pacing was crucial in building a remarkably resilient, sustainable company.
When you are starting out, it is so easy to let self-doubt and second thoughts delay your next move. If I could do it again, I would tell myself to trust my instincts sooner and move with confidence from day one.
What defines your way of doing business?
Building a truly people-first culture. From day one, Ed and I wanted to build a company where people do not just work, but genuinely belong. I wanted an environment where everyone feels recognised, valued for who they are and empowered to do their best work.
My greatest ambition is that BrightLocal is the best place anyone will ever work in their career. It is a lofty goal, and we sometimes fall short. It is hard to be perfect for everyone, but that does not stop us trying.
A philosophy only matters if it survives change, and we recently put ours to the test as we moved to a model that is people-first and AI-driven. While some think that using AI comes at the expense of people, I believe the opposite is true. The best way to make an impact today is to use both.
We use technology to strip away repetitive tasks so our team can focus on creative problem-solving, strategic thinking and building real connections.
Even through major tech shifts, the fundamentals do not change: treat people as individuals and keep customer success at the centre. When you build strong team habits and address problems head-on, your business gains consistent momentum.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Start small, solve a real problem and put your people first. As you grow, double down on creating a company culture where individuals are genuinely seen, heard and valued, not just brought on to fill slots on an org chart.
When you take care of your team, empower them to do their best work and relentlessly help your customers succeed, sustainable growth will follow.
