Don't work here! Spare your mental state and career. - Anonymous employee Aronson Advertising Employee Review

I love working remotely and the fact that I feel comfortable asking questions about anything.

I wish there was a higher annual salary increase.

This is a great place to start your career, especially if you’re willing to put in the effort—what you get out of the role largely reflects what you put into it. From an SEO perspective, the work is relatively straightforward, as all clients are automotive dealerships focused on local campaigns. There is also consistency across accounts, with many clients in similar regions and often multiple dealerships from the same brands (e.g., Ford or Kia). Deliverables are structured on a monthly basis, which provides flexibility to get ahead when needed (particularly helpful when planning time off). During my time here, SEOs were required to learn web development, but the work is template-based and very approachable, even for those without a technical background. The onboarding and training process is also a strong point. New team members are given ample time and support to become comfortable with SEO responsibilities and client accounts before taking on a full workload. Additionally, the company hosts two in-person events each year (summer and winter), which include games, food, drinks, and giveaways. The winter event also includes an annual bonus.

Overall, this is a solid company to work for, but like any role, there are areas for improvement. The most consistent concern, shared by many team members, is the lack of clear growth opportunities. While the company does promote from within, these title changes often do not come with corresponding salary increases or clearly defined role expectations. Annual reviews tend to lose impact over time, as previously set goals are not consistently revisited or used to guide development. Compensation growth can feel heavily dependent on negotiation rather than performance alone. In my experience, discussions around raises often focused more on contributions beyond standard responsibilities rather than overall performance in the role. This can create the impression that employees need to advocate strongly for recognition, rather than having it reflected through structured growth paths. There is also a noticeable challenge with retention, which appears to be tied to limited opportunities for advancement and skill development. The SEO team experiences frequent turnover, making it difficult to build long-term stability or fully capitalize on periods of consistency. As a result, the organization can feel more reactive than proactive at times. Professional development opportunities tend to be strongest during onboarding but become more limited afterward. Continued learning is largely self-driven, and exposure to more advanced strategy or client-facing ownership can be restricted. For example, junior team members are not allowed to present or speak about their work directly, which can slow skill development. Additionally, the client base is heavily focused on local SEO for automotive dealerships, which limits exposure to other areas such as e-commerce or lead generation. Time-off policies can also be restrictive, as employees within the same department are not typically allowed to take time off simultaneously. This requires planning vacations well in advance and can limit flexibility. Another consideration is the requirement to reside in Illinois despite the company operating in a fully remote capacity, which may feel limiting to some employees. Especially since it was allowed when the company was in-person. Finally, cross-department collaboration is limited. While multiple teams (SEO, PPC, social, and content) may work on the same accounts, there are no opportunities to align on strategy, which can lead to siloed efforts rather than a fully integrated approach.