Healthcare-only paid and organic search agency for DSOs, now Power Digital's healthcare division
About Cardinal Digital Marketing
Cardinal Digital Marketing is an Atlanta agency that works only with healthcare organisations. It was founded in 2009, and Alex Membrillo leads the firm as CEO. It has an address on Peachtree Street in Atlanta (some listings place the head office in Chamblee, Georgia) and 10 to 49 staff. In January 2026, San Diego-based Power Digital acquired Cardinal. Cardinal runs as Power Digital's healthcare division and keeps its leadership, team and healthcare-first mission. Canaccord Genuity and Gunderson Dettmer advised Cardinal on the deal.
The agency has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list six times, in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2023 and 2025. Their client base is split between enterprise (60%) and mid-market (40%) organisations, with medical work at 95% and dental at 5% of its industry mix.
For dental groups, their offer centres on search and paid media. For DSOs they offer Google Ads with revenue-based bidding, geo-tracking and campaign restructuring, plus local SEO built to scale across many locations. They also offer WordPress builds and migrations, landing pages for implants and dentures, unified reporting and a HIPAA-compliant tracking setup. They do not offer email marketing, social media posting or traditional media. Dental SEO adds competitor and backlink audits, a unique page and Google Business listing for every location, review requests, citation management, entity optimisation, full-funnel treatment content and SEO support when practices merge or consolidate websites. Goals are reset every three months. They expect paid search to show results in about 90 days and SEO to take three months to a year.
The model suits DSOs and multi-site groups more than single practices. Their work covers periodontics, cosmetic dentistry, endodontics, pediatric dentistry and oral surgery. North American Dental Group, a DSO with over 240 locations in 15 states, is a client, with work on Patient Prism and NexHealth setups and Google Ads conversion passbacks.
Published results include Sage Dental, whose total patient volume rose 75% from 2018 to 2019 on a budget only 10% higher, with an estimated 34,950 new patients in 2019. Peak Dental Services, a 61-location DSO in Texas and Colorado, saw lead volume rise 116% and conversion rate 77%, and its Blooming Dental site gained 167% more impressions in three months. Smile Workshop raised paid search conversions by 156% while keeping cost per acquisition under $40, and was later acquired by Ideal Dental. The Smilist saw a 48% higher conversion rate.
Client testimonials stress return on investment, new patient growth and the depth of their data. Clutch shows 5.0 from four older reviews. No price list is published. Rates run $100 to $149 an hour, with a $5,000 minimum project.
Cardinal Digital Marketing's Dental SEO Page
Cardinal Digital Marketing at a Glance
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Team size | 10-49 employees (some listings say 11-50) |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Leadership | Alex Membrillo (CEO); Jeff Mason (CEO, Power Digital, parent company) |
| Languages | English |
| Pricing | No public packages. Rates run $100 to $149 per hour, with a $5,000+ minimum project. |
| Contracts & reporting | Free strategy consultation; goals set and reviewed every three months; roadmaps and ranking forecasts provided; paid search results expected in about 90 days and SEO in 3 to 12 months; contract length not published |
| Tools & partnerships | Google Ads; Patient Prism; NexHealth; CallRail; BirdEye; WordPress; custom dashboards |
Dental Marketing Services
- Dental and DSO SEO
- multi-location local SEO with unique location pages
- Google Business listing optimisation per location
- review solicitation
- citation management
- entity optimisation
- link building
- full-funnel treatment content
- SEO for mergers and site consolidation
- Google Ads with revenue-based bidding
- paid social
- landing pages for implants and dentures
- WordPress website design and migration
- conversion rate optimisation
- HIPAA-compliant tracking and data unification
- custom KPI dashboards
Practice Types They Work With
- DSOs/multi-location
- general dentistry
- periodontics
- cosmetic dentistry
- endodontics
- pediatric dentistry
- oral surgery
- orthodontics
- implants
Dental Clients & Results
- Sage Dental: total patient volume +75% with a 10% budget increase (2018 to 2019), about 34,950 new patients in 2019, PPC cost per acquisition -62%
- Peak Dental Services: lead volume +116%, conversion rate +77%, click-through rate +187%
- Blooming Dental: impressions +167% and conversions +43% (3 months)
- Smile Workshop: PPC conversions +156%, CPA -11% and kept under $40, new users +24%
- The Smilist: conversion rate +48%, cost per click -19%
Dental Practices They Have Worked With
- North American Dental Group
- Peak Dental Services
- Sage Dental
- Smile Workshop (now Ideal Dental)
- The Smilist
- Blooming Dental
- Cody Dental Group
- Empire Dental
Why Dentists Choose Cardinal Digital Marketing
- RevRx media-mix tool forecasts spend by channel with under 4% error
- Can predict how a new ad channel will perform before launch
- Recruitment ads to help dental groups hire clinical staff
- Only paid and organic digital work, no email, social posting or print
- Inc. 5000 honoree and Google Premier Partner
Key Strengths
- Builds unique location pages and listings for each practice location
- Handles SEO during practice mergers, acquisitions and site consolidations
- Starts with an SEO check comparing a practice's rankings and backlinks with nearby competitors
- Uses entity optimization to match treatment searches to patient intent
Awards & Recognition
- Inc. 5000 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2023, 2025)
How the DSA Score Breaks Down
Points earned: 72 of 100 (profile 69 × 0.8 + client feedback 16.8). DSA Score: 94/100
What Dental and Healthcare Clients Say About Cardinal Digital Marketing
- 1 on review sites
- 6 on its website
- 5 from dental practices
Clients Most Often Praise
- Clear reporting & honesty 2
- More new patient bookings 1
- Value for money 1
- Higher Google Maps & local rankings 1
In ShortOn its own site, healthcare clients praise lead and new-patient growth, ROI and data/analytics insight.
Marketing-firm partner calls the team very knowledgeable and dedicated. The review describes a medical practice client served for about seven years.
See it on clutch.coLori Mixon credits Cardinal with unprecedented new-patient growth for the dental group, which has also expanded the business.
See it on cardinaldigitalmarketing.comNick Shirley says Cardinal's data and insight work is far better than most agencies', and the results are demonstrated.
See it on cardinaldigitalmarketing.comShow 4 more client reviews
- Gaye Pennington reports an incredible ROI and wishes the practice had started with Cardinal sooner. Agency website
- Lee Graves reports a surge in calls and conversions from SEO and PPC, which let the practice expand. Agency website
- Carolyn M. says improved Google Ads make it easier for patients to find the practice first. Agency website
- Theresa Porcaro calls Cardinal the most talented healthcare agency she has worked with. Agency website
Where Cardinal Digital Marketing Is Listed
Questions Dentists Ask About Cardinal Digital Marketing
Is Cardinal a good fit for a single-location dental practice?
Their dental pages and case studies are built around DSOs and multi-location groups, such as North American Dental Group with over 240 locations and Peak Dental with 61. Most of their clients are enterprise or mid-market organisations.
What happened when Power Digital bought Cardinal?
Power Digital acquired Cardinal in January 2026. Cardinal now operates as Power Digital's healthcare division and keeps its own leadership, team and healthcare focus.
Which services does Cardinal not provide?
They do not run email marketing, social media posting or traditional marketing. Their work is limited to paid and organic digital channels, websites and analytics.
What results has Cardinal published for dental groups?
Sage Dental grew total patient volume by 75% between 2018 and 2019 with a 10% larger budget. Peak Dental saw a 116% rise in lead volume, and Smile Workshop increased paid search conversions by 156%.
How long does Cardinal say dental SEO takes?
Paid search can show results in about 90 days, while a full SEO programme may take three to six months or up to a year. They set and review measurable goals every three months.
Reviews of Cardinal Digital Marketing
No reviews on this site yet. Have you worked with Cardinal Digital Marketing? Your review helps other dentists choose.