Pick RehabAdmit if you run a treatment center and want a team that works only on addiction and behavioral health, with paid media, SEO, CRM setup and admissions process in one flat fee.
At a glance
RehabAdmit
- Best for: Treatment centers doing $3M to $30M a year
- Services: Google and Meta ads, SEO, CRM setup, admissions process
- Reporting: Cost per VOB and cost per admission, not just leads
- Pricing: One flat monthly retainer, $5K to $25K/mo, for services. Ad spend at cost.
- Terms: No minimum term. 90-day guarantee.
- Ownership: You own the ad accounts, tracking numbers and data
Cardinal Digital Marketing
- Best for: "Multi-location provider groups" (site)
- Services: Google, Meta, display, video and TikTok ads, SEO & AISO, web design, business intelligence (RevRx media mix modeling)
- Verticals: Behavioral health, DSOs, health systems, primary care, veterinary, dermatology, private equity
- Published pricing: No fees published; lead form starts at a $50,000 to $100,000 monthly budget (contact FAQ)
- Ownership: "Cardinal joins Power Digital as its dedicated healthcare division"
Every fact about Cardinal Digital Marketing on this page comes from its own website, linked inline, as read on October 5, 2026. Statements about RehabAdmit are our own. If anything about Cardinal Digital Marketing has changed, email hello@rehabadmit.com and we will fix it.
How do RehabAdmit and Cardinal Digital Marketing compare?
| Dimension | RehabAdmit | Cardinal |
|---|---|---|
| Who they serve | Treatment centers doing $3M to $30M a year | Multi-location healthcare groups across many specialties (source) |
| Services | Google and Meta ads, SEO, CRM setup, admissions process | Paid media, performance creative, SEO & AISO, web design, analytics, HIPAA-compliant martech (source) |
| Reporting | Cost per VOB and cost per admission | Integrated dashboards and media mix modeling (RevRx) |
| Pricing | Flat retainer, $5K to $25K/mo. Ad spend at cost. | No fees published; media markup up to 25% (terms) |
| Contract | No minimum term. 90-day guarantee. | At least 12 months for custom programs, auto-renewing (terms); its contact FAQ says 6 months |
| Published proof | Case studies on our site | Regard Recovery (addiction treatment): spend up 35%, leads up 40%, CPA 78% below target (case study). Helped "the country's largest mental health care provider scale digital marketing to 500+ locations" (source) |
When should you pick Cardinal Digital Marketing?
You run a multi-location group, possibly across several specialties, and want media mix modeling and multi-channel testing at scale. Cardinal publishes a deep case study library, including addiction treatment work for Regard Recovery and mental health work across 500+ locations.
Cardinal Digital Marketing strengths:
- Published addiction treatment case study: for Regard Recovery, "we scaled up spending by 35% and acquired 40% more leads" and held CPA "78% lower than their target CPA goal" (source)
- Large published case study library across healthcare (source)
- Media mix modeling through its RevRx tool
- HIPAA-compliant martech offered as a service
- Backed by Power Digital as its healthcare division
Where Cardinal Digital Marketing may not fit:
- You want an agency that specializes in addiction treatment. Cardinal also serves dental, dermatology, veterinary, primary care and health systems.
- You want to compare prices before a call. Cardinal publishes no fees.
- You run one facility. Cardinal positions itself for multi-location groups, so ask how a single site fits its book.
When should you pick RehabAdmit?
You run a treatment center and want a team that works only on addiction and behavioral health. We run paid media and SEO, set up the CRM and admissions process, and report in VOBs and cost per admission, for one flat fee.
RehabAdmit strengths:
- We work only with addiction treatment and behavioral health programs
- One flat monthly fee for services. Nothing tied to admissions or census.
- Paid media, SEO, CRM setup and admissions process work in one engagement
- Reporting built on VOBs and cost per admission, so you see what a bed costs you
- You keep the ad accounts, tracking numbers and data if you ever leave
Where RehabAdmit does not fit:
- Large multi-specialty groups that want media mix modeling across many service lines and markets.
- Founders who need a feasibility study, state licensing or CARF / Joint Commission accreditation. We do not do that work.
- Centers that want to pay an agency per admission. We will not price that way (see the legal note below).
How do you choose between Cardinal Digital Marketing and RehabAdmit?
Ask every agency on your list, including us, the same five questions:
- How are you paid? Ask for a flat fee in writing. Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 220) bars paying anyone to induce a referral to a treatment facility. Fees tied to admissions or census put your center at risk.
- Who owns the ad accounts, tracking numbers and data? You should, from day one.
- What do you report? Leads alone hide the real cost. Ask for cost per VOB and cost per admission.
- What is the contract term? Month to month, 6 months or 12 months changes your risk.
- Are my ad accounts cleared to run? In the US, Google requires addiction treatment advertisers to be certified by LegitScript and by Google.
Numbers to ask about: Webserv's 2025 State of Rehab Marketing report, built from its own clients' paid search ($16.5M in ad spend, 994 admits), shows an average of $2,552 per VOB and $16,608 per admit. In our experience running detox and residential campaigns, cost per admission from Google and directories runs $2,000 to $5,000 in-network and $7,000 to $15,000 out-of-network. Ask any agency where your numbers sit and why.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cardinal Digital Marketing a good fit for a single-location rehab?
Cardinal describes itself as focused on multi-location provider groups. Its behavioral health page also says its clients "come from all levels of marketing maturity" and that having no in-house marketing team is "not a problem" (source). Ask Cardinal directly how a single site fits.
What has Cardinal done in addiction treatment?
Its Regard Recovery case study says that between June and July 2022 it scaled spend by 35%, got 40% more leads, and held CPA 78% below the client's target (source).
How much does Cardinal cost?
Cardinal does not publish fees. Its lead form starts at a $50,000 to $100,000 monthly marketing budget, and its terms allow media markup of up to 25%. Its terms set at least 12 months for custom programs, while its contact FAQ says 6 months.
Who owns Cardinal Digital Marketing?
Its homepage says "Cardinal joins Power Digital as its dedicated healthcare division" (source).
Does Cardinal do SEO?
Yes. SEO & AISO is a listed service, and its case study list includes an addiction recovery center SEO project (Milestones Wellness Center).
How fast does Cardinal say results come?
Its behavioral health FAQ says "PPC Management typically yields results within the first three months" and "a full-scale SEO strategy may take up to six months" (source).
How is RehabAdmit different from Cardinal?
Cardinal is a multi-specialty healthcare agency built for multi-location groups. RehabAdmit specializes in treatment centers and mental health, charges one flat fee for services, includes CRM setup and admissions process work, and reports cost per VOB and cost per admission.
Want a straight answer on whether RehabAdmit fits your operation?
Book a free 30-minute admissions audit. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit, and if not, we'll point you at the agency on this list that is. No pitch either way.
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