Marketing Audit To Reduce Dependence on PPO Plans

Are you tired of PPOs cutting into your hard-earned revenue? Many dentists feel stuck relying on insurance companies for patients—while sacrificing profits. But what if you could take control and bring in patients on your own?

In this episode, Gary Takacs and Naren Arulrajah discuss the 5 key areas of a marketing audit that can help determine whether your practice is ready to reduce PPO dependence.

You’ll learn how to check your Google rankings, online consistency (NAP score), website performance (Lighthouse score), credibility (E-E-A-T), and review growth (Google Review Velocity).

By understanding these essential marketing factors, you can replace insurance-driven patients with high-quality ones who value your care—all while lowering marketing costs.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is my practice ready to go out of network?” this episode gives you the answers. Tune in now and take the first step toward insurance freedom!

Key Takeaways

• Your insurance adjustments are a marketing expense – PPO write-offs are costing you thousands. Instead, invest in your own marketing to bring in high-quality patients.
• Your website rankings matter – If your practice doesn’t rank for 100+ keywords on page one of Google, you’re missing potential patients.
• Google trusts consistency – Your Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) must match across all online listings, or Google won’t trust your practice.
• Reviews build trust and visibility – Aim for 10+ Google reviews per month to improve your ranking and attract new patients.

• 00:01:30 – Thriving Dentist Live Summit Successfully Building and Growing a Dental Practice in 2025. March 5th, 2025 at 7PM – 9:10 PM ET
  Register now –
• 00:02:30 – How a marketing audit helps determine if you’re ready to go out of network.
• 00:04:50 – Key #1: Website Rankings & SEO
  Your practice must rank for at least 100 keywords on page one of Google to attract the right patients.
• 00:08:10 – Key #2: NAP Consistency (Name, Address, Phone Number)
• How small listing mistakes can hurt your rankings and make your practice harder to find.
• 00:12:30 – Key #3: Google Lighthouse Score & Website Health
  A low Lighthouse score can drop your rankings-learn how to fix it.
• 00:16:40 – Key #4: Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)
  How video content, credentials, and online authority can help Google trust your site.
• 00:21:15 – Key #5: Google Review Velocity

And remember, it’s not just keywords but key phrases as well because the public might use different terms to describe what they’re looking for rather than people in the profession.

Google SEO is by far the lowest-cost way to attract the highest-quality patients, and today, even those on PPO plans still use Google to find you.