Sure, Google might dominate up to 70% of the search engine market. And yes, the name “Google” is virtually synonymous with the word “search engine” at this point. And, yes, there’s a reason we don’t have a verb for “Bing-ing.” But it’s also true that any search engine optimization expert will tell you Google is NOT a search engine, at least not primarily.

No, Google is first and foremost an advertising company, and it owns some of the most valuable advertising inventory on the entire Internet. That’s because Google knows three-quarters of search users will never scroll past the first page of results, and that means businesses are willing to pay quite a bit to get their site on that first page of search results.

But here’s another secret local SEO companies will tell you — up to 80% of users will never click on those paid ads. That means for maximum effectiveness, your website needs to be on top of your search game. So what are the top search engine optimization strategies for 2015?

You can break down search engine optimization strategies into two categories: the technical end of your website, and the content side of your website. So what does that mean?

If you hire local SEO companies to review your website, some of the first things they’ll check is whether your website is mobile-friendly and whether it loads quickly. That’s what we mean by technical search engine optimization strategies. If your website loads slowly, it will be difficult to rank highly on Google. And since half of all local searches come from mobile users, without a mobile-friendly site, you’ll rank poorly on mobile searches.

But remember, it’s not just about how well your website runs. Search engine optimization strategies also involve what goes on your website. That’s why content marketing is perhaps the most popular of all search engine optimization strategies in 2015. Strong content not only signals to Google that you have a site worth visiting, but it can also help build links that improve your search rankings.

Local SEO experts trust content marketing as one of the most effective, proven search engine optimization strategies in use today. If you’re looking to hire SEO services this year, then expect to get an earful about the importance of content marketing.